Patrick Cockburn & Henry Cockburn: "Henry's Demons"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-02-10/patrick-cockburn-henry-cockburn-henrys-demons
When Irish journalist Patrick Cockburn's son was diagnosed with schizophrenia, he did what came most naturally to him. He sat down and began to write about it. And his son, Henry, did the same. Their two accounts of nearly a decade of living with schizophrenia are paired in the new memoir, "Henry's Demons: Living with Schizophrenia, A Father and Son's Story."
Guests
Patrick Cockburn
Iraq correspondent for The Independent in London. He is the author of the books, "Muqtada," "The Occupation," "The Broken Boy," and with Andrew Cockburn, "Out of the Ashes: The Resurrection of Saddam Hussein."
Henry Cockburn
In 2002, at age 20, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He currently resides at a rehabilitation center in London.
Comments
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Hi I could really use a transcript of this show. My nephew has Schizophrenia and could really use this data.
Diane, having 2 very close people diagnosed with Bi-polar/ schizoaffective disorder. Brain chemistry is very tricky and after 20 years we discovered that my friend was allergic to red dye #2 found in medications and some foods. After eliminating this from his diet his medications began to overtake and quiet the uproariious voices in his mind. A personal side note, after 20 years of trying every anti-psychotic med. we found that Lamictal and Lithium were the magical combination that allows my friends to hold down jobs and have a good quality of life. You might mention also that some of the most creative people have suffered mental illness, Vonegaut, Lincoln, Handel, and so many more extraordinary leaders and artists.
Being a person who stutters, I couldn't help but notice that Henry also seems to be a stutterer. I know that stuttering can take a toll on people psychologically, particularly when they try to hide their stuttering. I was wondering if Henry or Patrick think that stuttering played a roll in Henry's mental health?
Thanks,
Ben
I applaud both Henry and Patrick for their efforts in writing this book. A very important effort.
We are all human and the spectrum of our abilities and disabilities are not always seen or talked about.
I would encourage all listeners to read the PEN Book Award winner "Stalking the Irish Madness-searching for the roots of my family's schizophrenia" by Patrick Tracey.
Written with great humor about Patrick's 2 sisters, mother and grandmother who all have schizophrenia, it is written with great passion and humor with a message to listen to those with schizophrenia and use talk therapy as a complimentary practice to aid in the management of mental illness.
Thank you for this very educational show.
My son was diagnosed 3 years ago. I have some idea what you're going through. It's been a rollercoaster for me as a single parent. The isolation and stigma are two of the hardest things for us to deal with. Best of luck to you.
I worked as a therapeutic assistant in a Psych ICU for 8 years and I want to say how fortunate this young man has been to have his Father there to support him in his illness. What I saw especially with those who had had their first schizophrenic break is within a year very often the family had simply given up on them and left them to their own devices. They often ended up in trouble with the law, in group homes or homeless. My sister-in-law is schizophrenic and my wife and her sisters have not abandoned her. We understand the struggle. Thank both of you for bringing this story to all of us.
Diane,
Thank you, Patrick and Henry for doing this show! One request please. You just said "schizophrenics ...... medication". Would you please consider saying "people with schizoprenia" rather than schizophrenics. All of us with various disabilities are people first, our disease, handicap etc is secondary to being a person. Just using the label (like physicians referring to "the gallbladder over there" ) neglects our humanity. Our healing journeys are enhanced when we and others honor our personhood and humanity.
Thanks
as always, very interesting subject matter. I had a friend in college who was diagnosed with drug induced schizophrenia. it was a scary experience for all involved. im glad to hear Henry is getting the help he needs. hopefully more people will become aware of the need for mental health support.
also wondering, is any of Henry's art going to be posted to the website? i would be very interested to see it...
Schizophrenia is a developmental disorder based on genetic predispositions in which environmental influences play a role. Modifications of a plethora of genes appear involved. More research is needed to uncover how these genes interact. Perhaps, we can learn from the Neanderthals.
