Is It Emes?

I’d just finished a lecture at a mental health conference on the topic of “Can a Person with Mental Illness Be a Good Spouse and an Effective Parent?” But no sooner was I out the door, running to make my afternoon chavrusa, than I noticed I was being followed by a pleasant chassidishe man who introduced himself as Mr. Heilbloom. His question was direct, if not a bit desperate.

“Does the doctor really believe that people with schizophrenia can get married?”

“Most certainly,” I replied. “It takes effort and can be challenging, but I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t believe it.”

“But marriage is a lot of responsibility. How can someone with schizophrenia make it happen?”