Schizophrenia is a mental health condition characterized by visual or auditory hallucinations. There are many misconceptions about this mental illness, and it isn’t fair to those who live with schizophrenia. The media characterizes schizophrenic individuals as violent or unstable. The exact cause of schizophrenia isn’t identified, but we believe it’s a combination of genetics and the person’s environment and brain chemistry.
The Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is characterized by visual or auditory hallucinations, being out of touch with reality, disorganized speech, delusions, and paranoia. You may become so paranoid that you fear eating or drinking because you are scared that food or drink may be contaminated. You may be mistrustful of people that are close to you when you are in a paranoid state. These are all accurate symptoms of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a condition that is difficult to identify early in life because the onset typically presents when one is in their early or late twenties. It has a substantial genetic component, and if you have someone in your family who has or had schizophrenia, it’s good to get evaluated yourself if you notice that you’re having symptoms.
Common Myth About Schizophrenia
“Schizophrenic people are violent.”
The media portrays people who are schizophrenic as being violent or unsafe. You’ll see a lot of times that the killer in a movie has schizophrenia. In reality, people with mental illness or those with schizophrenia are more likely to be harmed in a crime than commit one themselves. Anybody could be violent or commit murder, but typically, there are other mental health factors at play other than just living with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia alone does not make you a violent person by default. Though the behavior of schizophrenia could make a person unpredictable, schizophrenia does not make you violent or aggressive.
“People with Schizophrenia have alter egos.”
A recent poll discovered that 64% of people in the United States believed that schizophrenic people have a split personality. That is indicative of a different mental health disorder called DID or dissociative identity disorder (which used to be referred to as multiple personality disorder). Schizophrenia does not mean that you have alter egos, however. It means that you are out of touch with reality at times, and that distinction is something that needs to be clarified.
“Schizophrenia Means That You Can’t Hold A Job Or Have A Family”
Many people living with schizophrenia take medication and see a therapist, and are perfectly capable of holding a full-time job and starting a family. They can have children and be excellent parents. It all boils down to having a good treatment team, being aware of your mental illness, and getting the help you need.
“People with schizophrenia are stupid.”
Some people assume that those with schizophrenia aren’t intelligent when this is not the case. In fact, many times, people with the condition are highly intelligent. Consider the mathematician John Nash. He had paranoid schizophrenia and won the Nobel prize for his scholarly work. One reason for the assumption that people with schizophrenia aren’t intelligent is a symptom called alogia. It means a disruption in an individual’s thought process and leads to the absence of speech or verbal fluency. Some individuals with schizophrenia may have disorganized speech or memory, but that has nothing to do with intelligence levels.
Fighting the Stigma of Schizophrenia
If you or a loved one lives with schizophrenia, it’s important to speak out about these misconceptions when you hear people utter them. The only way to eliminate the stigma of schizophrenia is to be open and honest about what it’s like to live with the condition. You can be a great advocate by talking about schizophrenia and sharing your story.
One way you can also learn about the condition is to visit Mind Diagnostics. Don’t be afraid to speak candidly about schizophrenia and learn more. If you want to better understand the condition, you can always research it yourself or talk to a mental health professional. Whatever mental health issues that you’re managing, it can help to speak with an online therapist. An online counselor is one of the best resources to get therapy, especially right now during the pandemic. Remote counseling can be an excellent resource for those who are struggling with mental health issues.
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