A tale of mental illness | Elyn Saks
www.ted.com "Is it okay if I totally trash your office?" It's a question Elyn Saks once asked her doctor, and it wasn't a joke. A legal scholar, in 2007 Saks came forward with her own story of schizophrenia, controlled by drugs and therapy but ever-present. In this powerful talk, she asks us to see people with mental illness clearly, honestly and compassionately.
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"stop criminalizing mental illness" Couldn't have said it better myself
that's exactly what you would have said. and it wasn't impressive
EncasedinMjolnir Only you brought up the issue of whether her statement was impressive or not. I feel it wasn’t unimpressive.
What a remarkable woman. I read her book - a compelling story of her survival through schizophrenia. Amazing, smart and beautiful woman.
+Deva7 i read her book as well it was so incredibly eye opening anyone who enjoyed her ted talk should read it!!!
What is her book called?
Deva7 thank you for this comment. I wasn’t aware of her book , and now I am ordering a copy! :)
@@DaughtersofOrion I'm reading it now for schizophrenia class I'm taking this semester, and I cannot put it down.
@@saltnlightblondie1 thanks for telling her books name...Are these her books names?
This speech went a long way in saving my life. 5 years ago I was diagnosed, and now I have a psychology B.S, and am looking toward graduate school to help people like me. This was the first time I felt like I could live with my illness, as opposed to my illness living through me. I still struggle, but this is an amazing experience.
Too bad this is now proven bullshit lol
@@BerserkxELF943 what do you mean?
@@BerserkxELF943 Stop being a troll Tommy.
You are an inspiration. I have schizophrenia too and I just can’t believe I am ill. I believe that I got no consciousness and someone is controlling my behavior.
13:57 "Don't take away my devils because my angels may flee too" That hit me hard
you know thats not what shes trying to tell dont ya?? the thing about mental ilness is.. we fed our "devils" (our mental illness) too much that our "angels" (our real self) wont show up because they are too starved.. so thats why her friend asked "would you take the pill?". "in an instant" she said, because she missed her angels, her own angels, the angels each and every one of us have in our own self :) hope you understand
Both responses are valid. Everyone is different.
Yea, I have PTSD from abuse and without my suffering who would I be. With suffering comes strength.
That's true
My Son is schizophrenic. His life's journey is a tough one. I am a bit more hopeful for his future after listening to this TED talk. I wanted to thank you.
Same situation I can not stop crying. This lady has given many hope. Thanks for sharing.
Hope he's being better now, May God Bless YOU❤
You have a lot of responsability about
Too bad this is now proven bullshit lol
I'm struggling with anxiety and mood swings. I doubt if someone would willingly marry me. I cannot imagine a life spent in loneliness along with this crippling disorder
I believe a lot of people living homeless on the streets are just one good doctor away from living a normal life.....
well that's a lie. Just because they are homeless doesn't mean they are schizophrenic. Stop equating schizophrenia with homelessness.
Zena Warrior Princess when did he say all homeless have schizophrenia? He said a lot of them not all.
Mental disorders are REAL and we suffer..
Physician, heal thyself.
It takes multiple doctors multiple medication trials even possibly multiple hospitalizations it’s a life long journey that continues even after the right mixture of therapy doctors and meds are finally found for your unique chemical imbalance and even then it’s only a matter of time before triggers anywhere from your environment to medications abruptly beginning to no longer work for u due to chemical imbalance changes
This is why I am an advocate for mental illness. It almost killed me and I don't want it to hurt others. We need a reform. Plain and simple.
Well, I’m 21 and we ARE the generation that can CHANGE the face of mental health care in enormous ways. I plan on helping contribute.
Just make sure you dont have any Democrats with you or they will sabotage your efforts, maybe call you a Russian. We cant have medical treatment for people who cant afford it signed limousine liberals
@@natas12rm I try to be neutral in politics, and trust me when I say that democrats would say the EXACT same stuff about your group, for different reasons. Empathy.
