A Tragic Story of Paranoid Schizophrenia: Lowboy, by John WrayAllan N. Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. Updated: Mar 20th 2009 We get many questions about schizophrenia, the psychoses, hallucinations and delusions. Most of the questions relate to definitions, clarifications and where to go for help. There are also questions about why people with this illness are stigmatized. While we do the best we can in answering all of these questions, there is sometimes nothing like a really good novel to provide the best explanation of all. An excellent young writer by the name of John Wray recently published his third novel entitled, Lowboy. It is a fascinating story of an adolescent boy and his travels through the New York City Subway System. In many ways, the dark tunnels of the subways are a metaphor for the dark tunnels he is forced to traverse in his psychotic mind. I cannot think of a better way to understand this illness than to read the book.
William Heller, referring to himself as "Lowboy," is released from a mental hospital and roams through the subway system. While he "cheeked" most of his medications (cheeking is a way of pretending to take pills while hiding them in your mouth only to discard them later) he did swallow some. As he travels through the subways, the remainder of any medicines in his body gradually wear away. As this happens, his mind falls ever deeper into psychosis. As a result of the medications wearing away, Will increasingly interprets everything he encounters through his hallucinations and delusions. To clarify, hallucinations are false sensations that cause a patient to hear, see, touch, taste, and/or smell things that are not there. Delusions are unrealistic ways of thinking that usually bond with the hallucinations to produce a fictional world that the patient is certain is real. Everything that Will experiences through his travels are increasingly translated through his psychotic mind.  In addition to Will, there are other characters in the book such as the detective who is trying to find him, his mother, former girlfriend and the various psychiatrists he saw before and during his hospitalization. There are various characters he meets during his travels through the subways who appear as distorted, cartoon versions of who they might be. The presence of the detective has to do with the concern that Will might be violent. Evidently, there were a couple of instances prior to his hospitalization where Will might have been violent. However, the author leaves it somewhat unclear as to whether this was true or not. Did he throw his girlfriend onto the train tacks or had she jumped? In fact, it can be said that the entire book is seen through the haze of mental illness. The Psychiatrists and all the characters are somewhat vague, doubtful figures who are potentially threatening. At times, it is difficult to know if Will is conversing with a real person, an hallucination or a real person he has distorted into something semi real and semi hallucinated. This is equally true of his conversations. One of the heart breaking underlying themes of the novel is Will's search for his purpose on this earth. Of course, normal adolescents search for the very same thing. However, they are guided by people in the real world. Lowboy is left to his psychotic mind to find the answer to this question. Another theme that underlies the story is the entire question as to just who is normal and who is not? There are those times where the tough New York City detective seems to hover on the verge of mental illness himself. This struggle occurs through the prism of his attempting to understand Will's mother who, as it turns out in the end, he completely misinterprets. I do not want to say more about this book in order that all of you read this wonderful novel. In fact, I encourage all of you to read Lowboy and submit your opinions and view points. If not, all are welcome to comment about this article, the psychoses and the issue of mental illness. Allan N. Schwartz, LCSW, PhD AM I in a relase state wiht these thoughts. - Miguel Tinoco - Jul 23rd 2009
Zion, July, 22nd 2009
I am a Jew and my eyes were opened and for the past two years I have been fighting in day light and in the shadows the war on globalist oppression and against civil liberties armed to the teeth with all my intellectual warfare.
I wrote to senators, I wrote to chiefs of state and others to complain for not defending our rights and for betraying our constitutions by selling us to socialist and/or communistic interests of the darkest kinds. I was ignored and I was also persecuted, not so by my enemies, but by those who supposedly were my friends. This was for protesting and declaring the truth and exposing corruption in a supposedly infallible religious organization that may have globalist and/or socialist ties.
To make the story short, I ended in a psychiatric unit of a hospital and subsequently went to jail for crimes I did no commit. I have never been convicted of any crime. However, everybody under heaven and perhaps some that are in heaven turned their backs on me including my family. I was fighting alone and as I waged war. As a result, I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and other serious mental ills altogether. Because of these labels it is impossible for me to regain gainful employment and the respect and honor I once had. I just want to communicate to you all that the conspiracy is not a theory but a conspiracy fact. I am a living proof of it all. I experienced many ills in the flesh, mind and spirit as a result of these vicissitudes. The bartering and trampling of our freedom and liberties is a well known and established fact since 1913s and earlier.
The more you protest the more the conspirators ignore or fire at you. When you are found without utilities in your house for many months in the winter time or in the summer time, if is that you have not lost it all. And when you have to beg for food for you and your family, it is when you realize that you are a victim, not of mischief or misfortune, but of a world wide campaign against good values and self government. This was envisioned by Lucifer even since the beginning or perhaps before the foundation of the world. It is at that juncture in time when all is left is breath of life is that you have to choose whether to sacrifice what is left of you for a bit of security or to fight to the end for peace and freedom, even until death if necessary. It is at that juncture that you have to decide to take justice into your own hands, so help you God. That very thing I did and I will continue to do until I prevail or I am prevailed against. It has been prophesied that I and y associates will prevail. But remember that you first fight with your head, then with your heart; and then with everything else you have. Therefore I suggest you search your heart first to discover if you have what it takes to fight, for not all were meant to be warriors. There are many fronts to fight any given battle. Oh, I have chosen the harshness of all for the greatest heavenly glory.
Attentively your servant
Michael the Archangel. 777 why there is no more hope - Bebzy - May 20th 2009
Yes the book sounds very interesting I'll be looking at getting it to read. One of the reasons is my brother has been torchured with horrible illness for more than 10 years now. I am always searching for more information. Disease - Rajesh Yedida - Mar 30th 2009
Dear Doctor, Thanks for the clarification. I have mistaken it. So what you are talking about is a disease. Why do people get this disease? Is that due to some imbalance? Thanks and Regards Rajesh Yedida crazy people - - Mar 28th 2009
how do you cope being married to a phyco case Seeking - Allan N. Schwartz, PhD - Mar 28th 2009
Dear Rajesh, One thing I need to point out: This is not the story of someone who went seeking his purpose on earth and seemed wierd to others. This is the story of a young man with a brain disease called Paranoid Schizophrenia. Regardless of what other cultures may have called this in the past and regardless of how they may have treated these individuals, these are people with a very serious disease. There is nothing philosophical about this. It is estimated that 1 Percent of the world's population suffers from schizophrenia. To add to their tragedy, one percent of that one percent commit suicide. This is a tormenting and tortuous disease and not a quest for truth. Dr. Schwartz Purpose on Earth - Rajeswh Yedida - Mar 27th 2009
If one goes in search of his purpose on earth, he naturally seems weird to normal people. However that period doesn't long last. After a while either they become normal or they go ahed in their path of knowing the self. If they find some peers they feel good. In India there are many such people. Regards Rajesh Yedida Article - - Mar 23rd 2009
The article was very interesting and made me very curious about the book. I may purchase it. The only problem with the article are the typographical errors; there are several. But again, the article was very interesting. | 
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Readers in the Boulder, Colorado metro area (or Denver area people willing to drive) may contact Dr. Schwartz for face-to-face consultation and psychotherapy. Email him at dransphd@aol.com for details.