Stories of Recovery: Elyn Saks

The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness is the powerful memoir of Elyn Saks’ life with paranoid schizophrenia. A prominent law professor and winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Award, Saks struggled for years to get her delusional episodes under control while excelling in a demanding career. She presents one vivid and moving scene after another of her own out-of-control behavior as well as the painful and slow work with psychiatrists to stabilize her mind.

In this two-part video interview, she describes her professional work on the rights of the mentally ill in the context of that long struggle. As she emphasizes, her recovery is not the story of a lone woman determined to get well. It has depended also on the sustained support of therapists, friends and a loving husband.

These videos convey some sense of her struggle and achievement, but I urge you to read her memoir for the full and unforgettable account of her recovery.