Austin Mardon first felt the effects of schizophrenia when he was five-years-old. The mental illness caused high stress, and Mardon couldn’t trust his senses, as the disease affected his personality, cognition and short-term memory. Mardon was officially diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 30, as he was wheeled into an emergency room in a psychotic state. He left the doctor’s office with the message and feeling that “life was over.”
“Doc was wrong,” Mardon said.
Schizophrenia runs in the Mardon family. His great-grandmother lived with schizophrenia, and his mother dealt with post-partum schizophrenia and depression. His cousin, who committed suicide, also battled the mental illness. It’s currently unknown what exactly causes schizophrenia, but predisposed gene pool, stress to the brain and the surrounding environment are widely believed to be main contributors, all of which apply to Mardon.
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