On May 24, World Schizophrenia Day shines a light on the challenges faced by hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world. They encounter obstacles due to their schizophrenia diagnosis. Health agencies aim to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with this widely misunderstood condition.
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a complex mental health condition that affects a person’s ability to think, feel, and experience the world. While schizophrenia is a recognized diagnosis, persons can have a wide range of symptoms. The following are some of the most common symptoms:
- Audio hallucinations (hearing voices)
- Delusions
- Disorganized thinking
- Changes in body language or emotions
Does schizophrenia mean split personality?
In a word, no.
It might be difficult for persons with schizophrenia to tell what is real and what isn’t. Hallucinations and delusions, incorrect beliefs, hearing voices, and seeing things, among other anomalous experiences, characterize this condition.
Multiple personalities, not hallucinations, are the symptoms of schizophrenia. Your brain processes everything you see, hear, touch, smell, and feel in general. Sensory receptors take in information from the environment around you and transfer it to your mind, but hallucinations are sensory experiences that occur without a stimulus, so the brain is receiving inaccurate data.
Voices from inside the head or from a person who isn’t there are the most prevalent hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Misconceptions about schizophrenia
There is a lot of misinformation concerning schizophrenia in the media. News stories and TV broadcasts are frequently sensationalized and inaccurate. The reality is that:
It’s not the same as having a ‘split personality,’ which is more commonly associated with a dissociative identity disorder.
What causes schizophrenia?
There are many causes of schizophrenia, and experts are continuously learning more. A mix of genetic, personal, and environmental variables are most likely to blame. These elements will vary depending on the individual, however, they may include:
- traumatic life experiences
- use of drugs and alcohol;
- inheritance through genetics;
- Brain chemistry differences
Is it possible for people with schizophrenia to recover?
When we talk about mental illness, we use the term “recovery” rather than “cure” to refer to restoring a good quality of life.
Schizophrenia will be a lifelong condition for some people, requiring daily management. Medication, conversational therapies (such as CBT or actively interacting with their hallucinations), and a strong support network are frequently used. Approximately one out of every four people with schizophrenia will fully recover and be able to live freely without relapse.
Living with schizophrenia should never be a hindrance to job, personal relationships, or a high quality of life.
What are the available therapies for schizophrenia?
People’s experiences with schizophrenia differ, as do the therapies that work best for them. Some things that might be useful are:
Talking therapies
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common type of talking therapy used to treat schizophrenia. It helps you discover and alter any negative beliefs or behaviors that are making your life difficult. CBT attempts to assist you in:
- cope with psychotic symptoms like delusions or hearing voices
- reduce stress to prevent symptoms from worsening
- address any medication adverse effects
- cope with additional issues that persons with schizophrenia may face, such as social anxiety and depression
Instead of trying to persuade you that your thoughts or experiences are incorrect, talking treatments for schizophrenia should focus on helping you cope with your symptoms.
Medication
If you are diagnosed during a psychotic episode, you will almost certainly be prescribed medication. Antipsychotic medicines (also known as neuroleptic drugs or strong tranquilizers) are commonly prescribed by doctors to treat schizophrenia.
People are affected differently by schizophrenia medication. Some people say it helps them feel better, while others say it makes them feel worse.
When taking antipsychotics for schizophrenia, you may have the following side effects:
- adverse effects – it’s essential to let your doctor know about them
- You may need to test a variety of medications before you find one that works for you.
- Take them for a short period of time or for a long period of time.
Creative therapy and the arts
Art, music, dance, and theatre treatments can help you express how you’re feeling, especially if you have trouble talking about it or feel disconnected from your emotions.
They can also assist you in coming to grips with traumatic events from your past that may be contributing to your psychotic symptoms.
