His story inspired thousands of people with severe mental illness, who like my daughter, saw him as a symbol of courage and success in their own battle to overcome stigma and lead independent lives. Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling brain disorder that affects approximately two million Americans each year. It impairs a person's ability to think clearly, manage his or her emotions, make decisions, and relate to others. Great progress has been made in understanding and treating this crippling brain disorder. We now know that people with schizophrenia do best when they receive a combination of medication and intensive, ongoing community support.
Recovery is, for the first time, a real possibility for many individuals with schizophrenia.
But we have a long way yet to go. Science has not yet revealed the cause of schizophrenia. Treatments remain imperfect. The treatments and supports that do work are often unavailable. Violence may be the outcome for some people with schizophrenia who are not in treatment, for whom treatment doesn't work, or who also have a drug or alcohol problem.