The character with schizophrenia would be considered by too many professionals to be the perfect mental patient. He begged to go back on his medication, was scared out of his wits that absent medication compliance he would lose both his housing and the job he held for ten years – moving boxes from one position to another. Such employment has been represented to me as evidence of “successful long term placement”, “meaningful community integration”, and the development of a new sense of “meaning and purpose.”

The show likely overstates family involvement where too many patients find that their families will not take them upon discharge out of fear for their safety, the belief that the patient will be safer in the hospital, in the hope that by refusing to take their family member back alternative housing will be provided, and/or the family has abandoned the patient. (I attended a meeting at one of our state psychiatric hospitals where half of the 500 patients could not be discharged for want of housing in the community. Senior staff pled for “loving families” to shelter their “loved ones” thus facilitating discharge. Sadly, most had been abandoned by their families as evidenced by the fact only 25% received at least one visitor over the course of a year.)

Having watched only the first episode, I say let the show run its course. I likely won’t watch it. I’ve experienced the reality and have learned from the shared experiences of my peers.

Yay for Futurama!