Schizophrenia and Our Society 

Schizophrenia is a mental illness where a person can experience delusions and hallucinations, they can see or hear things that are not there. Also, a person's emotions, memory, and social skills are impaired. Stigma on schizophrenia is a heavy issue among our society, and it’s important that we show support and empathy to those suffering from a mental illness. If we treat them the same way we treat people who have a physical illness, then we will reduce the stigma around mental health, and more people will feel okay with seeking help.  

Cohen Miles-Rath was a 22-year-old man who had his first schizophrenic episode while he was in college. During his episode, he did many things that didn’t reflect who he actually was as a person; one of these things was biting off a chunk of his dad’s earlobe. Cohen was taken into custody and put in solitary confinement for a while. After he got out, Cohen had a hard time dealing with other’s stigma. Despite this, he started graduate school and is currently working on a master’s in social work. Cohen says that, with treatment and the support of many people, he has been able to learn how to live with his mental illness and is striving to make social change. 

The way society and the media told Cohen’s story and handled the situation only worsened how people saw him and how he perceived himself. He felt ashamed, guilty, and sad. Others were scared to be around him. It was like if he were a monster. When in reality, he was only sick and needed help from a doctor.  

This story made me see the power that the media has over our society. I think that maybe those who reported the story were not familiar with schizophrenia and how to handle a story like that. They made Cohen seem like a crazy person. Instead of using their resources to raise awareness, the media only created stigma against mental health.  

“Maybe, people would take an extra step to remember how each situation is different, try to understand them and realize judging or generalizing doesn’t give hope to those who suffer from mental illness.” - Cohen Miles-Rath 

Written by: Vivian Daher 

Miles-Rath, C. (2019, March 5). But I Was A Victim, Right? Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2019/But-I-was-a-Victim-Right