Schizophrenia is serious!

2007/05/11

Hollywood has made schizophrenia into a well-recognised mental condition, (remember Me, Myself & Irene) but the reality for those living with or affected by it, this is often far different from that glamorised in movies.

Schizophrenia is classed as a serious mental disorder that results in the sufferer not knowing what is reality and what is fiction, they may also have hallucinations, delusions, and be unable to function at both a social and professional level.

There is no specific cause, but it has been established that some people may be more prone to schizophrenia than others through genetic factors, complications just after birth or when a virus infects the central nervous system. In some cases, babies of mothers who starved during their pregnancy or suffered from flu in the second trimester have an increased risk of becoming schizophrenic.

Men start showing the signs in the mid20s, while for women, the signs occur in their late 20s. They usually start off as mild indications such as withdrawal from social events, seeming inability to look presentable, angry outbursts and so on. Eventuality those symptoms mentioned above start to come to the fore.

There is no cure for the disorder although there are quite a few medications which can help control the effects. Both the family and the sufferer need to actively monitor the day-to-day symptoms and be aware of any changes. The treating doctor then needs to be notified so that the situation can be looked at and the patient can be treated.

People with schizophrenia can also attend programmes to help them as well as equip them with survival skills. These include work counselling, job training, and equipping them with problem solving skills and social skills.

To reduce the chances of relapsing, sufferers need to:

• Reduce stress
• Avoid using illegal drugs
• Take their medication as required
• Learning what the first signs of a relapse are and getting help as soon as they appear

Family members also need to become actively involved in the sufferer’s life and they can do this by educating themselves, reducing circumstances of stress and attending support groups.