Elyn Saks Mental Illness: A Case Study

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Elyn Saks, a woman who was told she’d forever be bound by her mental illness, has now become a chaired Professor of Law, Psychology and Psychiatry at the USC Gould School of Law and is accomplishing so much in her life, proving her “grave diagnosis” wrong. Saks was diagnosed with Schizophrenia while in university. Schizophrenia a brain disease, characterized by episodes of psychosis (being out of touch with reality) such as delusions and hallucination. Saks dealt with disorganized and incoherent speech and thoughts, making it difficult to continue working and functioning as she was expected to. Soon in college, she had to be hospitalized due to her schizophrenia, providing her with a purpose and drive in life that led her to enlighten others …show more content…
“Everything about this illness says I shouldn't be here,” she says, “but I am.” Saks leads a great example of how someone can not only learn to live alongside their mental illness, but use it to progress both your life and ability. I believe she’s made a very notable call for acknowledgement and justice for those suffering from mental illnesses. One huge need Saks highlights in our society is the need for representation and quality care, saying “the better we understand these illnesses, the better the treatments we can provide, and the better the treatments we can provide, the more we can offer people care, and not have to use force.” She also highlights the criminalization of mental illnesses, and believes it a ”tragedy” that American prisons are filled with people who suffer from severe mental illness. “Many of them are there because they never received adequate treatment.” She focuses heavily on the proper care of people suffering from mental illnesses, sharing personal experiences of being restrained and the devastating effects of such
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