Background and characteristics Joan Becker looks like a “normal” person. At times, she acts like a “normal” person and there are even times when she talks like a “normal” person. But, in getting to know Joan you realize she is far from “normal.” Joan suffers from schizophrenia. She has little to no friends. The friends she does make usually don’t stay her friend for very long. Joan shies away from social situations and even pushes the people she loves away. A characteristic that contradicts her tendency to withdraw is her craving for attention. If Joan doesn’t get enough attention she will through tantrums or even hurt herself. One day in elementary school Joan was being ignored by her teacher. So the teacher would pay attention to her, Joan got out of her seat and walked over to the art station where she then took a pair of scissors. Joan then shrieked and started cutting her arms, legs and face. Another time, shortly after Joan’s brother was born, she took a bottle of her father’s heart pills. She then walked up to her parents and poured the pills into her mouth and swallowed about half of the pills. It is apparent that Joan had no real intention of actually killing herself either time.Joan was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a rare age. Most cases are not recognized until late adolescence or early twenties. Joan was diagnosed when she was thirteen years old. It is believed that there is a genetic link to Joan’s diagnosis. In a genealogical study of her paternal family, Joan’s great-grandmother was believed to suffer from schizophrenia as well. An aunt on Joan’s maternal side has also been diagnosed with schizophrenia. When Joan was nine years old her parents divorced. Less than six months later her favorite cousin was killed in a drunk driving accident. It was around this time when her symptoms began to heighten drastica...
