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Nick Reiner was reportedly being treated for schizophrenia before the double murder of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner
Schizophrenia doesn’t necessarily make someone more prone to violence, an expert tells PEOPLE
She says medication changes are common and “could increase the risk of recurrence or exacerbation of symptoms”
Nick Reiner was reportedly being treated for schizophrenia before the shocking double murder of his parents, director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
The Los Angeles Times and KNBC both reported, citing sources, that Nick was being treated with medication for the mental illness. According to NBC, Nick, 32, was first diagnosed with schizophrenia years ago.
Schizophrenia is a widely misunderstood — but treatable — condition, characterized by symptoms of psychosis, psychiatrist Dr. Molly “Mary” Conlon, who oversees the inpatient program at Northwell Health’s Zucker Hillside Hospital, tells PEOPLE. (Conlon is not connected to Nick Reiner or his treatment or case.)
“Psychosis is a term that really encompasses a broad range of experiences,” Conlon explains. “Typically, this includes changes in a person’s thoughts, perceptions, or beliefs and can lead to symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, suspiciousness, and social withdrawal.”
“People can experience disorganized thinking and speech and changes in their movements. They can also experience lack of motivation, social withdrawal, and cognitive changes, including challenges with memory, attention and focus.”
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Nick Reiner in Toronto in 2015.
During an episode of psychosis, “a person’s thoughts and perceptions are disrupted, and they may have difficulty recognizing what is real and what is not,” Conlon says.
But, she says, “most people with psychosis are not violent. In fact, individuals with psychosis are far more likely to be victims of violence themselves, and are actually more likely to harm themselves, than to harm others.”
“People living with schizophrenia are no more violent than the rest of the population if they are receiving effective treatment and not misusing alcohol or drugs,” Conlon says. However, certain drugs — like methamphetamines, hallucinogens and synthetic cannabinoids — can cause psychosis. (At this time, there is no evidence that Nick was using other drugs.)
The effective treatment for schizophrenia includes medication, which often needs to be adjusted. Conlon calls medication changes “very common” and says they require close monitoring “to ensure that there’s not a re-emergence or worsening of symptoms when you’re in the middle of a medication change because it is going to be a bit of a more vulnerable time.”
She emphasizes that such changes “could increase the risk of recurrence or exacerbation of symptoms.”
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Stock image of someone taking medication.
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Schizophrenia, which affects about 1% of the U.S. population, is caused by a mix of genetic, biological, and environmental factors, and is generally diagnosed in someone’s late teens or early twenties, Conlon says. The diagnosis is made when someone has been experiencing psychosis for at least six months.
Treatment of the mental disorder is a multi-pronged approach that, along with medication, includes individual and group therapy and supported education and employment services, which Conlon says are “really important to help make sure that someone could get back on track in regards to work and school.”
And while a diagnosis can be scary, Conlon says that, with proper treatment, “recovery from this illness is possible and achieved by many.”
“The majority of the people that I work with that have schizophrenia are living full and meaningful lives. They work, they’re in school, they have families, they’re achieving their personal, and employment goals, excelling in college,” she says. “The vast majority are not violent and will never commit a violent crime.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the original article on People