They know the futility of persuading someone who doesn't think he's ill to take anti psychotic drugs. They recall the moment they realized they could become tomorrow's headline. Slattery found herself scribbling her terror to a prosecutor. It's not anything any mother would ever dream they would be praying for. Schizophrenia strikes in young adulthood, usually from ages 15 to 27.
Vulnerability is inherited.
One in five recover, says the National Institute of Mental Health, and studies show that up to two-thirds of sufferers improve with treatment. One in 10 commit suicide. Early symptoms of social withdrawal or unusual behavior often are not diagnosed until after an episode of extreme behavior. Families caught unaware Schizophrenia enveloped Hagar's son just before his 16th birthday. It struck Grieling's son at 21.