Schizophrenia Positive Perspective

Schizophrenic people are often in the news, usually because of behaviour that alarms and outrages the ordinary citizen. But that isn't the whole story. Those who work closely with schizophrenic patients often report that they seem to have extra perceptions, 'frightening empathy' or 'uncanny sensitivity' alongside the negative aspects of the condition. Peter Chadwick, who has himself suffered from the illness, presents fascinating studies of some schizophrenic-prone people with whom he has worked. Using autobiography, biography and psychometric and experimetnal methods, he reveals areas of enhanced functioning and argues for a much more positive picture of the schizophrenic mind. He raises important questions, such as whether schizophrenia should really be viewed as an illness that we want to eradicate, or does it instead actually endow its sufferers with valuable qualities we should be nurturing?