I
know that’s a huge scary figure. There are lots of myths about
schizophrenia which I am going to tell you today in this article.
Make sure you read all of them and help your love ones from staying
away from schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia
is a psychotic illness. This means that the person with schizophrenia
seems cut off from reality for periods of time. This is usually seen
in young adulthood (16-30 years). It affects males and females
equally but might begin earlier in males.
People
with this illness have problems understanding what is real and what
is imaginary. Some people complain of hearing invisible voices or
seeing things that are not there. They may have problems thinking and
concentrating. Doctors usually find that such people may stop talking
to their families and friends. They also lose interest in other
activities that they enjoyed earlier.
Today, we will talk about the many misunderstandings and myths about schizophrenia that people have:
Myth# 1 The media is a good source of information about schizophrenia
The
Media (TV, newspapers, movies, social media, etc.) is not the best
place to learn about any mental illness. For example, there are too
many movies about “mad” or “crazy” people who are killers and
psychopaths. But very few movies show realistic movies about people
with this illness. So, the best people to talk to about this are
psychiatrists and psychologists. Make sure you consult with best
child psychiatrist.
Visiting the hospital is a good idea if you feel that you or a loved
one may have this illness. A second opinion is important too.
Myth#2 Schizophrenia is a disease where people have two personalities inside them–
That
is a completely different illness. It is called Multiple Personality
Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder. People with schizophrenia
do have problems thinking and doing things clearly. They have
more of a split mind than split personalities.
Myth#3 Schizophrenia is very uncommon
Actually,
1 in 100 people suffer from this illness. It is quite possible that
you might have already met somebody with schizophrenia. Most people
don’t like to tell others that they have this problem. Sharing this
information might make others fear or avoid them. This happens
because people don’t have awareness about what happens in
schizophrenia.
Myth#4 If you have schizophrenia once, you will always have schizophrenia
This
used to happen in the past when we did not have modern medicines. It
might only happen now if you do not get good treatment. Different
people and different kinds of treatments have different results. Many
people live useful, meaningful lives even after having this illness.
Myth# 5 They will never have a normal life
When
they get good treatment and support, people with schizophrenia can
and do have productive lives. That is why immediate medical help, and
caring family and friends are important to their recovery.
Myth# 6 People with schizophrenia are always violent and dangerous
People
with schizophrenia are as violent or dangerous as any healthy person
on the road. It is quite sad that we think so. Most are more capable
of hurting themselves than others around them. We lose many people
with schizophrenia to suicide every year. If a person with this
illness does turn to harm that is because they are feeling very
unwell. They should be taken to emergency services at the hospital as
soon as possible.
Myth# 7 They are mentally challenged/retarded
People
with any kind of IQ can develop this illness. A person with
schizophrenia who is feeling poorly might feel confused and have a
hard time thinking clearly. But this is just part of the illness. It
does not mean that they are stupid or cannot learn new things.
Myth# 8 A person with schizophrenia is only a schizophrenic
On
the outside it might look like the illness takes over the life of a
person with schizophrenia. Like there is nothing else to their
identity but the schizophrenia. But that is not the case. The person
with schizophrenia is a regular person who has a life, family and a
job. They just live with a condition that sometimes makes them lose
touch with reality.
Myth# 9 Schizophrenia is caused by evil spirits/black magic
This
is a very common myth that people believe. Schizophrenia is actually
a brain disorder. Being very religious and god-loving will not
keep you safe from schizophrenia. Nobody or nothing can give you
schizophrenia, especially not evil spirits. That is why people with
schizophrenia should be taken to the doctor and not to a religious
baba or shaman.
Myth# 10 Schizophrenia is caused by bad parenting
This
was a false idea that became popular in the 1950s. It is both wrong
and unhelpful. It puts unnecessary stress and blame on the family
when they are already trying to understand and help the person with
schizophrenia.
Myth# 11 People with schizophrenia cannot hold jobs
Depending
on how the person reacts to the treatment, people with schizophrenia
can work full time and part time. In fact, having a job might
actually help their recovery according to research. So, early
treatment of the illness is very important.
Myth# 12 These people can’t have families
This
can depend on how well the person can maintain his wellness after
treatment. But it does not mean that the person with schizophrenia
cannot have families.
Myth# 13 Schizophrenia can’t happen to me or anyone I know
Like
we said earlier, schizophrenia is a common mental illness. 1 in 100
people have schizophrenia. In fact, 1 in 50 people develop a
psychotic illness. Schizophrenia is found all over the world and
across all societies.
Myth# 14 Schizophrenia is caused by loose morals
Again,
schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder. The exact cause is still
not known. But scientific research says that it might have to do with
a combination of genetic influence, problems in brain chemistry and
brain structures and the environment. None of which have anything to
do with a person’s choices or character.
Myth# 15 People with schizophrenia are lazy and useless
Schizophrenia
greatly affects how a person thinks, acts and feels. It can be a very
harsh illness to live with everyday. It is quite possible that when
people with schizophrenia are feeling very ill they may stop doing
daily tasks or contributing to the household. This also happens if
you are severely sick with any other illness. For example, you might
not want to work if you have a fever of 103 degrees.
Myth# 16 Schizophrenia is not treatable
Schizophrenia
is a long illness. It needs long term treatment and support. But it
is definitely treatable. The earlier the person gets treatment, the
better their results are. So it is very important to get them to a
good doctor as soon as possible.
Myth# 17 You can’t talk to a person with schizophrenia
The
conversation might be different from what you might expect but you
can definitely talk to people with schizophrenia. They are regular
people too. You might learn something new!
Myth# 18 They should be locked up and thrown in jails
This
is completely untrue. People with schizophrenia need urgent medical
help from good doctors. They are people in stress and pain. They
deserve our help and empathy.
Myth# 19 The person should just chill. They will get better
Schizophrenia
needs medical help as early as possible. The longer one waits, the
worse the results of the treatment are. Would you wait for someone to
get very ill with tuberculosis before you got them help?
Myth# 20 If a person with schizophrenia is smart and they know what is happening to them, they will get better on their own
How
I wish that this was true! Knowing that you have schizophrenia or
being really smart does not stop the problems.
Lots of people with schizophrenia hear invisible voices and see things that don’t exist. Even if they know that these sights and voices are imaginary, they still feel real. This makes people with schizophrenia very anxious and scared. They need lots of help to get better
Lots of people with schizophrenia hear invisible voices and see things that don’t exist. Even if they know that these sights and voices are imaginary, they still feel real. This makes people with schizophrenia very anxious and scared. They need lots of help to get better
Myth# 21 All ‘schizophrenics’ are the same
Just
like all of the people in the world are different, every person with
schizophrenia is not the same. They will have completely different
experiences of the illness. They will respond differently to
treatments.
Schizophrenia
is a serious disorder. People with this type of illness need
immediate help from doctors. But there are lots of myths about
schizophrenics that confuse people looking for help. They also
make others scared of and negative towards people with schizophrenia.



