The term schizophrenia broken down by its greek roots means “split mind,” which often inaccurately implies a lack of control over one’s self––though this implication couldn’t be farther from reality. This inaccurate assumption that those with schizophrenia cannot regulate themselves has laid the basis for various stigmas surrounding schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and other psychotic disorders.

To its core, schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by dopamine overactivity in the brain, causing delusions, hallucinations and disorganized speech. These symptoms are not often acknowledged for their positive effects (i.e. divergent thinking, creative writing and internal productivity) but instead impose negative stereotypes on people who endure this disorder. People with schizophrenia have been targeted by society for over 100 years. Characterizing them as insane, incompetent and consumed solely by their illness, thousands of mental institutions and media outlets have not only restricted the opportunities for those with the disorder, but have also taken advantage of their innate human rights.

In the late 1930’s, the United States started breaching these rights by initiating forced sterilization. Those who were deemed “unfit” were mislead into undertaking a specific procedure that they believed would protect their health. However, this surgical procedure permanently eliminated a person’s ability to reproduce offspring (often without the patient aware of its effects) and thus removed one of their most vital human abilities. These procedures were adopted and amplified under Nazi Germany, which sterilized over 300,000 individuals (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). These deceitful acts were heavily targeted toward people with schizophrenia in an attempt to reduce the possibility of future generations having the disorder; however, the lack of full disclosure to patients deprived people of an inborn privilege of a complete life with an equal opportunity to reproduce.

Eugenics poster promoting the removal of genetic “defectives” such as those with mental illness and the “feeble-minded”. Photo from the Philadelphia Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition in 1926.

The representations of stigmas about schizophrenia have not significantly changed in recent years, though. With forced sterilizations “subtly” transforming into forced institutionalization, people with the disorder are still losing their voice in the face of authority. When a person is perceived as incapable of monitoring their own mental health, external influences can force them into mental institutions without any consent. This policy is often referred to as a 5150, named after its section in the California Welfare and Institution Code. People with schizophrenia are targeted and presumed to lack good judgement about their need for medical treatment, when in reality many have more control over their minds than what is assumed by the public.

Stigmas against those with schizophrenia are also very prominent within medical institutions regarding the treatment of patients both physically and mentally. In the controversial 1973 Rosenhan Study, eight people without any history of mental illness entered a mental institution on the grounds that they experienced hallucinations (although, they truly did not). These patients continued to pretend they had a psychotic disorder, and they eventually were objectified and dehumanized by the staff on site, who substantially prolonged their release. Rosenhan found that it was not difficult to be misdiagnosed with a mental illness, but rather it was very difficult to get rid of that label and the stereotypes tied to it after it had been established. Similarly, people with schizophrenia are often defined by their illness rather than who they truly are as human beings. Stigmas prevent society from fully seeing another person for all of their amazing and unique qualities, and in medical institutions they can spill-over into harsh treatment and discrimination.

In The Collected Schizophrenias, Esmé Weijun Wang highlights how a woman she once interviewed, who she called Kate, was 5150’d after expressing suicidal ideation to her counselor as opposed to receiving appropriate, personalized assistance. Kate’s depiction of her experience in the institution reflects the lack of adequate care for those who are institutionalized: “I don’t know how anyone gets better in [that place]…They put me in the big crazy intake room…There was no care, I just sat there with the nurses and begged them to let me go” (109). Based off of these experiences, institutions are more focused on removing mentally unstable people from society than helping improve their mental health. This reflects the prominence of stigmas within the industry because medical officials continue to dehumanize their patients, viewing them as ambassadors of their illness instead of human beings in need of genuine care.

Moreover, the stigma has been picked up by the media to characterize those with schizophrenia as crazy or incapable of living a normal life. With films like The Exorcist depicting a regular individual overtaken by an all-consuming being, or with television shows such as Law and Order portraying the mental illness largely in a negative, villainous light, the general public has learned to automatically stereotype those with the disorder. This causes people to subconsciously isolate them from society, ultimately weakening their quality of life.

A snapshot from season 7 episode 22 of Law and Order, inaccurately portraying mental illness. (Source: The Freddy Will Blog)

Each of these media outlets convey one common theme: that people with schizophrenia are unable to control themselves. The fact is that many people with the disorder are more than capable of acknowledging when they will enter a psychotic state and can find a way to calm themselves or diffuse the situation. Additionally, most people with schizophrenia seek help when they believe it is necessary instead of allowing their hallucinations and delusions to progress to more severe levels.

This concept of recognizing the onset of one’s symptoms is called insight, and its impact shows that people with schizophrenia are still able to live generally normal lives by societal standards. Esmé Weiju Wang emphasizes the value in this phenomenon by stating, “I want to know how to control myself when frightening things happen to me” (198). Wang desires to have control over her mind and harness schizophrenia only when it is beneficial to her. Through assistance from friends and family, she has been able to manage her psychotic experiences and has thrived as an acclaimed author. Many people with psychotic disorders want to project who they are beyond their disorder, and self-regulation can help bring out the person within them who they are proud to represent. However, stigmas brought on by the media often reduce the likelihood of insight being achievable since they negatively affect the quality of care that is provided.

The ubiquitous prevalence of external stigmas can also develop self-stigmatizing beliefs within individuals with schizophrenia, even if they already have strong insight into themselves. This internal stigma can lead to an increase in depressive states or feelings of hopelessness and can truly threaten their mental health. In a study published by Comprehensive Psychiatry, several psychological scientists used self-reporting scales to assess the level of demoralization, or heightened depression and diminished self-esteem, among individuals with schizophrenia. These scales also accounted for levels of self-stigmatization in order to understand its impact on negative sentiments among participants. Researchers found a positive correlation between self-stigmas and demoralization and discovered that stereotypes worsened the symptoms associated with the illness. These results indicate how public discrimination toward those with schizophrenia can lower their quality of life and prevent them from achieving their purpose as engaged members of society.

As representatives of our world, we must educate ourselves on the implications of mental illness. We should not confine individuals in discriminatory boxes based solely off of stereotypes. Moreover, we should transform our medical industry and mental health policies to focus more heavily on aiding individuals who are suffering from mental illness rather than quarantining them from the rest of society. Through improved communication and genuine effort, we can help individuals manage their psychotic episodes rather than penalize those with schizophrenia for merely existing with the disorder.