Schizophrenia

This piece is about mental health awareness and the struggle many people face every single day. It is not meant as a diagnostic tool or to give any medical advice whatsoever. Every individual has their own story and their own treatment plan, so even if you see part of yourself in this piece, it's vital that you seek the help of a trained professional. It IS okay not to be okay.

This article is part of a collaboration on a wide variety of Mental Health issues and disorders. If you would like to learn more about this project as a whole, please read our prologue. All of the authors involved in this collaboration are passionate about raising awareness on these very sensitive subjects and we hope that our combined effort will help rid society of the stigma that surrounds Mental Health Disorders. I will include some links to the other pieces at the end of this contribution. I strongly encourage you to read as many as you can and please feel free to share anything that resonates with you to help us spread this very important message!

Mental illness does not confine itself to people of a specific race, gender, or sexual orientation. Anyone can suffer from it, and there's a very good chance that if you don't personally have one, or even several, mental disorders you most likely know someone that does.

There's no need to suffer in silence! You are NOT alone!

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Schizophrenia:

I was quite young the first time I heard this term. We had a neighbor that, most of the time, was the sweetest, kindest lady you could ever meet. She was a single mother that my mom had befriended, and her daughter and I were good friends.

Sometimes she'd start acting really strange. She'd close up all of the blinds in her house, lock the doors and make her daughter hide away in the bedroom as she fought off invisible attackers. Her daughter would call my mom.

My mom would go over and pick them up. She'd take Pat to the hospital and her daughter would stay with us for a few weeks.

I can remember hearing Pat tell my mom how thankful she was to have us. They would have taken her daughter away if there wasn't someone to look after her properly during these episodes and while she went through getting her meds adjusted.

Even she was terrified by her mental disorder. She'd vividly describe her hallucinations and the things that the monsters would tell her. She even showed my mother a sketch book in which she'd drawn some of the visions that haunted her. For her they were very terrifying and all too real.

When her medications were balanced, it kept them at bay and allowed her to live a relatively normal existence. She stilled lived everyday of her life fearful of those times when things would get off kilter.

A few years later, an older gentleman started attending our church. I recall his family sending a letter asking that we watch for certain things and reach out if he wasn't looking after himself. He was quite harmless, but somewhat odd.

At times he was very unkempt. He would come to church with greasy, uncombed hair and horrible body odor, his clothes filthy. If you spoke to him, it was like he couldn't even hear your voice and he wouldn't even look you in the eye. He would be seemingly lost in deep conversations with noone, often in Polish or some other unrecognizable language. If you put food in front of him, he would devour it like a starved animal. His were not violent, scary hallucinations. He just sometimes existed in an alternate reality, one in which self-care just didn't come into play.

I am thankful that I had the opportunity to know these people in my childhood. It gave me an awareness that I might not have had otherwise.

A few years ago, my own brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

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Learning about schizophrenia can seem overwhelming and downright frightening for the layperson. Much of the available research is written by professionals and seems to be targeted to a professional audience. This can make it a very difficult task to navigate the information and find what you need to know.

I hope that I can I simplify it for you.

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Schizophrenia and Psychosis:

Many people assume that these two terms are interchangeable. They are not.

Psychosis is a loss of touch with reality. Some of the symptoms include:

Hallucinations ~ sensing things that are not real, these can impact any of the senses and are not strictly visual or auditory.

Delusions ~ false beliefs, that are not changed even with proof that they are false.

Inappropriate social/emotional response ~ because people suffering from psychosis are experiencing an altered reality their responses often don't fit the situation at hand.

Psychosis is a symptom of schizophrenia. It can also be a symptom of a number of other disorders and diseases. It's important to know that not everyone that suffers from a psychotic episode is schizophrenic.

In order to receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia, one must have symptoms for a prolonged period of time, 6 months or more. All other possible causes of psychosis must also be ruled out.

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Subtypes of Schizophrenia Based on Symptoms:

Paranoid Schizophrenia:

This is one of the most common subtypes. As the name reflects, a person with Paranoid Schizophrenia is afraid that people are 'out to get them'. Their fear may even extend beyond being afraid of people wanting to harm them personally. They may develop intricate conspiracy theories. These fears are based on delusions or hallucinations, a disconnect from reality.

Even when presented with facts that disprove the reasoning behind these fears, a person with schizophrenia will still believe their own fears are valid.

Disorganized Schizophrenia:

This subtype was excluded from the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Edition 5, however it is still considered a subtype in the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. This is why throughout your research, you will see conflicting information over just how many schizophrenic subtypes exist.

A person suffering with Disorganized Schizophrenia will have disorganized thinking which will be reflected by unusual speech patterns, inappropriate emotional responses (or no emotional response), poor impulse control, and difficulty performing daily tasks.

Catatonic Schizophrenia:

This is a very rare subtype. A person with this subtype is unresponsive to outside stimuli. They may even appear to be in a trance or unconscious.

They might not speak or move, or they may hold their body position in such a way that seems to defy gravity. You may also notice odd facial contortions.

They may experience 'tics' ~ similar to those suffered by someone with Tourette's Syndrome. These tics may include odd or exaggerated, repetitive movement, repeating another person's words or movements for no reason.

Undifferentiated Schizophrenia:

This diagnosis is made when a person suffers from symptoms from more than one of the three above subtypes.

Residual Schizophrenia:

This refers to the time after a full-blown schizophrenic episode. It means that the major symptoms have settled, but milder symptoms, such as disorganized speech or unexplained beliefs are still present.

Symptoms must be present for six months or more in order for a diagnosis of schizophrenia to be given.

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Researchers have found a very strong link between genetics and schizophrenia. People are born with a pre-disposition to develop it. It can also be caused by poor pre-natal care. Just because there is a pre-disposition to develop schizophrenia does not mean it is certain to develop.

There are physical and chemical differences in the brain of a schizophrenic, as confirmed by MRIs and other testing.

There are many factors that can contribute to the onset of symptoms. These include environment, trauma, and substance abuse. Other factors may also trigger the onset of schizophrenia.

This is one of the reasons that it is vital to break the stigma surrounding mental health/illness! If there are open, honest discussions about mental illnesses that exist within a family, most triggers can be avoided, and it's possible schizophrenia will not rear its ugly head.

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It is possible for a person with schizophrenia to shift between the various subtypes. Their symptoms can and often do change over time.

Schizophrenia typically responds well to treatment, however, there is no cure. Typical treatment options are medication and therapy, often combined.

Because the disease causes such erratic behaviors and emotions, it is very hard for a schizophrenic to maintain healthy relationships, but support is key to stability for someone with schizophrenia. As their symptoms improve under treatment, it is common for a person to believe that they are 'cured' and treatment is no longer needed. They needed someone to monitor their treatment and try to ensure they continue and that treatments are adjusted as needed.

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Being a caregiver for a person with a mental illness is incredibly stressful responsibility. With current stigmas it can be very difficult for a caregiver to find supports and this can impact their own mental and physical well-being.

Community supports essential for both the person suffering with mental disease and their families or caregivers. Please always remember, it's okay to not be okay. Reach out of you or a family remember needs help. Talk to your doctor. They can refer to appropriate mental health professionals.

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More information is available at the websites below:

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Please be sure to read the preceding story in this collaboration: