I've also been watching the Showtime series Huff recently, which has a main character named Teddy who suffers from schizophrenia. In a few episodes he runs away from his expensive private group home and in recent episodes has been placed in a more openly structured situation that he chose for himself. His brother, the title character, entered into a legal contract that spells out Teddy's veto power and other rights. I remember thinking what a great idea!
In a heartbreaking portrayal of how broken families dealing with severe mental illness can be, Teddy's mother tells him that he is beautiful and she loves him but she will die if she has to see him again. Years ago (we are told) he tried to strangle her to death--for fear that she would institutionalize him.
What is the answer for severely mentally ill people and their families? I suspect there are no easy ones or one-size-fits-all treatments to be had. Our understanding of the brain is in its infancy. But we can start with good questions and I applaud Salon for giving this issue space and careful examination.