I am schizophrenic since 19 now 25 horrible first 3 or 4 years then 2 years menial work know I have savings because this September I start law school at college here in Spain. We have good health system and the support of my family has been crucial stay strong, take your meds and do not do drugs always give 10 per cent more Hugs and kisses from Spain ❤️❤️😃😃🇪🇸🇪🇸
We need more people like Elyn Saks willing to talk about their experiences so there's more dialogue and early detection can be possible.
I agree but the reality is the stigma is so strong and mental illness is so misunderstood that people stay silent. I truly admire Ellyn but she is successful so it was somewhat easier for her to share her experiences, though I know it must have taken great courage on her part.
I agree that we need more dialogue, but early detection is not possible. Take schizophrenia for example, it is genetic but not everyone in the family will get it and the symptoms do not come on until late teens early twenties in a majority of the cases, and you have to be having the symptoms for at least six months with no sort of substance use before it can be diagnosed. The reason for this is because many of the symptoms are similar to depression or anxiety and the psychotic symptoms can also be caused by substance use.
It is not a disease, the disease is the society, that calls it a disease. It is chronic post traumatic stress disorder. Check out Peter Walker, Elyn saks, mentioned him in this video.
Too bad this is now proven bullshit lol
@@johntanner515 I would suggest that schizophrenia is not genetic. Mental illness is genetic, and depending on which traumas occur, both in the womb and during childhood, a specific mental illness which is a direct outcome of those traumas develops. This often results in the occurrence of similar illnesses throughout generations of the same family, one reason being that new parents of each generation are often just starting to confront their developing illnesses in the most serious way, due perhaps to the trauma of being thrust into the most exhausting and stressful responsibility of their lives, which recalls them to an earlier trauma in their developing years when a similar situation occurred. We pass on our traumas to our children... and the chain is seldom broken in a society made toxic by people not dealing with their issues. Western society as a whole is suffering under this weight, and it may be the single most damaging factor in all of our lives, as inexplicable shame and anger often result. It's also, measurably, no one's fault. This is Gabor Maté's theory, though I paraphrase a tad. He is a Hungarian-Canadian physician and author of some note, with ideas that are, for myself, so ridiculously confirming of my biases that I have a hard time believing they could be correct. He makes a ton of sense, though. He's written a couple of books on the topic which will be released throughout the next half a year.
"There are not schizophrenics. There are people with schizophrenia"
In not bipolar but have the illness of bipolar and take my meds daily
angel anastacio well said
Yes, they are people, human beings first, not a diagnosis.
Anthony Hall professions are not illnesses you say a person has flu why don’t you say the person is flu or a person has typhoid not typhodic person or he is typhoid or a person who has a fractured leg not he is fractured leg etc. See how stupid those statements sound. Defining a person through profession is one thing and through illness is another.
Anthony Hall comparing apple to orange
Her book "The center cannot hold: My journey through madness" was one of the best autobiographies!!! Hats off to her bravery!
the thought of spending any amount of time in restraints is absolutely terrifying.
It's torture, plain and simple!
it makes an already bad issue horrible. It helps nothing and no one.
I have great respect for people like this who on top of struggling with surviving the external world, survive the internal ones too.
Too bad this is now proven bullshit lol
My brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia six years ago. I am sure that he would have ended up on the street if it weren't for the support he received from our family. The pain and grief that my family and I have felt while witnessing his struggles these past few years is tremendous. My heart aches for this woman and others like her. End the stigma, talk about mental health.
You also has schizophrenia what. Monotonous speech.
As someone with Bipolar disorder, this speech really hit home. She spoke so well and articulately and courageously that , by the end, i was brought to tears. When it comes down to it, some days those with a mental heath condition are unable to move forward on their own and need help from others and this stigma prevents them from getting this help and living a fulfilling life. I hope that someday soon this stigma will turn into empathy, the way it should for other stigmas that are holding people back from truly living.
