Jake Lloyd, who played young Anakin Skywalker, is doing better these days following the completion of a long-term treatment program for schizophrenia.
Jake Lloyd retired from acting in 2000 after starring in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Jingle All the Way.
He’s now 37 and has previously been open about being bullied throughout school over his role as Anakin Skywalker. This period also marked the beginning of some serious mental health struggles.
His mother, Lisa Lloyd, told Scripps News that the changes started becoming apparent in high school:
“He started talking about ‘realities.’ He didn’t know if he was in this reality, or a different reality. I didn’t really know exactly what to say to that.”
After a series of appointments with therapists and psychiatrists, Lloyd was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, a diagnosis that was followed by a period of deep depression.
A second, related diagnosis that made treatment more difficult
In a more recent interview with Star Wars: Timelines co-author Clayton Sandell, Jake and his mother discussed an additional diagnosis: anosognosia. Anosognosia is a neurological condition that affects a person’s ability to recognize their own illness.
“Jake’s condition stopped him from wanting to take medication because he didn’t believe he was sick,” she said.
Sandell recently shared a positive update after spending time with Jake and Lisa, describing real, visible improvement.
“Jake is doing better than I’ve ever seen him,” he wrote on Instagram.
He elaborated further:
“I spent part of my weekend catching up with Jake Lloyd and his mom Lisa. I’ve been honored to help share their story over the last few years. As you may know, they’ve faced a lot of ups and downs managing Jake’s schizophrenia diagnosis. I’m really happy to share, however, that today Jake is doing better than I’ve ever seen him. He’s engaging, curious, and funny. We had a great conversation about video games and editing programs, two of his big interests.”
A structured program made a difference
According to Sandell, Jake completed a long-term treatment program in June that’s helped him stay consistent with medication, therapy, and everyday life skills.
“In June, he completed a long-term program that has done wonders for him, helping him stay on track with medication, therapy, and other life skills,” Sandell wrote.
“Progress is measured in days sometimes, but along with his mom, who continues providing extraordinary and unwavering support, there area many reasons to be optimistic about Jake’s future. More to come…”
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