Elyn Saks has become somewhat famous during the past few years because she is one of the few successful career people to come out about their having been diagnosed with schizophrenia while they are still active in their jobs. (Especially where their jobs are not directly related to mental health.  Others, like Fred Freese, have been out for many years but they practice psychology where a diagnosis of schizophrenia might arguably be a little more accepted) .  She is a tenured Law professor, and associate dean at the University of Southern California. She is also a winner of the Mac­Arthur Foundation Fellowship, which she used to create the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics.

She is a great role model for what successful recovery from schizophrenia can look like.  Following three new video interviews with Elyn Saks about her experience with schizophrenia. One video is from a recent NARSAD meeting where she presents about “Living a Productive Life.”  She has done a very good TED talk after her book “The Center Cannot Hold” came out. Her efforts are also spurring other people to “come out” as covered in this NY Times article “Memoir About Schizophrenia Spurs Others to Come Forward”

The second video is below:

A third video, about creativity and mental illness:

Here is another good talk at a meeting sponsored by NARSAD / The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, in which she talks about “Living a productive life”

Here is her TED Talk: