Schizophrenia: Popular Literature

Schizophrenia is not a single unifying diagnosis, and Esmé Weijun Wang writes not just to her fellow members of the "collected schizophrenias" but to those who wish to understand it as well. Opening with the journey toward her diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, Wang discusses the medical community's own disagreement about labels and procedures for diagnosing those with mental illness, and then follows an arc that examines the manifestations of schizophreniain her life.

Christopher Bollas shares his experiences working with schizophrenic patients to show the history of isolation and dehumanization of those with schizophrenia and how they can be helped by much more humane treatments.

Kristina Morgan's memoir gives an inside glimpse of schizophrenia. Morgan takes us inside her head to experience the chaos, fragmented thinking, and the startling creativity of the schizophrenic mind.

Elyn Saks experience the first signs of schizophrenia at the age of eight. Her memoir discusses her experience with paranoia, the inability to tell imaginary fears from real ones, and the voices in her head insisting she do terrible things, as well as the many obstacles she overcame to become the woman she is today.

Adam has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He sees and hears people who aren't there- Rebecca, a beautiful girl who understands him; the Mob Boss, who harasses him; and Jason, the naked guy who's unfailingly polite. It should be easy to separate the real from the not real, but Adam can't.

Two sisters-Miranda, the older, responsible one, always her younger sister's protector; Lucia, the headstrong, unpredictable one, whose impulses are huge and, often, life changing. When their mother dies and Lucia starts hearing voices, it is Miranda who must find a way to reach her sister.

At the center of this multigenerational saga about family and love is Dominick Birdsey, whose twin brother Thomas has schizophrenia and struggles with delusions.

Will Heller is a 16 year old paranoid schizophrenic who believes he can save the world from climate change. He navigates the New York City subway in search of a girl that he believes is a key to his plan to save the world.