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Schizophrenia Awareness D
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Schizophrenia Awareness D
Schizophrenia Awareness Day is May 24th, and I was thinking of doing a PSA-style post here, but then I noticed that May 24th is the week before finals and like heck would I be doing a PSA. So here it is several months in advance.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that often get stereotyped badly in the media. A person with schizophrenia can have any of a number of symptoms including hallucinations, delusions, disordered thoughts, cognitive deficits, apathy, among others. The first three listed are the primary ones that must be present for six months to a year (along with another symptom) to be classified as a person with schizophrenia. Most people with schizophrenia in films or TV shows will have hallucinations and delusions. For the person having these symptoms and for the people around them, it can be very scary.
However, people with schizophrenia are no more violent than anyone else. They are not monsters. Most people with schizophrenia are using medication (that have a whole host of side effects, but that's another story) that allow them to live their lives. Some people, high-functioning schizophrenics, are able to live their lives like ordinary people, while others must live on disability or live with family. Schizophrenia is a frightening, challenging disease to live with. There's no cure, although medication can help keep some of the symptoms under wraps.
If you think this is a useless thing to know, I don't really blame you. You likely don't know anyone with schizophrenia yet in your life. Yet I still think it's an important thing to be aware of. As you become an adult and enter the real world, you're going to see people with different kinds of illnesses and disabilities. If you don't understand what's going on, you might fear it. Fear is never a good thing to have towards fellow humans. It is better to accept a person for what they are and for what they have than to ostracize them or harm them. Please remember this in life. Thanks very much for reading.
If there are any questions, I'd be happy to answer.
submitted by Ruby M.
(March 2, 2016 - 8:58 pm)
(March 2, 2016 - 8:58 pm)
I have a good friend with schizoprenia, so I know how hard this can be for people. She's a strong person, but there was a time where she could barely function because of it.
(March 2, 2016 - 10:01 pm)
I'm sorry about you're friend, S.E..
@Abigail- I think this thread is a great idea. I think some people may not know what to say to the subject -- It's not like you can say 'happy schizoprenia awareness day', but we can't make every thread happy and optimistic -- that wouldn't be an accurate representation of the world, and I'm assuming the point of this day is to raise awareness about schizoprenia, and we can't to that if we don't talk openly about it.
(March 3, 2016 - 9:19 pm)
Was this comment directed at the maker of the thread...? Because I'm not Abigail, hahaha.
Yeah, the point of this thread was basically to clear up some misconceptions. One of the largest misconceptions which I forgot to mention (whoops) is that schizophrenia involves split personalities, because that has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Schizophrenia isn't treated well in either the media or the medicinal industry. Common people usually are strongly stigmatized against people with schizophrenia as well. it's a very unpleasant disease to live with, and in many cases, it can prevent people from getting a job, making friends, and finding a signifigant other. In an ideal world, there'd be more resources available to help and people would be more accepting of it, but such is life.
@S.E.: I'm sorry to hear about your friend as well. If she ever needs help with anything schizophrenia-related, send her to me and I'll do my best to help.
(March 3, 2016 - 11:28 pm)
Hi Ruby! Glad your'e posting! Sorry, for some reason I thought you were Abigal!
(March 4, 2016 - 11:19 am)
tip top
(March 3, 2016 - 2:35 pm)
Thank you, Ruby. I really do hope that this knowledge will be useful later. It has been very duly noted and will certainly be remembered. I can't pretend to have any experience or way to completely understand or empathize with how hard it must be, but I hope that learning things like this will help me be a better ally!
(March 4, 2016 - 12:06 am)
My great aunt has this. I'm not willing to share my emotions enough to go on.
(March 4, 2016 - 8:50 am)
That's 100% fine, Savvy. I don't know the situation between you and your great-aunt, and I'm very sorry for you and your family. But I bet that she loves you very much. It can sometimes be hard for people with schizophrenia to show it to their loved ones, but we love and appreciate them just as much as anyone else. Please remember, Savvy, that you are not alone. I understand if you don't want to share personal issues in public forum or in conversation with a stranger, but if you want to talk with someone to try to rationalize your aunt's disease, I'm here and available in a few other places almost any time.
(March 5, 2016 - 12:57 am)
It is sad how many mental illnesses and disorders get messed up, etc, ADHD, OCP, and OCPD, and many more. Please, people get your facts in line.
(March 4, 2016 - 1:46 pm)
That's very true. If you're knowledgeable about any of those or more, do you mind sharing some information here? The more you know, the more choices you can make in life.
(March 5, 2016 - 12:58 am)
Ruby, thank you so much for posting this. I think it is extremely important for people to be aware of what is going on around them, and to be understanding of it. Thank you.
Also, though this is not about schyzophernia, I will add this, as I find it apropriate. I consider myself an extreme perfectionist. Often, upon seeing that, people react by saying, "Oh, yeah, you're so OCD." or "We're all OCD here!" I don't find it fair, or a good idea, to use the name of a disease to call a character trait out. I understand that it is a joke, but people need to stop joking that way. No, I am not OCD. It is unfair both to me and to those who are OCD to call me such.
Again, thank you, Ruby, and sorry if this was irrelevant.
(March 5, 2016 - 12:49 pm)
I agree, Booksy. It's super frustrating for me when people don't understand mental conditions, especially OCD. That frustrates me. But I have ADHD and Imposters and (I think Aspergers but my parents won't tell me) so it's super annoying if people are like, "Yeah, I have ADD" or whatever. NO YOU DON'T. If they really do, I know. You can tell if they say it. But most people don't.
(March 5, 2016 - 9:44 pm)
This is a terrific thread. It's especially great coming from Ruby, who of course is an expert source.
I have a very good friend with ADD, and I can tell you that she is just as great a person as anyone else. She's actually described it as a strength more than a weakness. There's so much stigma around ADD and any such disorder that I have a feeling most people who don't have said disorders would have trouble seeing it that way, which is a tragedy in my opinion.
As for me, I've been thinking I might have either very mild ADD or very, very mild autism, but at any rate I don't have a diagnosis. So it's not really my place to judge. It's my place to be accepting: of my friend, of S.E.'s friend, of Ruby, of anyone else who just doesn't think quite the same way most of us do.
(March 6, 2016 - 2:52 pm)
No No! I think the topic is very good! Ppl need to know more about diseases! My mom has psorasis, an immunity condition that causes the skin cells to develop and reproduce too quickly. So it causes red rashes and itchy spots covered with loose skin.
My mom is so embarassed that she doesn't go in pools, and the only thing she wears are long-legged jeans. Also, she gets upset when they play commercials for the medicine on TV, because it features a person with psorasis and another person making disgusted faces at them. She doesn't like taking meds for it though, cuz she think they'll give her cancer side effects.
I don't have it, fortunately. Other than that, I dont know anyone with Schizophrenia.
(March 6, 2016 - 11:52 am)
That's very interesting! I didn't know much about psorasis before this, so thank you very much for your lesson. Does she use any kind of creams or anything to alleviate the itching? How does your mother stand it?
I do have schizophrenia, which is why I made the post. So now you know someone with SZ.
(March 6, 2016 - 8:59 pm)