Nigel 
August 12th, 2009
The Mansion House where we celebrated Ian's 50th birthday
Er, no. We’re far more likely to be attacked by someone who does not have schizophrenia. Obviously the media love to highlight the very rare case of a schizo person who just happens to also be temporarily a killer, but that sells papers. People who are potentially lethal when drunk aren’t such good news.
Soon you’ll be able to see a couple of short films at the cinema which put the true picture to you. The central actor is a genuine schizophrenic. There’s more info on the BBC website page here, but leave it till you’ve seen the films. Don’t want to spoil the endings.
We’ve a friend, Ian, who went down with Schiz towards the end of studying for a law degree. He was well on the way to becoming a barrister when it hit. Since then he’s not been able to do any job that is remotely demanding. He does not have a ‘split personality’ – that’s myth number 4. He copes with life okay with the help of medication, but has great difficulty experiencing emotions.
We were invited to his 50th birthday celebration at the Mansion House in Roundhay Park, Leeds. Naturally he is not rich so we thought we’d be meeting in the bar: he’d have laid on some sandwiches and we’d be buying our own drinks. Maybe two or three other people there, one of them his brother. Well, how many friends are you going to make when you’re a bit weird and seriously unemotional, and carry the schizo label?
He was not in the public bar.
The reception was in a private bar with a large function room next door. All drinks were free. Later we moved through to a lavish sit-down meal followed by speeches. There were at least seventy guests, all Ian’s friends, all keen to help him celebrate his birthday and to say how much the loved him. One friend had encouraged Ian to stage this event and had arranged and paid for it.
Magnificent.
