OCD and Schizophrenia Type Disorders

Stephen Blumberg 

Although we do not know the true nature of Blumberg’s mental health, he had experiences that very well could have set him on his path to OCD and/or bibliomania. In A Gentle Madness, Nicholas Basbanes discusses Blumberg’s childhood. His mother was emotionally unstable and his father emotionally distant, creating an environment that was not very nurturing for young Stephen. This resulted in the boy spending most of his time at his grandmother’s Victorian house, where his fascination, bordering on obsession, with antiques began. Because Stephen began to exhibit some strange behaviors in early adulthood, his father had him evaluated. Basbanes notes, “… in 1967 Blumberg was admitted to the Hardy Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurology inWorthington, Ohio. After six weeks of evaluation, he was judged to have an ‘adjustment reaction’ consistent with a person who is ‘developing schizoid and compulsive tendencies.’ A diagnosis…referred ‘once again’ to an obsessive ‘accumulation of things.’” (Basbanes,  1995). This diagnosis was not surprising because along with Blumberg’sbehavioral tendencies, his family a long history of mental illness ranging from depression and PTSD to schizophrenia-typedisorders. In fact, another psychiatrist with ties to the Blumberg family, Dr. Logan, noted that Blumberg’s great-grandfather “compulsively collected things, even things that others may not have particularly wanted” (Basbanes, 1995). This description by Dr. Logan sounds quite similar to the way Blumberg   behaved. In relation to his book theft, there are indications that Blumberg wasconvinced that the rare books he stole were not being valued in the libraries that held them. He convinced himself that these bookswere not wanted, even though they were often prized by the libraries that held them. A further psychiatric evaluation of Blumberg by Dr. Lipson in 1990 reflected this. Dr. Lipson testified that Blumberg “‘is someone who has an encapsulated delusional system pertaining to how he sees the world,’ and that he had ‘created his own world that motivates a lot of his actions.’” (Basbanes, 1995). Dr. Lipson further mentioned that Blumberg presented with “overconcern…with things of the past and that are old…and inabilityto deal with what is going on” in the present” (Basbanes, 1995).

Basbanes also notes Blumberg’s tendencies to lick bookplates off in order to steal books, indicating some sort of unique sensoryqualities in Stephen. Perhaps this sensory difference is related to his brain functions as a result of his mental health, but it could also just as well be a quirk. Blumberg’s fascination with Victorian-era antiques and books resulted in trips devoted to searchingabandoned buildings and libraries. His pursuit of these objects and books indicates obsessive qualities, aligning with features of certain conditions like OCD.

It is impossible to understand Blumberg fully or diagnose mental health disorders accurately or retrospectively without a personal evaluation of him. But observing his tendencies, keeping his childhood experiences in mind, and noting features of mental illnesses known to exist in other members of his family may shed some light on his actions.

OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often occurs along with other mental health disorders. Recently there has been interest in the connection between OCD and schizophrenic type disorders. A study conducted by Poletti et al (link) that consideredchildhood experiences and factors on neurodevelopment showed evidence that those with OCD have different neurodevelopmental and sensory experiences from those without OCD. Examples of such brain altering experiences could be exposure to toxins or chemicals as fetuses, babies, and children. This study identified potential neurological soft signs and sensory features that may be indicative of changes in the developing brain, which could be used as a signal for intervention to help the patient cope with their unique brain. The proposed connection to sensory differences has its foothold in prior research. This research found that patients with OCD have challenges with fine-motor and visuospatial skills while being more sensitive to tactile and acoustic senses.  Another link between OCD and schizophrenia type disorders comes from the correlation between their similar traits and neurological soft signs such as an impairment in motor coordination and visuospatial skills. A current hypothesis is that these conditions are on a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, based on the range of sensorimotordifferences (Poletti, 2022).

Researchers have studied the impact of childhood experiences on neurodevelopment in connection to various mental illnessesincluding both schizophrenia and OCD. The connection between neurodevelopment and mental illness can stem from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). A meta-analysis conducted by Inyang et al (link). noted that those who experience schizophrenia “are 2.7 times more likely to have experiences of ACEs than healthy controls” (Inyang, 2022). ACEs include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect. Current literature about childhood trauma and schizophrenia indicates evidence of a connection between childhood trauma and symptoms of schizophrenia, including hallucinations and delusions. Brain changes identified in those who have experienced ACEs include “decreased volume of hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, amygdala, cerebellum, inferior frontal gyrus, gray matter, and anterior cingulate cortex” as well as issues with the thalamus (Inyang, 2022). These parts of the brain relate to memory, executivecontrol functions, fear response, motor control, language processing, neuronal cell bodies, and decision making/reward system. This demonstrates that childhood trauma has a significant impact on various regions of the brain, promoting the potentialdevelopment of mental illness.