Schizo. It didn't matter how many times Dr. Gill compared it to a disease or physical disability, it wasn't the same thing. It just wasn't. I had schizophrenia. If I saw two guys on the sidewalk, one in a wheelchair and one talking talking to himself, which would I rush to open a door for, and which would I cross the road to avoid?
In the book "The Summoning" by Kelley Armstrong, the narrator struggles with the understanding of schizophrenia as a mental illness. Despite Dr. Gill's attempts to liken it to a physical disease, the protagonist feels that the two conditions are fundamentally different. This perspective highlights the stigma and societal perceptions surrounding mental health issues.
The narrator describes a scenario where they would instinctively choose to help someone in a wheelchair over an individual displaying seemingly erratic behavior, illustrating the ingrained biases against those with mental illnesses. This internal conflict reveals the challenges faced by individuals living with schizophrenia and society's reluctance to accept and empathize with their experiences.