Schizophrenia might be one of the most widely stigmatized conditions that many don’t really understand. It’s often seen as a disease from which people can never recover, but this simply isn’t true. Although there is no cure, psychosocial treatments and rehabilitation are found to help many people with this condition lead fulfilling, independent lives.
1. It’s a Brain Disease
Hallucinations might be the most famous side effect of schizophrenia, it effects the entire brain. People may not be able to think clearly or manage their emotions. Decisions can be difficult and many with schizophrenia tend to have delusions that people are following or looking at them.
2. It Isn’t Dangerous
When schizophrenia is being treated, multiple studies have shown that people with this condition are no more dangerous than anyone else. Most schizophrenics tend to want to be left alone, which means they’re more likely to become victims than they are to be a perpetrator.
3. How Many People Are There?
Schizophrenia is often associated with multiple personalities, but that’s actually a different mental disorder. The term schizophrenia actually translates directly as “split mind.” This is because the mind has split from reality for some reason.
4. Anyone Can Have It
Schizophrenia doesn’t develop because someone had bad parents during their childhood. It doesn’t mean that someone has weak willpower or no personal character. Schizophrenia happens because it happens. It is not a reflection of a flaw in any way.
5. It Won’t Go Away
Schizophrenia is not something that is going to heal on its own. It won’t just spontaneously disappear. It requires comprehensive treatments that involve psychosocial therapies and anti-psychotic medication for improvement.
6. It Starts Early
About 1% of the general population will develop schizophrenia at some level during their lifetime. It starts in the late teens or early 20s for men and women tend to see development in their mid-to-late 20’s. It affects all races and ethnicities equally.
7. It’s Hard to Cope
Dealing with schizophrenia is a difficult path of life to walk. Because it is so difficult to cope with this disease, 50% of people with schizophrenia will abuse alcohol or drugs in an attempt to deal with their condition. This creates other addictions and dependencies, which ultimately ends up causing a worsening condition.
8. Watch Out!
About 33% of people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia will attempt suicide at least once in their lives. Genetics can play a role in some families – if an identical twin has schizophrenia, then the other twin has a 50% greater chance of developing the disorder as well. Genetics isn’t a 100% guarantee, however, because there are identical twins where one has schizophrenia and the other does not.
9. There Are 5 Forms
Schizophrenia can take on 5 typical forms in some combination. It can cause great paranoia, cause thought disruption, or even make people stop moving. Some people can have all of these side effects in some shape or form. For those who have recovered from schizophrenia, they fall into the final, residual category. That’s right – a schizophrenia diagnosis sticks around for life.