TLDR
Accurate depictions of schizophrenia in movies and books are crucial, but they can be difficult to find. These six examples of characters with schizophrenia are some of the best representations for people who want to learn more about the illness or better understand themselves or loved ones.
I was storming up and down the hall of my sister’s apartment building, shouting protest slogans. It was as though I was possessed by some unseen force. My actions made absolutely no sense to anyone who knew me.
That was my precursor to my first hospitalization, which marked the end of my childhood and an enjoyable and privileged life as I knew it. It was the beginning of a new reality for a grown adult with a mental health problem that no one wanted to be near or talk about.
I live with schizophrenia, or more accurately schizoaffective disorder. Like many mental health conditions, schizophrenia has many stereotypes that can lead those unfamiliar with the illness to have an inaccurate idea of how it looks. Schizophrenia stigmas can hurt those who suffer from the disorder so greatly that they avoid treatment or try to hide their struggles. However, in concealing their challenges, these individuals may also see their relationships, career and self-worth plummet.
I believe that by exposing people to schizophrenia characters in books, television and movies, we can create more awareness. If I had my way, many of these would be mandatory reading and viewing for young students. By being transparent about schizophrenia, we will change its dark and foreboding image.
6 Characters With Schizophrenia
The following list contains my top six examples of schizophrenic characters that give readers and viewers an honest portrayal of the mental health condition.
1. Jeffrey Goines in ‘12 Monkeys’
“12 Monkeys,” directed by the Monty Python phenomenon Terry Gilliam, uses literary devices commonly seen in science fiction to tell the overarching story and the narrative of Jeffrey Goines, played by Brad Pitt, a character who suffers from the illness. James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, goes back in time to find the origin of a virus that caused all humanity to abandon the surface of the Earth and seek refuge underground.
Viewers meet Jeffery Goines when James Cole is admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Pitt’s character is an incredible presentation of schizophrenia. I wondered if Pitt had a relative with the illness, or if he had accessed a psychiatric hospital where he could learn about schizophrenia. The narrative is layered as to show one story to certain members of the audience who enjoy it, but leave in hints that only other people will ever understand. It certainly resonated with me.
In “Mind Estranged,” Bethany Yeiser, a kind and highly accomplished young woman, receives a scholarship to attend USC in a molecular biology program. She is also a world-class violin player. However, when Bethany takes on charity work, she becomes obsessed with the belief that she can cure poverty all over the world and will marry a billionaire who will help her achieve her lofty goals.
When I first read “Mind Estranged,” I saw my own delusional, grandiose ideas on the page. Before I received proper medication and came to terms that I lived with a serious mental illness, I believed I had some divine destiny to change the world. My idea was to buy up outdated textbooks by the ton and ship them to Africa where I would use them to educate the poor.
Due to her untreated psychosis, Bethany spent the next four years living homeless around the campus where she was no longer a student, and in the streets and at a churchyard in Los Angeles. She believed a helicopter would come to take her to a new life, but in the meantime, Bethany was eating garbage and resisting help.
Bethany’s story is so amazing because her parents never give up on her. She eventually finds help, medicine and recovery, and completes her degree then founds a nonprofit to help people with schizophrenia. In her own way, Bethany did become an amazing force for change in the world.
I initially found this book in the public library after a catalog search. It was a true account of the author’s experience as a volunteer who visited The Douglas Hospital in Montreal, which treats patients with schizophrenia.
During her time there, the author meets and becomes close friends with Caroline. We see the illness take over Caroline’s story from a young age. Yet, there is love and respect shown by the author. When Caroline severely injures someone due to being delusional in her illness, Doherty sees past Caroline’s troubled state and continues to support her.
The book drew me in, and after reading most of it, I had a strong desire to connect with the author. I found Doherty online and sent her a message. I was amazed that she was as kind to me as she was to the patients she visited, and that we shared a bond as people affected deeply by schizophrenia who were also writers.
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” is a true, though mildly fictionalized, account of a man taking a motorcycle trip across the United States with his son and two best friends. The book contains incredible musings on philosophy, the protagonist’s past and his relationships.
As a lover of motorbikes, the book drew me in immediately. However, when the protagonist sees a familiar road sign, he is reminded of a mysterious illness and hospitalization. Early in the book, the protagonist reveals that he once experienced a psychotic break and received a court-order to undergo shock treatments intended to remove his personality and memories. A few months before I read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” I had a severe mental decline that caused me to do many irrational things. The book’s protagonists describes similar experiences.
I often think if this book hadn’t found me at such a critical point in my life, I may never have been able to accept my diagnosis and treatment. It helped me realized I wasn’t some monster — just a person with a severe and debilitating illness who could still have a life.
“The Eden Express” is a memoir by Mark Vonnegut, who is the son of literary icon Kurt Vonnegut. Throughout the book, Mark recounts his experience falling into schizophrenia and recovering in the 1960s and 1970s. He takes on the monumental task of revealing mistakes and mishaps by those who called themselves the Hippie Generation. He tells the story of how he and friends traveled to British Columbia to start a commune with the goal of experiencing liberation.
Mark uses and experiences many harmful drugs in the hopes of achieving this freedom. During presentations about schizophrenia that I give at schools, we talk about the importance of avoiding psychoactive drugs, especially before one reaches 25 when a person’s brain is fully developed. While Mark does receive a schizophrenia diagnosis, its his candid, honest, simple and optimistic accounts of experiencing psychosis and drug culture that stand out.
Dr. Xavier Amador recounts his experience with his brother who lived with schizophrenia in “I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help.” Dr. Amador’s brother, Henry, was reluctant to accept his illness and accept treatment, which kept leading to disaster. In response, Dr. Amador developed a linguistic model of how a loved one can talk to some experiencing psychosis and denial.
The model has four steps, including Listen, Empathize, Agree and Partner (LEAP) with the individual. He uses Henry’s experiences as an example for how to listen, support and show that you understand how troubling a person with schizophrenia’s situation may feel.
This book makes a lasting impact on its readers and is a popular book about schizophrenia. Whenever I interact with people who I feel could use the wisdom in “I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!,” they almost always have a copy.
Look Externally to Reveal Within
Books and movies really strike me when they reveal something about myself that I didn’t know. Reading Robert M. Pirsig gave me hope that one day I would be able to write a book about my own mental health journey. I eventually did, and the events that followed writing and publishing a book were life changing. Telling my story helped me accept myself. I have found a passion for helping people, especially those with a mental illness.