Read more here:
http://brainmindinst.blogspot.com/2008/04/autism-schizophrenia-time.html
A marvellous show. My son suffers from slchizophrenia but found medication that has helped him become a productive memeber of society. Lucky for him and for us, his family. But the medication itself imposes limitations on my son which he has to overcome on a daily basis--which he does. But all schizophrenics have an awesome burden to carry, and Diane's show illustrates that sad point. It also shows why we need to support PBS in the face of the know-nothing Tea Party efforts to close it down.
I am bothered by the term "Drug-induced schizophrenia." This is a very old, damaging myth. This leads our society to simply brush off people with schizophrenia as druggies who got what they deserved. It is not true from all the studies I have read and all the Mental Health training I have had.
Now there is Drug-induced psychosis, which is a different animal altogether.
In studies done by financially and socially unbiased researchers, the correlation of drug abuse and Mental Health issues is strong, but they are looking at people who HAVE mental illness and finding how many of them used drugs. But, without admitting to the fact that many people who are predisposed to such illnesses _self_medicate_ then we are just fooling ourselves. From what I have read and seen, drug use in those who are predisposed (MH issues in the family, being "a little odd") should be considered an early symptom, if just in retrospect.
There is also a strong correlation between cat ownership before the age of 5 and schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. This does not mean that cats are the cause of the illness.
Always love your show! Fortunately, I was at home to hear your show today. Normally I am teaching 6th graders science but today is another snow day.
My daughter, now 33, was diagnosed when she was 18. It was sudden & unexpected. When my mother recently had to enter a nursing home due to dementia we found some family records which showed a family history of schizo. She had always asserted that my daughter's condition could not possibly have come from her side of the family.
In any event, I would love a transcript, and am especially interested in the listener who called in and mentioned a law that allows hospitalization when you know that they are endangered but the person themselves will not admit to that. We just survived a summer where our daughter, who had showed steady improvement, moved out of the group home and through a harrowing series of rapid events ended up homeless and (fortunately) she didn't like it and committed herself.
Thank you & keep up the great work. I live for the summers when I can always hear your show.
What about Henry's thinking? He may be seeing worlds that actually exist...and perhaps we label his ideas as illnesses when indeed they are perspectives on other realities we do not see. I know this is a little freaky, but I think it's worth considering. After all, Dianne, you have talked to trees!
What about Henry's thinking? He may be seeing worlds that actually exist...and perhaps we label his ideas as illnesses when indeed they are perspectives on other realities we do not see. I know this is a little freaky, but I think it's worth considering. After all, Diane, you have talked to trees!
Greta stated: "Just using the label (like physicians referring to "the gallbladder over there" ) neglects our humanity."
To refer to someone as a Schizophrenic is labeling? What about someone who is an epileptic? Or a diabetic? This is just logical terminology, used with many conditions, and is not intended to degrade or devalue. I would simply appreciate that NPR is covering this issue, and not try to make the majority of rational, sensible people feel like we're walking on eggshells of your uber-political correctness.
During the interview Patrick stated that his son did not exhibit any early warning signs of mental illness and that his psychotic state seemed to occur spontaneously.
This is good reason to question whether or not there is an underlying medical condition or substance that induced the psychotic episode.
By consensual agreement within the American Psychiatric Association psychiatric diagnoses are descriptive labels only for phenomenology, not etiological or mechanistic explanation for syndromes. Thus, a psychiatric diagnosis labels a pattern of signs and symptoms, but offers no hypothesis concerning the mechanism(s) of the clinical phenomena.(Davidoff et al.,1991).
A psychotic episode should not lead to the immediate label of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) classifies psychotic illnesses as “Psychosis Due to General Medical Conditions”, and “Substance Induced Psychosis”. (DSM-IV Codes 293.81 & 292.11).
Distinguishing medical conditions and substance-induced psychosis from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder through clinical presentation often is difficult. Even the routine use of over-the-counter cold medicine can induce psychosis that is clinically indistinguishable from paranoid schizophrenia. Fatal diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have also presented as manic symptoms thought to be bipolar disorder.