I'm diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. I'm crying but empowered.
Hope you're feeling better right now❤❤
@@sarahammoud9662 x
@Shelley Fitch x
Thank you Elyn, I absolutely loved your presentation. I am in my third year of a registered nursing degree, and I have witnessed my best friends battle with accepting her paranoid schitzophrenia for the last 7 years. The stigma and the grieving she has experienced as she continually battles with the vast changes to her own life has influenced me to become a mental health nurse, I find your story inspiring!
This really hits home, I'm currently struggling with hallucinations and delusions caused by schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and chronic suicidality. Her bravery, perseverance, and intellect are all inspiring. Glad I watched this
I'm glad you watched this to Kristina!
How are you in 2023?
When she pointed out her husband my heart melted
My son just has been diagnose, it's a long road, for them and for the parents... thank you Professor, you give me hope and I understand that the mind needs to learn and stay busy in order to heal, not just medication, they need purpose more than anyone else
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Jiddu Krishnamurti
Love that
Wrong
I had to watch this Ted Talk in one of my first Psych classes in college and from time to time I’ll look up this one to rewatch it. It really is amazing how well she turned out and how accomplished she is despite this disability and multiple hospitalizations that can really make you question if your life will ever really change or if you’ll lose to mental illness. She’s extremely well-spoken and really tells a great story
very moving and enlightening....Thank you for for having the courage and the love - to share your very personal story so that others may understand. With understanding, comes compassion - with compassion, fear fades.... opening doors for a better future for those suffering with mental illness.
I just ordered Elyn's book "The centre cannot hold: My journey through madness", which is what lead me here. I have Paranoid Schizophrenia myself. I was hospitalised twice and the trauma of this illness made me heavily depressed and I nearly committed suicide two years ago. Elyn Saks is a role model and inspirational. She's proof that you can heal and achieve from this debilitating illness. My battle with Paranoid Schizophrenia has lead to post traumatic growth in my life. Thank you Elyn for making me proud to be part of this community.
I work in disability support, and I had the opportunity to be hoisted mechanically on to a bed, aided to a wheel chair, Spoon fed food forcefully with out care and with care, and have done visual awareness training in the form of wearing specialised glasses and being lead out onto the streets with a guide who never told me where I was going, or signified areas of risk, curbs, potholes, shelves in shops you name it. It made me very aware and helped me aide my practice to support better ❤️ Elyn is a testimony to progress and change, god bless her for her honesty and call for better understanding 🙌🏼
And for who ever is going through depression or any other mental illness just to let you know you have people who truly care about you and love you no matter what
❤
I watched this two years ago in my Intro to Psych class, and it has stuck with me ever since. I am proud of this woman and her journey, and was so happy to see her supportive husband in the crowd!
Thank you for shinning light on mental illness. My daughter has bipolar and I now believe there is hope that she can live as a normal life as she deserves. Her struggles are real and I feel for her. I will continue to support her and pray for her. You are an inspiration to all. Thank you
Yesterday was the first anniversary of my mental collapse, the one that took me to the psychiatric doc and meds. I tried not to think about it yesterday, but now, watching this, it deeply resonated. Much needed tears. The never ending struggling. Sometimes towards certain death, sometimes towards safety.
Thank you to the cameraperson and the editor who put in these shots of the audience. You can see that many are moved to tears and it fills me with hope that, for all our divisions, we are indeed moving towards a better, more empathetic and respectful understanding of psychosis and people with psychosis
I've read The Center Cannot Hold: My journey through madness by Elyn. Truly enjoyed it, recommended it. Will, her husband, I had pictured differently but it's so sweet to finally have "met " him in this video. Props to Elyn for this speech for she describes in her book it makes her anxious to public speak.
Thank you! We are going through the struggle. I hold on to hope.
