tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316931333752701421.post6999358694743083115..comments2023-09-01T02:52:05.779-07:00Comments on A Writer's Workbench: Mental Stability in an Insane WorldSailorchronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06918308597161615115noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316931333752701421.post-43346844898551199082017-12-22T07:24:27.709-08:002017-12-22T07:24:27.709-08:00Unfortunately, too many people think of schizophre...Unfortunately, too many people think of schizophrenia as "multiple personalities" when this is a completely different disorder. The "schiz" or split in schizophrenia is a break with reality, not a splitting of personalities. <br /><br />It's a condition that involves many different aspects, including the more dramatic symptoms that TV and film portray (hearing voices, delusions of grandeur, etc.) but also more subtle yet pervasive symptoms like warping of depth perception and paranoia that stems in part from feeling that the world is closing in on the individual. <br /><br />It's a condition that I would not wish on anyone, and one that can be exceedingly difficult to treat under the best circumstances. I've seen a great many people suffer through lack of psychiatric and social supports, overmedication, or outright abuse. Incidentally, some of the schizophrenics I've been warned were "very dangerous" were actually the sweetest, gentlest souls I've had the privilege to care for.<br /><br />As to your claim that too many people use an insanity defense, these are the statistics I was able to find: in the United States, 0.85% of accused attempt an insanity defense, and of these only 0.26% will be found not guilty by reason of insanity. It's an exceedingly rare thing to even attempt such a defense, and American prisons are literally overflowing with the mentally ill - most of whom were afforded very little in the way of either adequate psychiatric treatment or legal defense.<br /><br />When we read sensationalized media reports it's easy to believe that many people are getting away with murder, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's important to look beyond the hype to get a clear picture of what's really happening in the courtrooms and in the prison system.Kyla Matton Osbornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11355463406212139205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316931333752701421.post-89688577465056814292017-12-11T16:56:06.044-08:002017-12-11T16:56:06.044-08:00It remains however that too many people seem to us...It remains however that too many people seem to use the insanity defense as a "get out of jail free" card: "I was insane at the time of the crime, therefore I did not know what I was doing and I do not deserve jail time."Sailorchronoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06918308597161615115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316931333752701421.post-48062710937903239132017-12-11T16:24:29.166-08:002017-12-11T16:24:29.166-08:00I do know that schizophrenia isn't always like...I do know that schizophrenia isn't always like the "multiple personalities" that's often portrayed in the movies and TV. I admit I don't fully understand the condition; I do know someone who has been diagnosed with it but she's on medication and she never talks about it.Sailorchronoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06918308597161615115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316931333752701421.post-86586426134493820712017-12-11T16:12:15.467-08:002017-12-11T16:12:15.467-08:00Just curious, have you ever known anyone who was d...Just curious, have you ever known anyone who was diagnosed with schizophrenia?Kyla Matton Osbornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11355463406212139205noreply@blogger.com