If I had to guess, he probably had a lotta attempts at interventions and assistance over the years. Key problem likely being his refusal to take his meds consistently. Hard to force an adult to do so and some times it’s the only way you can stabilize a mental illness like this.
I get what you mean but IMO he has schizophrenia. So I don’t think it’s a case of throwing it all away in the usual baller to broke sense. I had an uncle that was schizophrenic and was off his rocker back in the day. Then they finally got him on his meds and he was on them for YEARS, but the meds were so strong because his sickness was so severe that he was like a walking drone and could barely talk. Imagine those being your only choices, refuse meds and completely lose any sense of reality or take meds and be locked away in your mind. The meds don’t cure you they just prevent you from acting out.
My dad has schizophrenia, and I've had friends with family members with schizophrenia. It's always a combination of taking the wrong meds, doctors over-prescribing and then the patient refusing to take the meds. Then things go downhill fast.
Your uncle was probably taking quetiapine. That's the drug that basically turns them into nothing but zombies. My dad's old doctor gave him a combination of quetiapine and trazodone. I've found a lot of psychiatrists don't do anything besides over-prescribe. If you have a family member with schizophrenia, keep a log of the medication they take and the side effects that come with it. That's the only way you'll know if something is working. If the doctor doesn't do anything besides over-prescribe, it's time to switch doctors or check your family member into the hospital. The best part about the hospital is that they usually have outpatient programs with competent psychiatrists. The psychiatrists that our family doctor referred him to were completely incompetent.
I also recommend to ask about Clozaril. It's the only drug that worked for my dad without turning him into a zombie, and he's been close to "normal" (knock on wood) for 5 years. If you're in Canada, you can apply for ODSP to cover for the cost of medicine and if needed, housing with a personal support worker. The only downside of Clozaril is that for some, it might effect their immune system so each month you have to get a blood test to make sure your immune system is fine.