I do not have schizophrenia, but I have Bipolar 1 with Psychotic episodes, and this woman is such an inspiration. I am so glad that someone can talk about psychosis and show by example that you can be rational with psychosis, it feels like people who know I have psychosis don't take me seriously or consider me able to be logical or worthy of debating, stigma is slowly fading for those who have depression or anxiety, but it still has a way to go when looking at psychosis and the mental illnesses that "make someone crazy"
Im chronic paranoid schizophrenic.....my meds are a miracle cure....i am so lucky to be where i am today.....thank you jesus for not forgetting me in my time of need
Thank goodness for you speaking out on force over been I have been restrained so many times and not only your dignify is taken but the trauma lives on inside you .I became an animal when I have been hospitalised fighting and trying to protect myself .my only crime was being abused in my young life and abused in my adult life .I no longer am keeping silent and am very anti force like you .I will be heard and hope changes will be made. Thankyou for your awesomeness 👌 x
I'm so happy that i'm finally finding people who feel the way I do about the system!
Being bi-polar I have tried restraints, it is horrible, it hurts and it is degrading. Physical restraints of patients with mental disorders needs to stop, it is used by a system, that, on every account, has failed!
yssing you have "tried" restraints? what?
Koni well not tried, but forced upon me. after a mental breakdown.
yssing I'd rather be physically restrained than so drugged I didn't know my own name. But we all have our own experiences
yssing i want to ask you some questions regarding the forced restraint you mentioned. let me know when you see this message of mine
I work I a hospital. I don't like that restraints have to be used, but it's when patient and staff are both at risk of harm. Nobody likes having to use them, that's psychopathic to like having to put them on. But when voices tell a person to swallow ink pens, screws, coins, etc. And the person won't stop. There's no other option.
you are amazing i have bipolar illness and im 54 i have also experienced delusions and hearing voices getting my degree in education gave me something to enjoy and challenge me to keep my mind occupied. i appreciate your testimony.
Truly inspiring, mental illness needs so much more awareness this is fabulous
So very true! Although we are making great strides with awareness, the need for Education is imperative for anyone caring for or even having any kind of dealings with those of us who suffer from any type of mental illness. God Bless!
Elyn, the restraints part of your talk made me cry. My dad has LBD and they would restrain him all the time simply because he wasn't making sense. It's always bothered me and I would beg them not to. Our hospitals and treatments are barbaric. People need to know what's done. It's wrong, it doesn't work and it's very cruel. They do it so they don't have to talk with or deal with people struggling while they do other things. My dad would always ask, why, what have I done to deserve this? Yes, indeed they criminalize mental illness and dementia. It breaks my heart. Thanks so much for your talk.
Deeply touching, humbling story from a brilliant, courageous woman. I understand about living with a similar stigma. To learn to see one's True Self rather than what others may see (eg, a diagnosis) was a most challenging necessity for healing.
With both my sons suffering from this illness,I had no hope that they would live a normal life. U just gave me hope. Thank u..
So courageous...made we cry with shared humanity, for the pain and joy we all experience. Thank u Elyn. You are beautiful.
The Center Cannot Hold is an excellent book. It made me see mental illness so differently. What a wonderful woman.
Thank you Elyn Saks & TED.
I don't know where to begin... This is so important, so needed, and so profound. Thank you for your experience, your story, and for making change by gracing us with your experience.
Thanks for posting this video and raising awareness.
VERY VERY inspiring and beautiful speech from a VERY VERY wise and kind hearted woman. simply amazing!
Thank you. I have Schizophrenia and am not in a hospital but living my life. I developed this late on life, in my 40’s. The one thing that takes my mind of off the hallucinations is being a advocate for unsolved murder. You inspire me! Thank you!!
What is the connection with unsolved murder?
One of my favorite talks. Amazing and inspiring!
this made my day. dealing with this on a daily basis lts hard. but you made me want to live and fight through this Ellyn Saks. may god bless you and everyone who is dealing with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder.
Thanks for the courage to share.
