When people think of schizophrenia, they often imagine someone who is always afraid for their life or is not able to function in society. People associate this mental illness with the movie “A Beautiful Mind”, which actually won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 2001. But what exactly does living with schizophrenia feel like? What it’s like to have schizophrenia?
The name of the disease itself is intimidating and confusing. Schizophrenia comes from two Greek words; schizo meaning “split” and phrene meaning “mind”. So literally, schizophrenia is “split mind”, but what does this mean? Schizophrenia breaks down to the person’s own perception of reality. The two basic symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations and delusions.
Hallucinations are defined as experiencing things that aren’t really happening right outside one’s sensory realm, which are often visual or auditory. Delusions are defined as beliefs that are not true to reality and often may be bizarre, odd, or out of the ordinary. The person suffering from schizophrenia does not understand why these things are happening to them. The hallucinations can be very scary for a sufferer because they feel like it is actually happening even though they know it is not.
The symptoms of schizophrenia are often very difficult for the individual to live with, especially when they lash out because of them. According to Psychology Today, “frightening delusions can be so intense that sufferers sometimes need to be hospitalized against their will so they don’t harm themselves or anyone else.” People who have schizophrenia usually deal with symptoms for the rest of their lives, which is difficult because they cannot live a normal life.
Their lives are often filled with stress, isolation, and fear. Even though mental health has improved over the years, misconceptions about schizophrenia still exist. According to Mental Health America, “it is estimated that less than one-third of people living with any mental illness receive treatment.” This means that many people are suffering needlessly because they don’t know what resources are available to them.
Symptoms of schizophrenia are very difficult to live with, but there are ways that people with this illness can still have a good quality of life. Social support is important for the person in their recovery process because they need to feel loved and accepted in order to recover. Recovery is possible for everyone even though it may take many years are even decades.
Schizophrenia is a very confusing mental illness, but it can be treated and managed with the right resources. The most important thing to remember is that schizophrenia is not something you catch like the flu or common cold, it simply just happens when certain things in your brain go haywire. It’s what you do with schizophrenia that matters most.
What it’s like living with schizophrenia?
It’s being afraid of what you hear or see. It’s being belittled by people who don’t know a thing about your illness, and yet they think they do. It’s having a lack of social support because not many people understand schizophrenia. It’s an unfair disorder that has no boundaries, no rules, and no regulations for something that is definitely a mental illness. It’s dealing with all the things mentioned above.
The most important thing to remember about living with schizophrenia is that you are not alone in this journey. There is always someone there who knows exactly what you’re going through, and they want to help. You can have a successful life while still managing your schizophrenia, you just have to remember that you aren’t going through this alone.
What does a day in the life of a person with schizophrenia look like?
A day in the life of someone with schizophrenia is very unpredictable. It’s waking up every morning and not knowing what you will see or hear that day, but there are some things that many people with schizophrenia go through every day. According to Psych Central, “many people who have schizophrenia suffer from various degrees of memory loss.” Memory loss can be very difficult because they may forget things very quickly, and that can be scary for someone who is already dealing with hallucinations.
Another thing that many people with schizophrenia struggle with is communication. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “[t]hese disorders [can cause problems] in areas such as: expressing one’s needs, listening to and following directions, using language that makes sense to others, taking turns in conversations and understanding nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language.” It’s a lot harder for someone with schizophrenia to form connections with people when they have these issues.
It does get better though! According to Schizophrenia Canada, “people living with schizophrenia can have a great life.” You just have to know that you aren’t going through this alone. There are national organizations that dedicate their time and resources to helping others who are suffering from mental illness, and they want you to know that there is hope for your future.
Here are some characteristics of a person who has schizophrenia:
-problems with communication (listening and following directions, using language that makes sense to others, taking turns in conversations)
-memory loss
-social isolation even though they want social support
-feeling like people don’t understand their mental illness and that the world is against them
-hallucinations and delusions
-loss of interest in things they used to really enjoy
-unstable moods and emotions
-lack of motivation to do anything or go anywhere
-paranoia
-depression
How a person with schizophrenia feels:
People who have schizophrenia are afraid every day because they don’t know what will happen to them. They feel alone and isolated because there aren’t many people out there that understand their struggle with mental illness.
It feels like it’s just you against the world, but there are some people out there that want to help you. You just have to find them.
How you can help someone who has schizophrenia:
-listen to them and actually care about what they have to say (don’t interrogate them, and don’t belittle what they’re going through)
-take initiative and talk to them like a normal person even though you know their mental illness isn’t something that should be taken lightly.
-let them know you are there if they ever want to talk to someone, about anything.
-treat them like they are normal because that’s all they want – for you to treat them the same as everyone else.
-don’t judge them for what they say or do because it isn’t their fault they have schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chemical imbalance in the brain (and a person’s genetics do play a part in the development of their schizophrenia). It’s not a choice to have this mental illness, it is what you were born with.
-learn about more ways you can help someone with schizophrenia.
Conclusion:
Schizophrenia is defined as a mental disorder that impairs your ability to think, feel, and act. You might be having a hard time understanding what life is like for someone who has schizophrenia because it’s so different from your own experience. The best thing you can do is listen to them, care about what they have to say, and let them know that if they ever need anything you are there.
Don’t ever judge someone for having schizophrenia, because it’s not their fault they have it. It is what they were born with. However, even if it isn’t someone’s fault that they have schizophrenia, the stigma attached to it can make life difficult for people who are living with this mental illness. If you have schizophrenia know that you’re not alone. Remember that there are people out there who want to help you. You just have to ask for help.
Thank you for reading! Learn about what it is like being bipolar as well!
