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Lily Ongkiko
Mr. Newman
English 101: Rhetoric
8 October 2014
Schizophrenia: A Dangerous Disease or Misunderstood Dysfunction of the Brain?
Often times, just the word schizophrenia generates assumptions and stereotypes,
stereotypes such as insane and crazy. Schizophrenia is not something that slowly drives you
insane, gradually makes you violent, or makes you feel the uncontrollable need to act out in an
unimaginable and aggressive manner. This is what is wrong with our nation and society today; as
a nation we have failed those patients who are victims of psychosis. As Paul Steinburg says in
his article Our Failed Approach to Schizophrenia in the December 2012 issue of The New
York Times, we have too much concern about privacy, labeling and stereotyping. As a
nation, we are entirely too worried about the labels we all too often place on people who have
diseases we know absolutely nothing about. As a society, we need to be more concerned with
bettering ourselves, or even better, treating people as peopleeven if they happen to have a
mental illness. In "Our Failed Approach to Schizophrenia," Paul Steinburg successfully
incorporates pathos and ethos to convince his readers that people living with schizophrenia are
exactly that: peopleand should be treated as such.
Steinburg does a great job convincing readers that schizophrenics are anything but freaks
and everything that a human being consists of. Steinburg is able to be so incredibly successful in
this area through his credibility as an author. Although some may say that his credibility is not
fully deserved because he does not suffer from schizophrenia himself, Steinburg establishes

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credibility within the first sentences of the article because he is a psychiatrist in a private
practice. Steinburg introduces the issue at hand and his credibility when saying, [There are]
too few psychiatrists to talk about and treat severe mental disorders even though the
medications available in the past 15 to 20 years can be remarkably effective. He knows from
first-hand experience that too few psychiatrists are willing to converse with patients who claim to
experience the dramatic symptoms of early-onset schizophrenia. Further into Steinburgs article,
he begins to discuss the symptoms of diseases that fall under the umbrella of psychosis. The
average American citizen would not know the symptoms of schizophrenia, but due to the fact
that Steinburg is a licensed psychiatrist, he is qualified to discuss the symptoms of schizophrenia.
As Steinburgs argument strengthens and the article progresses, he begins to make a call
to action using pathos. He discusses the fact that America is too worried with the labels and
stereotypes we place upon those suffering from schizophrenia and too nonchalant about the fact
the kids and adults with schizophrenia are being left untreated. Steinburg brings up 3 different
cases of mass murder in which the shooter has now been diagnosed with schizophrenia. At the
times of all 3 shootings, the murderer was undiagnosed. Steinburg uses this emotional appeal to
pull at his readers heart strings because maybe, if those shooters and mass murders were
diagnosed and prescribed medication earlier, lives could have been saved. Steinburg makes it
clear using pathos that those suffering from psychosis need help not judgment. Nobody wishes to
be born with a mutant gene that causes hallucinations. It takes a village to stop a rampage,
Steinburg writes. We need intense public education about how to deal with schizophrenia;
greater willingness to seek involuntary commitment of those who pose a threat to themselves or
others; and greater incentives for psychiatrists (and other mental health professionals) to treat the
disorder, he continues. As a society we need to work together, the reason schizophrenics act out

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if often because they feel alone and isolated. To prevent these acts of violence, people suffering
from this disease need support and instead of placing judgement, we need to come together to
provide that support.
People suffering from schizophrenia are no less of humans than those who do not.
America needs to understand that those people with schizophrenia never wished for their brains
to produce hallucinations. Instead of wasting time judging and stereotyping, the American public
needs to realize that people are people no matter what size, shape, or mental state. Paul
Steinburgs article Our Failed Approach to Schizophrenia informs the readers of what
schizophrenia is really about and what can and needs to be done to help those suffering from the
disease. Steinburgs use of ethos and pathos effectively helps him accomplish his goal of
reaching out to the public for help and informing them of this disease.

Work Cited
Steinburg, Paul. Our Failed Approach to Schizophrenia. The New York Times 25 Dec.
2012: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 29 Sep. 2014.

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