Sadistic portrayal of schizophrenia and general apathy has made it one of the most mysterious and ‘scary’ disorders known. And yet schizophrenics are normal sufferers of a disorder, just like diabetics or heart patients. It’s just that we are unable to understand how it must be to have schizophrenia and how it is when your brain plays tricks on you. And thus, the schizophrenia-afflicted not only have to fight against a terrible disease, but also the stigma attached to it. It is about time we crush the inane idea we have of schizophrenia. So, here are some myths about schizophrenia followed by actual facts, to help you look into the life of the actual ‘schizophrenic’.
1. All schizophrenic people experience the same symptoms
Wrong. There are multiple types of schizophrenia and even these are subdivided into subtypes. The paranoid subtype encompasses hallucinations while the disorganized subtype shows disorganized thought processes. Catatonic schizophrenics predominantly experience movement disturbances. Residual and undifferentiated subtypes have subtle and unformed symptoms, respectively.
2. Schizophrenics are dangerous, uncontrollable and unpredictable
Irene S. Levine, Ph.D, psychologist and co-author of Schizophrenia for Dummies, says that schizophrenics are mostly the victims rather than being the perpetrators of violence. Granted that untreated cases may be violent, but medication and psychosocial support can help them out.
3. Schizophrenia is a character defect
Many people assume that characteristics like laziness, no motivation and confusion are character flaws of schizophrenics and that these can be controlled and changed by the person if he wishes to. But these are not decisions on the part of the patient; rather these are symptoms of schizophrenia.
4. A major symptom of schizophrenia is cognitive decline
Individuals may experience cognitive problems and have trouble solving problems, paying attention, etc. They show a tendency to forget things and have disorganized thoughts. All these are symptoms of schizophrenia and are not at all related to characteristic traits of that person.
5. There’s a clear line differentiating psychotic and non-psychotic
Psychosis is not categorical. There is no clear boundary to delineate psychosis from non-psychosis. There are different levels of schizophrenic symptoms. It’s a continuing gradient which ranges from high to low.
6. Schizophrenia develops quickly
Schizophrenia doesn’t occur all of a sudden. The symptoms reveal themselves in a continuum. Early signs are observed among adolescents in the form of problems in not being able to organize information and manage relationships. The early (prodomal) stage is the ideal stage for medical intervention.
7. Schizophrenia is only genetic
Just because you have gene-vulnerability for schizophrenia doesn’t mean you’ll get schizophrenia. In pairs of identical twins, the prevalence of developing schizophrenia is 48%. Like many gene-related disorders, schizophrenia is also multi-factorial in nature. Additional factors like stress and family environment play a major role. Many programs like adolescent ‘prodromal’ programs focus on working on these factors to prevent schizophrenia among at-risk individuals.
8. Schizophrenia is an untreatable disorder
No, no one is doomed if they have schizophrenia. Although not curable as yet, symptomatic treatment and other correct medical interventions make it very much treatable. The basic point is getting the right kind of treatment as per the needs.
9. Schizophrenics have to be hospitalized
Most individuals with schizophrenia lead normal lives outside hospitals with successful outpatient treatments going on side-by-side. The main focus is to get the correct treatment and adhere to the medical advice given, like taking medicines on time.
10. Individuals with schizophrenia become incapable of living a productive life
Given help, many individuals can lead absolutely normal lives. In a 10-year study of 130 individuals with schizophrenia and substance abuse (which co-occur in 50% cases), majority controlled schizophrenia symptoms and gave up substance abuse. They started living independently with decent jobs.
11. Schizophrenia medication makes sufferers zombies
The zombie-like traits of being lethargic and vacant are mostly either due to schizophrenia itself or overmedication with anti-psychotic medications. The Zombie-like reactions are found to be pretty rare even during the drug trials.
12. Anti-psychotic drugs are worse than schizophrenia itself
Medication is the whole support and hope for a schizophrenic. Anti-psychotics effectively quell down symptoms like hallucinations which trouble the afflicted. As per Dr. Torrey, anti-psychotics are one of the safest drugs to use and are the best thing to happen to the schizophrenia-afflicted. Only rarely are there any fatal side-effects.
13. Schizophrenics can never be normal again
Unlike disorders dementia, schizophrenia is a territory from which you can return, given the right medication and support. So, all individuals with schizophrenia can hope to return to a normal lifestyle sometime in life if properly treated.
