Frequently, I am asked about the relationship between schizophrenia and violence. Unfortunately, the media sensationalizes the mentally ill, often inaccurately portraying them as a threat.

The reality is that being killed by a crazed stranger is less likely than dying in an earthquake, drowning in a bathtub, or being killed in a plane crash (1).

Most people with mental illness become socially withdrawn. I was no exception. Not only did I refuse all contact with my immediate and extended family, but this lasted for years. I also lost nearly all of my friends, when I needed them most.

Statistically, homeless people with severe mental illness are far more likely to be victimized than to perpetrate crimes (especially those who are homeless, and sleep outside, like I did for a year). Also, many of these people do not have the cognition required to plan crimes.

The erroneous belief that all mentally ill patients may be dangerous has had a huge impact on my life. When I recovered from schizophrenia, I tried sharing my story with old friends from my first three years of college, before I became ill. Many seemed happy to be in touch with me again, and updated me on their marriages, children, and graduations. But as soon as I mentioned “schizophrenia,” and explained that I had recovered, nearly every one of these old friends refused further contact with me. I knew the stigma of schizophrenia was strong, but I did not know the stigma of the illness would terminate nearly all of my relationships, with people I once knew so well and cared about.

Today, I am grateful for my many friends in the Cincinnati area who accept me for who I am. In my church, I teach two and three year olds about Christianity, perform on violin for services and events, and tutor a fourth grader once a week. At the University of Cincinnati, there are several medical doctors who are interested in my writing, and many of them have become my mentors and friends.

I wish there were some way to convince my old friends that I am the same person they once knew.

(1) B Hamilton. Odds that you’ll be killed by a stranger in NYC on the decline. New York Post. Janary 5, 2014. Available at: https://nypost.com/2014/01/05/odds-that-youll-be-killed-by-a-stranger-in-nyc-on-the-decline. Accessed July 23, 2014.

Also see:

Metzl, J.M. and K.T. MacLeish, Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms. Am J Public Health, 2015. 105(2): p. 240-9.