Apple News In Conversation She had schizophrenia for decades — then suddenly she didn’t
Sep 11, 2025
Rachel Aviv, a staff writer at The New Yorker, dives into the unexpected remission of schizophrenia symptoms in a woman after cancer treatment. She reveals the impact this has on the family and their relationships. Aviv discusses the evolving understanding of schizophrenia and how autoimmune conditions could be linked to psychotic symptoms. This conversation urges a reevaluation of psychiatric practices and highlights the importance of empathy and communication in healing family dynamics after such a long struggle with mental illness.
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A Daughter’s Two-Decade Ordeal
- Christine recounts her mother's early delusions, including spying and accusations, that began when Christine was nine.
- Those symptoms persisted for nearly two decades and resisted standard antipsychotic treatment.
Diagnosis Repeated Without Rethinking
- Mary was hospitalized repeatedly and forcibly medicated while clinicians carried forward a schizophrenia diagnosis.
- Antipsychotics produced little improvement across many hospitalizations and years.
Psychosis Vanishes After Cancer Drug
- After Mary began chemotherapy for lymphoma, her long-standing psychosis abruptly vanished according to her daughters.
- Christine traced the change to rituximab, an immunosuppressant given during cancer treatment.
