Approximately 1.1% of the US adult population is schizophrenic. Approximately 2.6% of the adult US population has bipolar disorder—over four fifths considered severe.

The shooter in Arizona, most are presuming at this time, carries at least one of these diagnoses.

These are treatable illnesses, often first presenting in the early twenties (in the case of schizophrenia)—with a rub. The longer the mental illness goes untreated—the more years one lives in a psychotic state—the less and less effective the therapies become. This medical fact is known as the kindling effect. A mind left burning out of control in paranoid delusions becomes ever harder to reground in reality.

Much has been made of the lack of gun control in Arizona—the ease by which a mentally disturbed man could acquire deadly weapons. Let’s not miss the other half of the coin here: Arizona is also a terrible place to be mentally ill—becoming ever more difficult to get treatment as the Tea People have their way, and gut the few remaining social services and treatment options available to those with little to no resources.

And, let’s not forget that our own community—Washington State, King County and Seattle all—are cutting mental health services. Just by statistics, we can expect about 75,000 people in Washington State to be schizophrenic. As we cut these services, the kindling effect will make recovery later next to impossible.

Jonathan Golob is an actual doctor.

21 replies on “The Kindling Effect”

  7. Hi: I think you might be a little off on kindling–I have personal experience because I fall into one of those categories. I thought kindling was the aggregation of stressor events that lead to a significant manifestation of symptoms. A stressor even itself may not cause an incidence of negative symptoms or a manic episode. However, the accumulation of stressor events spread over time cause it. Thus, each small event builds up the fire (e.g. kindles) of a major episode. And of course untreated individuals have the potential for larger fires!

  9. Oh, I should also say that I was a recipient of indigent health services in AZ at a time when I was very poor and before Jan Brewer got appointed governor by Pres. Obama. However, I was lucid enough to seek these services (that have been slashed big time since then). Think of those who aren’t so lucky.

  11. @7/8 What you’re describing is true – stress adds up over time for individuals with AND without mental illness – but the kindling theory as it relates to mental illness and epilepsy is exactly as Jonathan described: the more episodes/seizures you’ve had, the more you’re going to have.

  12. In addition to the millions of people in this country who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, they exact a huge toll on family members; they carry a stigma and invite cruelty and insensitivity of outsiders that other brain malfunctions or severe physical illness just don’t. They are so bizarre and corrosive that they lead to isolation (as with Loughner’s parents), depression, and PTSD, each of which can extract its own ruinous toll.

    The causes still aren’t known and incidence is increasing. There may be genetic, environmental, or even infectious triggers.

    I’ve had to deal directly with schizophrenia twice in my life–once with a family member, and once on the job. The closest I come to praying is “keeping in my thoughts,” as Dan’s mother says, the fervent wishes for prevention, treatment, cures, and most of all a society prepared to care for and really understand those who are sick as well as all those close to them.

  13. @11. OK, I understand, thanks. I thought that this stress model was emphasized when I read literature on it. I admit, it’s been years since I’ve read any of that though.

  14. strangely enough, i have been handed hand-written ramblings from two very schizophrenic individuals in my life (one was, um, believe it or not, the chick who broke into david letterman’s house years ago, claiming she was his wife), and compared to the shooter’s youtube missives? so much the same–the same circular logic and disjointed statements trapped in a form that seems like it should be sensible english. very very strange. my lay-diagnosis? schizzo!

  15. (ps–god damn, i wish i had kept the written ramblings of the david letterman woman. what a dark treasure it would be today…but it took me years to accept the fact that YES, it really was her…)

  16. please keep in mind, folks, that people with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of crime. less than one percent of the mentally ill commit serious crimes. we never hear about those who are actively participating in therapy and making the commitment to recovery, getting on the road to recovery and STAYING on the road to recovery.

  18. More to the point, this guy was emitting warning signs night and day…and had numerous run ins with the law and also used every media possible, including the web, to broadcast his intent. The gun was only the last stage of his “minority report”.

    Instead of focusing on the last stage, how about coming out for even better Homeland Security to make sure the Loughner’s of the world get locked up — somehow. I could easily scan many Internet venues and pin point those with unfocused rage, the name callers…the people who you say “boo” to and they launch into paranoid diatribes about “Palin” and “the Republicans”.

    Clearly, there are many on the edge who have exhibited reactions beyond what many would consider normal.

    http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/doc…

    The school reports provide the most detailed accounts so far of Loughner’s troubles at the college, and he is depicted at times as “creepy,” ”very hostile” and “having difficulty understanding what he had done wrong in the classroom.” School officials have not said if the reports were shared with any authorities beyond campus.

    During his first outburst, in a poetry class, he made comments about abortion, wars and killing people, then asked: “Why don’t we just strap bombs to babies?”

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