Awareness, ability to diagnose, and an understanding of the cause of psychotic symptoms that emerge from medical conditions and substances must be established if physicians are to provide better care and more effective treatment of psychotic disturbances.
This site lists various studies and articles linking underlying medical conditions and substances to psychotic symptoms that can be labeled as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
http://www.investigatingmentalillness.blogspot.com/
My son was diagnosed with sychizophrenia some 30 years ago. Two years ago he came to believe he should have been born female. He has been taking hormones and has some breast development. He has not had surgery to change his gender but he is living as a woman and has changed his name from male to female. However, he/she continues being dilusional and acts out accordingly. Suggest you read the book "Schizophrenia, The Bearded Lady Disease" by J. Michael Mahoney to see the correlation between schizophrenia and confusion over sexual orientation. This author has studied the subject for over 30 years and continues to do so. It could shed some light on this for many of you.
Thank you for having Henry Cockburn and Patrick Cockburn on the show, Diane and producers. And thank you, Henry and Patrick, for sharing your experiences candidly.
I want to encourage other readers of this blog whose loved ones have schizophrenia to take advantages of resources offered by the National Association of Mental Illness. The multi-week course they offer was immeasurably helpful when my brother, who has schizophrenia, decided to stop taking his medication several years ago.
The very best thing you can do is reach out and talk to other people in your situation. I didn't do it the first time around, when my brother was first diagnosed, and I regret that.
What we heard in this interview was love, profound and simple love. Thank you Patrick, Henry, and Diane.
I agree with Rosalind. My son has not been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder and the first thing I did was sign up for NAMI's Family to Family course. While it is scary to hear what might be in the future, I gained a wealth of information from families that have been dealing with a loved one with mental illness for longer than I have.
Thanks Diane for helping to de-stigmatize mental illness. I find it is more common than people let on.
My son was diagnosed with psychosis in 2004 at age 19. I have just read Patrick and Henry's book, I am embarrassed by my ignorance of my son's condition for the last 7 years, but I am grateful for the enlightenment given by this book. It is frank and honest, and I admire the bravery of both father and son in their writings, and wish them both the very best for the future. I am lucky to have a strong bond with my son, the knowledge shared in this book I hope will strengthen it more, thank you.
"Participatory Medicine is a cooperative model of health care that encourages and expects active involvement by all connected parties (patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, etc.) as integral to the full continuum of care. The ‘participatory’ concept may also be applied to fitness, nutrition, mental health, end-of-life care, and all issues broadly related to an individual’s health."
Participatory concepts in mental heatlh care have the potential to improve recovery outcomes for individuals suffering from psychotic disorders. Here is a narrative published in the Journal of Participatory Medicine regarding the etiological factors of psychosis and a participatory approach in treatment.
http://www.jopm.org/perspective/narratives/2011/03/28/psychosis-possibly...
"Participatory Medicine is a cooperative model of health care that encourages and expects active involvement by all connected parties (patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, etc.) as integral to the full continuum of care. The ‘participatory’ concept may also be applied to fitness, nutrition, mental health, end-of-life care, and all issues broadly related to an individual’s health."
Participatory concepts in mental heatlh care have the potential to improve recovery outcomes for individuals suffering from psychotic disorders. Here is a narrative published in the Journal of Participatory Medicine regarding the etiological factors of psychosis and a participatory approach in treatment.
http://www.jopm.org/perspective/narratives/2011/03/28/psychosis-possibly...
"Participatory Medicine is a cooperative model of health care that encourages and expects active involvement by all connected parties (patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, etc.) as integral to the full continuum of care. The ‘participatory’ concept may also be applied to fitness, nutrition, mental health, end-of-life care, and all issues broadly related to an individual’s health."
Participatory concepts in mental heatlh care have the potential to improve recovery outcomes for individuals suffering from psychotic disorders. Here is a narrative published in the Journal of Participatory Medicine regarding the etiological factors of psychosis and a participatory approach in treatment.
http://www.jopm.org/perspective/narratives/2011/03/28/psychosis-possibly...