The Fog of Paranoia

They supported each other, shared music and movies, and confided in each other as they went through the many challenging stages of adolescence. But something began to change in Pat. He was convinced people were watching him, spying on him. Once outgoing and sociable, he began to withdraw into a world of his own, on the inside, where social engagement was not necessary nor desired. He stopped taking care of his personal hygiene. Conversation became increasingly difficult. After a series of visits with psychologists, he was diagnosed at first with bi-polar disorder, and then, more accurately with schizophrenia with paranoid delusions. His world, and that of his sister’s, changed forever. This is the story of one sister’s fight to convince her family that her brother needed help, that initial efforts to curtail his symptoms were inadequate, that he needed additional intervention. At the same time, it is the story of her