Elyn Saks

The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn Saks is a tremendous novel that entails the life and progression of Mrs. Saks’ disease of schizophrenia. She lived in the City of Miami, Florida during the 1950’s and early 1960’s. She was the oldest child, and was in constant competition with her oldest brother, Warren. From her recollection, there is nothing odd or extra-ordinary in regards to her life during her childhood. She had the regular quirks or abnormalities that come with children, such as being slightly obsessive-compulsive with the order of her room. Elyn was considered the perfect student, due to her grades, however things changed when she confessed to her parents that she had tried marijuana while she had studied abroad in Mexico. When she came…

which the hero transcends and gain a better knowledge and understanding of everything around them after a trial. Not all the hero gets the opportunity to reach this stage. Elyn Saks,however, was one of the exceptions; she reached apotheosis by surpassing expectations and…

schizophrenic mind is not so much split as shattered. I like to say schizophrenia is like a waking nightmare.” – Elyn Saks The Center Cannot Hold, written by Elyn Saks, presents to readers the many challenges that come with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a potentially severe mental disorder that is frequently associated with hallucinations/delusions, social isolation, difficulties with hygiene, depression, and problems with concentration. People who suffer from this disorder are unable to…

been capable of accomplishing the same feats they have? How would the world be altered? The confounding variables of genetics and luck set the parameters for the freedom of life. Genetics, the immutable nature of how one is born, specifies parameters by which one can live our life. It is not known to what extent DNA or the environment affects who one is, but it is recognized that DNA plays a significant role. Imagine being born with a mental illness such as schizophrenia. No matter the…

the onset occurs later in their life. For example, if they are much older maybe their onset (e.g., traumatic experience) occurred in the early years of their life. If the client has a family history, struggles with remembering/or refuses treatment with medications, this increases their chances of relapsing (Townsend, 2014). People respond differently to treatment. That said, I think it is important to consider what stage of the disorder someone is in by doing an extensive baseline assessment…

that 5.8 percent of all restrained used were in another field outside of the ones not looked at. They also found that of that 5.8 percent a large piece of that was neurology using the physical restraints. When looking into the use of physical restraints in prison we must take account the level of aggression in a prison. Which could be higher than a long-term care home, requiring physical restraint in times of emergencies. Prisons who use physical restraint are subject to the same laws as the…

Hallucinations are mostly known as hearing voices and seeing things; which are what everyone tends to think of when schizophrenia is mentioned. Delusions are believing that the hallucinations are real, which lead to irrational conclusions; "Sometimes I have the delusion that I've killed hundreds of thousands of people with my thoughts, or that someone has set off a nuclear explosion in my brain,” says Elyn Saks an associate dean and Professor of law, psychology, and psychiatry at the University…

“No one would ever say that someone with a broken arm or a broken leg is less than a whole person, but people say that or imply that all the time about people with mental illness.” ~Elyn Saks People in our society think that schizophrenia just means crazy but, it is actually a form of a mental disorder. According to Webster’s dictionary, schizophrenia is “a very serious mental illness in which, someone cannot think or behave normally and often experiences delusions.” Schizophrenia makes it…

Mental illness is a serious and growing concern in society today. It is often undertreated and can be misdiagnosed. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), approximately one in five adults in the United States experiences mental illness in a given year. Given this statistic, I believe one of the most important issues related to mental illness is regarding how it is approached, which is many times like an attitude issue as opposed to a medical issue, and how it is treated. …

Linehan came forward about everything she’s been through because people who were close to her had said that she should tell people what happened, by doing this she’s telling people that they aren’t alone in what they experience throughout their own struggle with mental illness. Such a few amount of people actually come out and say they’re suffering or have suffered because of what the people around them will say about all of that. People in this world are judgemental and cruel, and what they…