OUR WONDERFUL BRAINS

To me, this emphasizes just how intricate the brain functions are, and also that there are many things that can go wrong with the way it functions. Schizophrenia is a good example of that. Years ago, the "disease" of the brain was blamed on "the mother" and Schizophrenia was shuffled to the background. Thankfully, research has found that the disease of the brain is actually a 'disease of the brain.' Sadly though, many older people suffering from Schizophrenia, and I mean suffering (and also their families) have not been treated in the proper manner. The person with the disease have had drugs shoved down their throats, warehoused, and also ignored by society. The movie "The Soloist" closely depicts the agony of a person suffering from Schizophrenia. Many of the homeless people suffering with the illness have been ignored by society. It is the lucky family member that has had family to stick by them, even if it is one of the most difficult tasks to undertake. Hopefully, with the heightened awareness in today's society, the stigma against the family and the one suffering with the illness will go away.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI and the National Institute of Mental Health NIMH are two organizations that have been undertaking much research on Schizophrenia, and hopefully, there will be paths for recovery opened, not only for the person suffering, but for their families. Suffering in silence is not fun !!! Another good source for information is NARSAD, the world's leading charity dedicated to mental health research.