Pablo* was one of the strongest breakdancers in Huancayo. At the time, no one could do all of the acrobatics and tricks that he could do on the dance floor. Everyone knew his name and respected him.

Pablo’s life changed overnight when on a morning like any other, he woke up with vacant eyes and a strange coldness in attitude. His brother described him as “untouchable.” He no longer recognized his family or friends. He began threatening everyone, paranoid that they were putting drugs or poison in his food. He was physically violent.

No one knew what to do with him. Some speculated that he was involved in witchcraft. When word got around the small town where he lived, the community concluded that this is what happens to people who take too many drugs. When I was introduced to Pablo in 2008, they told me to be careful around him because he was apparently a drug addict.

They sent Pablo to the most reputable doctors in Lima, but he seemed to return to normal whenever he was outside of his comfort zone. The doctors sent him home within a few weeks of every hospitalization because he seemed fine. He wasn’t. His hallucinations that every plant was marijuana took over his conversations. His brother had to regularly reintroduce Pablo to all his old friends. His mother was at her wits end and wanted to throw him out on the streets.

Pablo’s last hope was a psychiatrist in Jauja, a city two hours away, but how could they bring him there when every effort resulted in rage and a flurry of flying fists? With pained hearts, Pablo’s father and brother fought back and physically forced him into the car. It was worth it. The psychiatrist diagnosed Pablo with schizophrenia and it was a relief to the family to know that it was inevitable; the drugs were only a detonator. He’s now stable under daily medication, helping babysit his niece and even expressing an interest to go back to school.

“The experience has taught me that you should look around you before you make decisions,” Pablo’s brother tells me with slight regret that he went off to Lima on his own in his younger years. The two were inseparable, the best of friends, and Pablo was forced to find a new group when his brother left; unfortunately, Pablo got involved with the wrong crowd.

*Name changed to protect the person’s identity.

Have you ever regretted a choice you made because you thought of yourself instead of others?

What has been your experience with mental disabilities? Do they scare you? Are you curious about them? Do you feel compassion? Are they a normal part of life for you?