Mysteries of Mental Illness

Evil or Illness

An examination of ancient conceptions of mental illness and the establishment of psychiatry with the rise of Sigmund Freud. For much of history, people living with schizophrenia, like aspiring astrophysicist turned mental health activist Cecilia McGough, would have been seen as either prophet or devil. Yet today, despite struggling with persistent hallucinations and delusions, Cecilia helps hundreds around the world find support and community through her organization “Students with Psychosis.”

Other current-day profiles include Lorina Gutierrez, who was committed to a psychiatric hospital until her psychosis was revealed to be a result of an ovarian tumor, and Virginia Fuchs, an Olympics-bound boxer living with OCD.