The Tragedy of Schizophrenia

Although schizophrenia doesn't have to be a tragedy, sometimes it really is. I thought this story was interesting because it talks about the illness in a non-western culture. Isn't it interesting that in India family support is cited so highly? I do object that medication and the "brain disease" model is pushed so heavily in this article, but the demand for psychosocial treatment helps make this less heinous.
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Schizophrenia killed Parveen Babi

Manish Chand (IANS) New Delhi, January 25, 2005

Actress Parveen Babi's lonely death in a Mumbai suburb has put the spotlight on her dark secret. She was suffering from schizophrenia - a deadly mental affliction that reportedly haunted her till her last day.

An expert here said the one-time actress may have been alive today if only those who came to her side after her death had stood by her when she was living.

"Had they shown the same kind of interest, compassion and concern, perhaps the illness could have been more effectively treated and the course of her life could have been different," Sunil Mittal of Delhi Psychiatry Centre told IANS. "For all we know, she probably would have been alive today."

Family support plays a vital role in curing schizophrenia that victimises 10 million Indians. One percent of the world population suffers from schizophrenia, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"This perhaps explains why schizophrenics show a greater rate of recovery in India. Latest research shows that 70 percent schizophrenia patients in India recover after treatment whereas only 38-40 percent recover in the US," says Mittal.
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Another pervasive myth about the disease is that patients of schizophrenia are prone to violence and, therefore, it's sensible to avoid them. Mittal finds this attitude reeking of ignorance and callousness.

"Schizophrenics seldom turn violent against others. On the contrary, they only end up directing violence against themselves..."
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http://www.tinyurl.com/65o6s