Your Health

Living With Schizophrenia: A Call For Hope And Recovery

Posted: 9/30/2011

Stories of hope and promise, and the paths of mental health recovery for people with schizophrenia.

(NAPSI)—About 1 percent of the U.S. adult population and approximately 24 million people globally live with schizophrenia—yet many people do not understand exactly what this disease entails and, as a result, it is often stigmatized.

To increase understanding of this chronic, potentially disabling brain disorder and to reduce the fear and stigma associated with it, a newly released half-hour documentary film tells the story of three people with schizophrenia.

“Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery” produced by Janssen, division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., highlights the stories that often don’t make the headlines.

“They are stories of hope and promise,” said Emily Abt, award-winning filmmaker and director of the film. In the film, viewers meet three individuals with schizophrenia and experience their daily struggles, personal insights, their paths to the recovery process, and learn about the impact their illness has had on those who love them.

“Living with Schizophrenia” delves into the lives of Rebecca, Joshua, and Ashley.

Rebecca began to feel different in her mid-teens with increased introspection and feelings of paranoia and sadness. Through the support of her mother, Rebecca started to accept the illness, rather than let it define her. She now writes a blog for her hometown paper The Topeka Capital-Journal entitled “Heart of Topeka: People Who Care.”

Ashley, who experienced an onset of symptoms during college, is now involved in her own path to mental health recovery and committed to supporting others. She serves as a peer mentor at rehabilitation centers, county mental health centers and transitional housing.

Joshua was enjoying his teenage years when he started to become paranoid that his friends were talking about him behind his back. From there, his symptoms escalated and he began acting out. Joshua cites treatment and the support of his father for saving his life and helping set him on a path toward recovery. Joshua works as a peer specialist at a local county jail and runs a support group for individuals with schizophrenia.

“We don’t have a cure for schizophrenia but we have so many tools to make the lives of people with this illness so much better,” said Dr. Xavier Amador.

For more information about “Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery” or to view the film, visit www.HopeandRecoveryFilm.com.

“Living with Schizophrenia” was funded and produced by Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The people featured in the film present their own stories and ideas and were not compensated by Janssen to appear in the film.

Janssen provided the content for this article.