What would you do if your teen or adult child started hearing voices, acting differently and saying very strange things? You might immediately suspect drug use, and get medical help. Once the doctor told you that your child had schizophrenia, your world might begin to spin.
Schizophrenia is a medical disorder of the mind. It is basically a broken brain. This illness affects one per cent of the world’s population, affecting all classes and races evenly. The major features involve delusions, hallucinations, and flattening of personality.
Schizophrenia does not usually increase violent behaviour towards others. However, sufferers are more likely to behave in a way that is harmful to themselves. This opposes how Hollywood and the media tend to portray people with schizophrenia – as being very dangerous towards others.
Symptoms of schizophrenia can be placed in three major groupings:
The cause is not fully known. We suspect that it is partly genetic (inherited) and partly environmental. Although studies of families show some genetic link, the cause does not appear to be entirely genetic.
Research indicates that non-genetic triggers come from a variety of causes. Complications at birth, drug use (whether little or extensive), childhood abuse, brain injury, and the mother having the flu during pregnancy have all been proposed as triggers.
Stress on the brain, whatever the cause, may be the reason why a genetic tendency reveals itself. This usually happens in early adulthood or the later teenage years. Schizophrenia may appear at this time because of changes in the brain that occur in early adulthood, combined with previously mentioned triggers. Women usually show the first symptoms at an older age than men. This may be because women’s brains receive a margin of protection from monthly hormone changes.
New research indicates that taking folic acid just before and during pregnancy may help reduce the rate of schizophrenia.
It may be that schizophrenia is not one distinct disease, but many different illnesses. Perhaps because we lack information, it appears to be one illness. Something similar happened with what was known as breathlessness in the 19th century. Although this was seen as one illness, it may actually have been angina, asthma, a lung disease or resulted from several other causes.
With schizophrenia today, we may be grouping together different illnesses that have similar symptoms. Research of better ways to diagnose schizophrenia, or clarify aspects of the illness more specifically, is underway around the world. Interestingly, research in Europe, Britain and Australia suggests that an underdeveloped sense of smell may indicate someone is at risk of developing schizophrenia. If so, a simple test might one day identify these people.
Sadly for some, the first contact with the mental health system comes after being picked up by the police for a nuisance-type crime. They may be taken to a hospital or possibly to jail.
Treatments for schizophrenia exist. Both individual and group therapy are used. A technique of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioural therapy may help those with schizophrenia, along with their families.
Anti-psychotic medications are also available. These medications have only been around for the last 50 years. The most recent versions are only about a dozen years old. These medications can be expensive, costing hundreds of dollars per month. Some health plans do not cover all of the different types of medications.
For most people who develop schizophrenia, it can be a life of social isolation, unemployment and cycles of re-hospitalization. The usual cycle is that those with schizophrenia become ill, and then stabilize on medication. Once they are stable and well, they think they can be normal again and stop taking the medications. However, this most often leads to relapse. Although some with schizophrenia become stable, far too many fall into this cycle. It is called the revolving door syndrome, since the person goes in and out of the severe side of the illness and hospital.
People with schizophrenia are likely a higher proportion of those in homeless shelters and rooming houses in urban Canada. Many homeless people have either a serious mental illness or an addiction. In some cases, they have both. Addiction often develops as people attempt to self-medicate symptoms.
Four in five people with schizophrenia have other significant medical problems at the same time. Diabetes is common. The weight gain and changes in the body’s metabolism due to the medications used for schizophrenia may accelerate the link between this and other illnesses.
As with all disabilities and diseases, both physical and mental, adaptations must be made. Your life will be different, but can be just as fulfilling if you are willing to take the medications that the doctor prescribes, reduce your stress to a manageable level, and eat a balanced diet. Those with diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease must do many of the same things.
Getting a second opinion is wise, since it is important to feel comfortable with your doctor. While family doctors are trained to make a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a referral to a psychiatrist may also be appropriate. You can supplement your medical care with a community nurse or social worker, who can talk through your issues and support you.
Although medications for schizophrenia are extremely serious, they can allow you to have a life. Medication can make you feel so much better that you want to believe that you are cured and go off them. This usually results in a relapse. Not taking medication regularly commonly causes relapse, which may mean spending time in hospital.
I believe that taking my medication and following doctor’s orders for the last 15 years have allowed me to be well. The medications do not make me ‘normal’ or the way I was before becoming ill, and they have some harsh side effects, but my only other choice is to give in to the madness.
Many people believe a diagnosis of schizophrenia means life becomes hopeless. This need not be the case at all. As a person with schizophrenia, I have found that I still feel joy. I also still feel sorrow that my life changed so dramatically from what it might have been.
Still, so long as we have life, we should have hope. We may be scorned by society. However, we can still make friends, marry and have children, and live long productive lives. Our lives can be full, and we can contribute to society. This is possible despite the prejudice against us.
Just as with diabetes, schizophrenia is a chronic disease that cannot be cured. However, it can be managed by a lifetime of medications and monitoring, and occasional time in hospital. The more that we understand and educate ourselves as a society about mental illness, the less prejudice and fear those affected will have to endure.