‘Schizophrenia is a severe long-term mental health condition. It causes a range of different psychological symptoms.‘
‘Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis. This means the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality. ‘ (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/schizophrenia/)
On the NHS website the symptoms are : (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/schizophrenia/)
- hallucinations – hearing or seeing things that do not exist outside of the mind
- delusions – unusual beliefs not based on reality
- muddled thoughts based on hallucinations or delusions
- losing interest in everyday activities
- not caring about your personal hygiene
- wanting to avoid people, including friends
I think people have a mis-conception that people with schizophrenia are violent and dangerous, and they are misunderstood often as people don’t understand how much it is effecting their lives in a daily basis.
‘Schizophrenia occurs in about 1.1 percent of the population, while paranoid schizophrenia is considered the most common subtype of this chronic disorder.1 The average age of onset is late adolescence to early adulthood, usually between the ages of 18 to 30.’ (https://www.psycom.net/paranoid-schizophrenia)
If you believe that someone you know, or yourself has symptoms of schizophrenia, then you need to seek help from your GP as soon as possible. The earlier it is found, the easier it is to treat.
It is not 100% clear what causes schizophrenia, ‘most experts believe the condition is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors’ drugs can be one reason for it occurring, and possibly stressful environment or a trauma as well could be another reason.’ (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/schizophrenia/)
I know someone personally whose father suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, and it ruined his life and his relationships with his family. Sometimes he would be fine, and other times he would have complete breakdowns, as he didn’t know what was real and what was in his head. This mental health condition is a serious one as it completely changes your outlook on life, as you aren’t able to determine what is real. The hallucinations that my friends father used to have, would tell him to do things that he wouldn’t normally do, sometimes suggesting he harmed himself or others, or that his family were all against him when in reality they were just trying their best to help with the situation.
Hallucinations can be extremely scary and the way one person may react to these hallucinations may differ to someone else, as its all in their own mind. This may be why some people feel wary around those suffering.
‘The only type of medication known to effectively reduce the frequency and severity of hallucinations in schizophrenia spectrum disorders is antipsychotic medication. ‘ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3577047/)
If you feel like you or someone you know is experiencing dangerous thoughts of harming themselves or others you need to call the emergency number 999.
Mental Health Awarness Blog 