A Demon Called Schizophrenia

Are you schizophrenic? This man hates you. He also hates music. And gays. And Catholics. And atheists . . .

Ray Comfort has been writing an ongoing series on exorcism, specifically his exorcisms of people that were doubtless using drugs, experiencing seizures or mentally ill- without any effort to make sure these people visited medical professionals. (Who needs medical professionals when you've got Jesus?)

I've been ignoring this, though as a person who suffers from Simple Partial Seizures this series has enraged me to no end*. Please, please, please: if you or someone you love are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in Ray's posts, see a doctor. Right away. You or they could be in very big trouble and time may not be on your side. If you want to pray, pray. Just do it at the doctor's office, okay?

This passage, however, was the outside of enough:

Over the next few hours twelve spirits named themselves and came out of her. The first one to leave called itself "Joseph Smith." Jane apparently had contact with Mormonism, and had even been baptized by them. The other spirits named themselves as Mocking, Lying, Deceit, Schizophrenia, False Tongues, Music, Affliction, Soal, Marinda, Strength, and Lucifer (which I would think was a lying spirit). The two that had the greatest stronghold were Strength and Marinda. I commanded, "Marinda, what is your function -- what do you do?"

[emphasis mine]

Schizophrenia is not a demon. It is a disease. It is a disease that affects millions of people, people just like you and me. Those people are suffering from a disease exactly the same way a diabetic is suffering from a disease. Oddly enough, nobody ever feels ashamed to admit that their pancreas isn't working right, while schizophrenics are treated with fear and revulsion every day.

How dare you, Ray?

How fucking dare you?

*Because SPS can cause symptoms like abdominal pain and tachycardia, or just plain weird ass moods, it can be very difficult to get diagnosed. I suffered for a very long time and the treatment is simple: take some pills. They work great. I no longer have to deal with hallucinations. Why that took the better part of decade to work out, I don't know.

Bus Guy

schizophrenia, schizophasia, word salad, medication, small talk
There's this man, who is famous in the downtown of the city I live in for being, well, crazy. He's clearly a paranoid schizophrenic, because he used to go on an on, to anyone within shouting distance, about the conspiracies that rule our lives. Everything, and I do mean everything, was all a plot to get him and possibly the rest of us. All he did was walk everywhere shouting about conspiracies.

For the last two weeks, I been sitting next to him on the bus. His beard is now trimmed, as is his hair, and he has been silent. He hasn't said a word.

Until last night when he asked me if I liked the weather. (We've had a weeklong springtease in NEPA.) I said yes, I love spring. He returned to silence.

Obviously, he's been medicated. Also obviously, he is slowly returning to a world of small talk and normal conversation. I don't know how much courage it took for him to comment on the weather to a stranger, but I suspect a lot.

I'd like to use my blog to say a few things to him that I can't really say to him in person.

Bus guy, I'm glad you're medicated. Life is hard enough without your brain tricking you into a state of constant panic. You seem nice when you're able to be you.

I'd like to engage in small talk with you again.

Please don't give up if other people don't want to converse with you. People are stupid. People can be mean. It's not you. It's them.

For the rest of you, please be kind to people like bus guy. They're sick, and you wouldn't make fun of someone for having diabetes or cancer, so don't make fun of the mentally ill. And don't blame them for their misfortune. That's an ugly thing we engage in in the US and it needs to stop.