The Quiet Room
The Quiet Room: Lori’s Battle and Struggle with Schizophrenia Final paper Alison Rodgers
Author Note
This paper was prepared for Pyschology 440 (Abnormal Pych), taught by Dr. Siefert
Lori Schiller’s story of her struggles battling mental illness is frightening yet inspiring. Lori’s childhood was incredibly normal if not better than the norm. She grew up in a very affluent, wealthy family that were also very loving and supporting. Lori was also a straight A student that was accepted to some of the best universities in the country. Many people have the notion that mental illness only happens to children from bad families or the homeless but Lori proves that stereotype wrong. Mental Illness can happen across all spectrums when there are very few if any risk factors. Lori begins hearing voices at the age of 17, while working as a counselor at a summer camp. They are frightening and threatening in nature, the voices constantly boomed commands into her ears, telling her to do horrible things including killing herself. She starts to go for days without sleeping at camp, becoming aloof and depressed. When she goes home from summer camp the voices continue, but she carries on with her normal day to day activities. She is determined to carry on her life as normal. At first she related her symptoms to being possessed perhaps. But later on she started to wonder if the threatening voices in her head meant she was mentally ill. Along with the voices in her head she started becoming paranoid of televisions and phones, thinking they were out to get her or talking directly at her. Lori who had always been outgoing and full of life was seeing herself slowly becoming more and more withdrawn from friends and family. Many days she wouldn’t even get out of bed or properly groom or shower. She described her moods as highs and lows, on the high days she would be almost manic, having lot’s of energy and going for long
Author Note
This paper was prepared for Pyschology 440 (Abnormal Pych), taught by Dr. Siefert
Lori Schiller’s story of her struggles battling mental illness is frightening yet inspiring. Lori’s childhood was incredibly normal if not better than the norm. She grew up in a very affluent, wealthy family that were also very loving and supporting. Lori was also a straight A student that was accepted to some of the best universities in the country. Many people have the notion that mental illness only happens to children from bad families or the homeless but Lori proves that stereotype wrong. Mental Illness can happen across all spectrums when there are very few if any risk factors. Lori begins hearing voices at the age of 17, while working as a counselor at a summer camp. They are frightening and threatening in nature, the voices constantly boomed commands into her ears, telling her to do horrible things including killing herself. She starts to go for days without sleeping at camp, becoming aloof and depressed. When she goes home from summer camp the voices continue, but she carries on with her normal day to day activities. She is determined to carry on her life as normal. At first she related her symptoms to being possessed perhaps. But later on she started to wonder if the threatening voices in her head meant she was mentally ill. Along with the voices in her head she started becoming paranoid of televisions and phones, thinking they were out to get her or talking directly at her. Lori who had always been outgoing and full of life was seeing herself slowly becoming more and more withdrawn from friends and family. Many days she wouldn’t even get out of bed or properly groom or shower. She described her moods as highs and lows, on the high days she would be almost manic, having lot’s of energy and going for long
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