My Extreme Life
It’s hard enough for young people to find their place in the world. But for some, whether they’re coping with a psychological illness or are facing major challenges, just getting through each day can be a struggle.
This powerful series of one-off documentaries uncovers the reality of these extreme lives, giving a voice to those experiencing these often misunderstood but hugely impactful conditions and situations. Each episode covers a different topic, spending time with three or four contributors to get inside their minds and under the skin of their difficult day-to-day lives.
The series meets those attempting to lead a normal life while being compelled to complete the endless rituals of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and gives a unique window into the issues faced by those coping with the multiple personalities of Dissociative Identity Disorder. It follows young people with dwarfism as they reach major milestones, those living with facial disfigurements in an image-obsessed society and those with severe stammers as they try to find their voice. It reveals the stories of people coming to terms with their own unique transgender journeys and young women battling with their weight and learning to love their bodies, as well as honest accounts from young people selling sex on the streets, trapped in a lifestyle they cannot escape.
Told first-hand, their stories reveal worlds of significant challenges, troubled relationships and shifting family dynamics, but also incredible triumph against adversity. Insightful, sensitive and revealing, the series witnesses the private battles and public challenges faced by these extraordinary young people, who are just like the rest of us, but who must overcome even more daily obstacles to make the most of their extreme lives.
Genre(s)
Documentaries / Unscripted
Director(s)
Kayleigh Smith, Mark Beech
Producer(s)
Ruth Binsley, Kelly Edgson-Carroll
Running Time
9 x 45' mins
Writers
Ruth Binsley, Kayleigh Smith, Mark Beech
Status
Completed
Country
UK
Year
2017