I think what you're talking about is something like shcizophrenia, although I'm no expert. I do, however, have a couple of close relatives with other mental illnesses, as well as a couple of friends studying to be psychologists. The general consensus is that once you have a mental illness then you pretty much have it for life. However, you can keep it under control, by and large, with drugs, therapy and coping strategies - perhaps a combination of any or all of these.