A couple of years ago, I read Elyn Saks book. It was a revelation to me. Since then, I have recommended it to many of my fellow nurses who continue to work with people who have schizophrenia. She is a remarkable woman and her story should be a inspiration to anyone who has any form of mental illness. I found her story deeply moving. This is one of the best TED talks I have listened to!
Great presentation. So clear and concise and descriptive. I could listen to her for hours.
A brilliant presentation from the experiences living loving and learning from the inside / out and the outside / in of psychosis and schizophrenia hours, days, weeks, months years and decades. She expresses so much of the prejudice, misunderstanding, of mental illness even today by friends and even so many " educated people ".
What an incredibly brave and strong person. Thank you for being so open and lucid about your experience.
Incredibly brave woman, incredible speech, with zero self-pity. I am awed by her strength and dignity.
Thank you for sharing, Elyn.
Thank you for posting. Blessings to you & yours Very interesting conversation. Sincerely, Mary Ann.
It takes some serious courage to go on about a painful journey like her's. The way she spoke was brilliant in itself. Great woman!
Thank you for this most informative & inspirational talk.
A very dear friend of mine who I now know to have been developing the expression of schizophrenia in his life. Fully psychotic & in an alcoholic blackout he became aggressively violent & destroyed his home where he is forbidden to return. When someone becomes psychotic due to any of the mental health diagnoses & a danger to themselves and/or others we have a duty to bring them to a hospital for treatment. Untreated mental illness results in negative outcomes.
This is heart warming story. Lovely. I will keep this on my playlist. Thank you for sharing your story.
Complete guidance 1 treatment 2 family support 3 suitable work environment and also says that they are people like normal but some sort of mental illnesses they are not become monsters please help those who suffered from this or others mental illnesses.
Best Ted talk ever
+Adrienne George Totally agree
As a mother with a son diagnosed with schizophrenia. Very inspiring. Thank you for your story.
Totally agree. Both hers and Andrew Solomon's.
Yeah
Very brave of you. You are amazing. You are the courage for people who are recovering from mental illness and the inspiration for doctors and scientists to treat mental illness patients. Best wish for you.
the last paragraph almost brought me too tears
really happy to see someone like me so clever, it's motivating me to make it too. thank you from france
Thank you for getting the word out Elyn. Mental illness causes suffering that is sometimes impossible to put into words. People need to be more aware and compassionate about it.
I recently started suffering and have been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia. This video is so emotional for me 😭
This is the third or fourth time that I'm watching this video. My first social worker told me he knew someone that graduated from UCLA and when I'm all the way down I pull from that and this is the second video that I relate to. I'm in a Re-entry Diversion Program and I believe Restraints are not the solution to assist in giving mentally ill patient like me hope to be able to live a sustainable life! More Push, Less Restraint!
This woman is inspiring. If she can accomplish all she has accomplished while battling schizophrenia then what is my excuse?
She has as many advantages with her illness as she has disadvantages. Find your own success to your tribulation, hold yourself to no standard but your own.
Not really considering she is now a proven liar lol
@@BerserkxELF943 liar about what? I can't find anything that she is lying about
@@BerserkxELF943 what are you talking about??
We need more people to talk bout their experiences. When people are already suffering from mental illness, forcing them and restraining them only makes them feel worse. In my opinion, people with any illnesses especially mental illness, needs peace and love more than anyone. They are suffering already from anxiety, insecurity, depression and etc...with us restraining them we are just making them feel more insecure and anxious.
So true
I have schizoaffective disorder & have been struggling since I was 12. This....this gives me hope.
So eye opening, thank you for spreading education on this subject.
glad i found this channel
my uncle was schizophrenic and he spent the last few years of his life in an institution after murdering his gf while psychotic. I didn't know him that well but for some reason I think about him alot. I find this illness incredibly fascinating. I'm an RN and considering specialising in mental illness. What a wonderful person Elyn is. She is just incredible and admiral. She must give so much hope to other schizophenics. I'm definitely getting her book.
admiral > admirable I am an English teacher.
wow despite her schizophrenia and her ordeal she's a professor. i have been depressed for years. she's my inspiration now to do something in my life. i love this lady judy
Thanks for sharing your story and a deep message at the end. Thank you.
this is my second time watching this, and i seldom watch things twice because i find that boring. but i've seen my fair share of TED videos, and this is one of the best ones. it is well-written and every sentence was worth my time and attention.
