Conversations Encore: climbing back into life after a schizophrenia diagnosis
Mar 5, 2026
Glenn Jarvis, an Australian who worked at Enron in the 1990s and later recovered from psychosis and a schizophrenia diagnosis, tells a story of trauma and rebuilding. He recalls opaque accounting at Enron, a breakdown in London, and the path back through treatment, community support, meaningful work and friendships at the local bowling club.
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From Sydney Couch To Enron Bank Recs
- Glenn arrived in London and started at Enron within days, moving from a casual Sydney life into a high‑pressure finance role.
- He handled daily bank statements and huge unexplained transactions like a recurring $1.5 billion funding entry that colleagues told him to call “funding.”
When Public Hype Masks Accounting Opacity
- Enron combined legitimate energy trading with opaque financial engineering like mark‑to‑market accounting, creating a culture where raw numbers and public praise diverged.
- Glenn, doing manual bank reconciliations, saw staggering volumes that didn’t map to the touted corporate genius narrative.
The Emails That Preceded A Psychotic Break
- After refusing to stay silent, Glenn walked out when he returned from holiday to find around 100 disturbing emails including scanned official‑looking documents and a flashing camera graphic.
- That escalation preceded his first full psychotic break and decision to leave London.