In the hazy summer of 2017, destiny led me to encounter a young man named Jake. With a gentle voice and a kind heart, he possessed a remarkable intellect. He was actually sitting at a party in the far back there, all alone by himself, playing chess. He had the appearance of a typical 19-year-old, with tousled hair and a wild look that reminded me of myself when I was his age.
“Who’s that guy?” I asked my friend, Ann.
“That’s my son,” she said.
Ann was a close friend of mine who had moved back from L.A. and we had recently reconnected. And I guess I knew her son from years gone by – but holy crap how he had grown! He was huge.
“Wow,” I said. “I didn’t recognize him. So, how’s he doing?”
She took a deep breath. “Not well. It appears that he has been going through the early stages of bipolar disorder.”
“I’m sorry to hear that …”
I thought about how sometimes people say bipolar because it sounds a lot less stigmatizing than schizophrenia. Plus, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of compassion for him. I had once read about how, in some other countries, there isn’t “schizophrenia” as we know it. This because when young people begin to show signs of it, the family takes them in and shows incredible love and understanding. And this comes without the heavy burden of a clinical diagnosis.
Perhaps, I thought, I could do something similar for Jake? Was it possible to offer him the support of a friend who would not judge or fear him, but would be by his side? And maybe we could fight this together? It was just a thought, and I suddenly found myself on the path.
Schizophrenia is a severe mental health condition that affects the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Symptoms include disordered thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, which can be frightening for the affected person – like with Jake. Schizophrenia is a lifetime condition, and while treatment can help control symptoms, it takes diligence from the patient and their support system.
I knew that one way to help Jake was to be his friend. Again – when I met him, he didn’t have many friends and didn’t feel like he belonged. So I knew it was important to bond with him over something he loved. So I bonded with him over video games which he was passionate about. And I liked them, too! Not as much him, though, but I could revisit my youth of Atari days.
We started by creating a LAN network, and set up all these computers and put monitors on all the tables at his house. Think like “World of Warcraft”. Next thing we knew, soon other friends joined. It was incredible to watch Jake enjoy himself again. And I say “again” because before this chapter of his life – he used to be so extroverted! Over time, his mom explained, he just started becoming quieter and quieter until his friends just dissipated.
Jake and I often spent hours playing video games, talking about life over games like chess and go, and just having fun. Even though he had this thing happening to him, which affected everything he did, his very mannerisms, it didn’t define who he was or how I treated him. I was there for him, and his mom was there for him, and that helped.
Needless to say, there were moments when his episodes threatened to encroach upon our lives. I accompanied Jake on several visits to Providence, where he would be engulfed by his psychosis. These harrowing experiences reminded me of LSD or extreme drug trips as he wound down the corridors of his very reality. I was in many ways his only tether to this plane of existence. He literally became other people – and the characters and I would talk to one another. Sometimes the women he became fell in love with me.
At other times, he thought that everyone around him were aliens. This got to be a touch scary, of course, considering his unique size. Did I mention he’s huge? And he would be at his house, entering one of these states. His mother would call upon me as the only one who could reach him during those times, because he refused to go down to Providence with her or anyone else.
“Yeah, I’ll go get him,” I said to her on the phone.
So I just went over there and got him. He answered the door, naked.
“Hi man what are you doing? You want to go down to the Providence with me?”
“Sure,” he said.
On one occasion, the situation became so dire that the police became involved. My heart raced with fear, not for my own safety, but for Jake’s. I knew that the officers, bound by the rules of their profession, might not understand the delicate nature of his condition. But together, we managed to navigate the crisis, as I explained to them that he’s harmless even though “he appears to have attacked the nurse. But that’s no big deal. We’re cool.”
The officers looked at each other in their flak jackets and batons as I stood between them and Jake. “We’re cool, aren’t we, Jake?”
“We’re cool,” he said.
And so Jake and I just sat in that room over at Providence as he paced back and forth in his different characters and we went through it together, day after day.
5 Years later
Now he’s on meds and it’s just a process of making sure they are at the right dose. The good part is, he’s gotten so much better and more confident. He’s started to participate in activities and become more sociable. Who knew that gory video games could help improve mental health?
Plus it helped to look at it through different lenses.
In various indigenous cultures throughout history, the experience of schizophrenia has been perceived differently than in contemporary Western societies. In these traditional communities, individuals exhibiting symptoms akin to schizophrenia have often been regarded as possessing unique spiritual or mystical powers, rather than being labeled as mentally ill.
For example, among certain tribes, those who demonstrate behaviors reminiscent of schizophrenia might be identified as shamans or spiritual leaders. These individuals are believed to possess the ability to communicate with the spirit world, heal the sick, and guide their communities through challenging times. Their visions and hallucinations are understood not as symptoms of a disorder, but rather as a connection to a realm beyond the reach of ordinary human experience.
While Western medicine tends to pathologize these experiences and focus on treatment and management, these indigenous perspectives offer a more holistic and accepting view of the condition. By embracing the spiritual aspects of schizophrenia and incorporating the individual into the fabric of their society, these cultures create an environment that fosters understanding, support, and compassion for those who may otherwise be marginalized.
Conclusion
Being a support system for a person experiencing schizophrenia is crucial. That’s what helped Jake overcome his condition. I believe that love, support, and a shoulder to lean on helped him accept himself and better manage his condition. There’s still a long way to go in terms of dealing with mental health issues in our society, but by showing kindness and treating people like Jake who are going through his unique and shaman-like experience – with respect – we can create more space for healing. It just so happened that video games and friendship were the tools that helped Jake heal.
John Michaels, a Missoula native and author, has been captivating readers with his writing for years. A graduate of Brown University’s esteemed creative writing program, Michaels has spent the majority of his career crafting stories that resonate with his readers and capture the essence of the human experience. Despite the demands of raising children, Michaels has continued to pursue his passions, finding solace in the bustling downtown Missoula scene. There, he spends his free time honing his craft, whether it be working on screenplays, playing music, or dedicating himself to his work at Sunflower Counseling, MT.