Loved her, great talk, thank you. I'm remembering a party for staff at Camarillo State Hospital, many years ago. I sat on a couch next to an old man who asked me gruffly if I worked at the hospital. I said no and his response was; "Good, you know, you can't tell the nuts from the nut inspectors." I've always believed that the most insidious kind of crazy is the kind we believe is not crazy at all. Restraints fall in that category, as do bombs of all sorts, including nuclear. The continuing "necessity" to slaughter human beings is not seen as madness but reality. A reality that most of us participate in on some level without believing it's crazy at all. Even though, we, most of us would never think of killing anyone. Sighhh
Thank you for speaking out against the use of force in mental health facilities. I was abused in two different hospitals and came out of them with more ptsd than I started with. It is never ok to use force on someone other than in self defense.
That was brave, and a wonderful speech. I'm so happy you have such great people in your life,
Wow... This was...very powerful.
When I was hospitalized for my mental illness, all I did was refuse to have my blood drawn when they asked to draw my blood. I was more violent and screaming in a future hospitalization in UVRMC in Utah County and was not tied down then, but in University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, all I did was say "no" to having my blood drawn and they tied me down for hours with bright lights shining in my eyes. I never struck anyone or anything, I usually just screamed at them...
I agree with Elyn Saks there needs to be more research for the treatment and cure and treatment of mental illness. I have a 17 year old who suffers from mental illness and it does not only affect the person but the whole family.
it tears me listening to her experiences
She won me over with her honesty, and total acceptance of herself.
I've had experiences with psychotic episodes (I'm not schizophrenic though) and I can assure you that if I had been restrained I would not be where I am today. I might not even be here at all.
I'm so glad TED put this up, it's an incredible insight in to the darker side of mental health and a beautiful display of a truly inspiring human being.
Amazing! And a very well deserved standing ovation.
Absolutely amazing.
Ms. Saks describes the exact type of schizophrenia that my now deceased step-son had. I have a notebook filled with the same type of loose word associations as she describes. My son hated the way his medications made him feel retarded so he refused to take them and self-medicated himself with alcohol. He lived on the streets and could not keep a job. At one point, I was having a father-son talk with him about what he wanted out of life. His answer was the same thing that Ms Saks stated at the end of this video, life and love. He desperately wanted just to be normal. The American Mental Health system is a revolving door. There is no good help for these people.
So glad I found this
I was questioning the way society deals with mental illness, and then I found this video, bravo! No one is born perfect, we treat cancer patients better than mentally ill patients, I think because we are more comfortable having empathy with issues that we think we understand or understand better, than with things we are not educated enough about. Mental illness education needs to be more wide spread, so we can better help those who need our help. I am glad this woman was given a voice.
This talk is very interesting to listen to. Watching the lack of movement in her face is also quite interesting; I've never seen someone talk with so little movement of their face, eyebrows in particular, before.
And something about her aprosody...
The flat affect and lack of volition is a major deficit (negative) symptom of schizophrenia. As is lack of emotion, and reacting to certain situations in ways that society would class as abnormal; such as laughing in sad situations, or becoming extremely melancholy in normally happy situations. She is quite the inspiration for anyone dealing with her illness, but also goes to show just how much help these patients need to get back on track. Her statement about not criminalizing mental illness rings true. In order to help people who are mentally ill, we must not make mental illness a crime.
A really inspiring person! This is the proof that education really saves us.
Dear Elyn, you’re an inspiration and a great source of hope for those of us living with Schizophrenia. Much love and a big thank you to you and your team. You’re so great❤️
total respect. thank you!