Many people with schizophrenia have learned to cope with their psychiatric disorders, going on to lead successful lives. Did you know that Nobel Prize winning mathematician John Nash (featured in the movie A Beautiful Mind) was diagnosed with schizophrenia? Other famous people with the disorder include: Super Bowl winning football player Lionel Aldridge, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, Pink Floyd guitarist Syd Barrett and author Jack Kerouac. Historically, even Abraham Lincoln’s wife had schizophrenia. With medication and goals, these people were able to achieve greatness, despite mental instability.

A major problem with the treatment of schizophrenia is that it focuses solely on medication to attack the positive symptoms - which include aural and visual hallucinations, disordered thinking and outright delusions. While medication is essential, many schizophrenia patients have trouble staying on their medication. They may dislike the side effects of the anti-psychotic drugs or they may feel like they’ve been “cured” if the symptoms haven’t reappeared in awhile. Yet it is a severe mental illness that most people have for their entire lives that may lie dormant and resurface suddenly and without warning. Therefore, behavior therapy and support are crucial to one’s recovery.

The best treatment of schizophrenia addresses the disorder’s negative symptoms too. “Negative symptoms” pertains to things that people are lacking. For instance, many schizophrenics have what is called “agoraphobia,” meaning a fear of people and social situations. They lack the ability to talk easily with others or the understanding of how to act. They may also lack emotional responsiveness, making it difficult to show love or receive love from others, hindering romantic relationships. They also lack motivation and suffer depression.

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