Approximately 51 million people worldwide suffer from schizophrenia, and even though modern medications make it very treatable, the disease’s tendency to manifest itself in psychotic hallucinations makes it one of the most feared and least understood mental illnesses.
Jerome Lawrence, who was first diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was in college, is the featured guest on this week’s Shaping Families radio program from Third Way Media. Lawrence has become a successful artist whose paintings recently fetched over $20,000 for the Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga., founded by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. On Shaping Families, he notes, “In today’s society, if you can work then you have value to society.” Thus he works hard at being a successful artist even though he still struggles with symptoms.
Lawrence and his artwork appeared earlier in Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness documentary which aired on ABC-TV and Hallmark, and which is set to air again on NBC at the discretion of local stations from June 12 to Dec. 12, 2011. The documentary earned media awards from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, among others. More information on Lawrence can be found at www.ShadowVoices.com
The weekly 15-minute Shaping Families program airs each weekend on 17 local stations and online at www.ShapingFamilies.com. The show is produced by Third Way Media on behalf of Mennonite Churches through Mennonite Mission Network.
