Beyond the Brain Disease Theory of "Schizophrenia"

Contrary to popular belief, “schizophrenia” is not a brain disease like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. It is not a malignant condition with a strictly biological cause, as the mainstream narrative suggests.

It does not have the same poor prognosis that bona fide brain diseases have. It is reversible when the right conditions are present, a fact that is cause for great celebration, though you would be hard-pressed to find a local psychiatrist who would tell you this.

Instead, psychiatry is obsessed with the idea that “schizophrenia” is somehow a chronic brain disease/disorder, though they have been unable to pinpoint a biochemical imbalance responsible for such a disease, despite decades of research and the full weight of academia, not to mention the countless special interests that stand to benefit from such a finding.

But when you really delve into the scientific literature, you discover an entirely different story than we’ve been sold. First, you find that the “causes of schizophrenia are still unknown,” something that even the most mainstream psychiatric organizations admit, although they practically mutter it under their breath, as it directly undermines their central claim, which is that “schizophrenia” is a chronic brain disease with identifiable neurochemical causes.

Second, you find that the dopamine hypothesis does not actually hold water, nor do any of the standard hypotheses regarding the neurotransmitters GABA, glutamate, or serotonin. In fact, more than fifty years of intensive research has been unable to prove that there is any significant difference in neurotransmitter receptor levels between “schizophrenics” and so-called healthy controls, though certain treatments ironically create the very imbalances scientists are looking for.

But what about the abnormalities in brain structure that have supposedly been found, the enlarged lateral ventricles and shrinkage of the cerebral cortex and thalamus? Again, the research tells a different story. Numerous factors can lead to such brain changes, but “schizophrenia,” in and of itself, has never been proven to do so and the majority of “schizophrenics” do not exhibit such abnormalities.

Similarly, the idea that a genetic disorder explains “schizophrenia” has never been substantiated. There are major validity problems with the genetic research that supposedly confirms the biological heredity of “schizophrenia.” Jay Joseph, a prominent “schizophrenia” researcher, summarized the frustration felt by his colleagues when he said, “The crisis facing psychiatric genetics is that investigators are looking for genes that probably do not exist.”

Such theories will never be proven because they are searching for problems in the wrong places. First, they are ignoring environmental influences, which are of utmost importance in unraveling this mystery. Second, they are ignoring the entire psycho-social-spiritual side of the equation, which will never fit into the current medical model because such domains can’t be commodified. In other words, they can’t be shoved into pills and sold at record profits.

So, it begs the question: if “schizophrenia” isn’t a brain disease, then what is it? Personally, as someone who has experienced “schizophrenia” firsthand (including its eventual abatement), I think of it as a psycho-spiritual development process that, when left uncompleted, causes very real psychological suffering, enough to destroy lives in many cases.

But because it is inherently developmental, “schizophrenia” has a potential evolutionary function, albeit a “secret” one, both for the individual and for their community. Its purpose is actually to heal the psyche, though you wouldn’t know it based upon the current medical model. Keep in mind we rarely see such transformation because it typically requires a heroic effort on both the part of the individual and, again, the community surrounding them.

For the record: I’m not just putting a feel-good spin on something typically thought of as very negative for the sake of it, or to make myself feel better about my experiences. I’m not sugarcoating the suffering or spiritually bypassing the nightmare so many people live on a daily basis, including the families of those affected.

I’m also not saying that those who have not completed their development process are somehow lesser for it. And I’m not recommending anyone go off of their medication, although I do think long-term antipsychotic use needs to be examined, as these drugs were never originally intended to be used for such long periods.

I’m simply in the early stages of submitting my own theory of “schizophrenia,” the Sacredphrenia theory, which borrows heavily from the giants who have come before me, synthesizing the best countercultural psychiatric theories and holistic health information I have come across into a multi-dimensional theory that has never existed and that I think the world will really benefit from.

Stay tuned. 2021 is going to be a big year for all of us.