The Unthinkable: Schizophrenia and Family Tragedy (Ep. 140)

Vince Granada discussed his book "Everything is Fine," which tells the story of his family's experience with schizophrenia following his sibling's deteriorating mental health condition and tragic outcome. 

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Vince explained that he wrote the book not to instill fear but to help others understand how such terrible situations can occur and potentially prevent them in the future. He shared that the book emerged from his personal need to process his family's experience and his discovery of significant gaps in mental health treatment systems.

Vince shared his family's tragic experience when his brother Tim, who had undiagnosed schizophrenia, killed their mother during a psychotic episode in 2014. 

Vince discussed how his parents, both doctors, struggled to understand the severity of Tim's illness and the challenges of treatment, including the lack of assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) laws in Connecticut. 

The conversation covered the rare but real occurrence of violence in schizophrenia cases, with Vince estimating approximately 200 such incidents in the US in 2013, and the importance of discussing these cases to reduce stigma rather than avoid the topic. 

Vince described his ongoing relationship with Tim, who is currently in a forensic facility but has shown significant improvement in recent years on clozapine medication, and emphasized the need for better communication strategies with people experiencing psychosis, particularly understanding anosognosia and avoiding dismissive responses to their experiences.

Links: 

https://www.vincegranata.net/

Vince’s book on Amazon

https://a.co/d/02cJTeA9

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