As some of you may or may not know, this week is schizophrenia awareness week. This provides us with an opportunity to raise awareness of schizophrenia and other schizo-spectrum disorders.
Schizophrenia is known to be the most misunderstood and stigmatized illness. There is stigma surrounding every aspect of the illness, and people may contribute to this stigma both directly and indirectly; merely through a lack of knowledge.
– NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) claim that 64% of people believe that a spilt personality is a symptom of schizophrenia
– A report from 1999 claims that 61% of US citizens believe that those with schizophrenia are likely to be violent towards others
– A report from The Working Foundation states that up to 70% of people suffering with the disorder will have experienced some form of discrimination
This cannot continue to go on, those who are mentally ill require help, not hatred.
Schizophrenia affects around 1 in 100 people, and typically becomes present during late adolescence or early adulthood. Although there is no known cure for schizophrenia, it can be treated and managed successfully through the use of different therapies, medication, or a combination of both. Those who are suffering from schizophrenia can live a happy and fulfilling life, however, this does not mean that it will be without its challenges. Living with schizophrenia can be extremely difficult at times, but that certainly does not mean that it is a life not worth living.
Awareness and the understanding of schizophrenia and schizo-spectrum disorder does need to be spread. There are many ways to educate yourselves and others which require very little amounts of your effort and your time. Please use this week to help spread awareness for those suffering from schizophrenia or any schizo-spectrum disorder. There are many ways which you can get involved, write posts and share articles about schizophrenia on your social media, write a blog post on schizophrenia awareness week if you run a blog, or simply tweet using the #szweek hashtag on Twitter.
An illness is an illness, no more, and no less. There is no need for the amount of stigma and misunderstanding to exist when we have constant access to the largest source of information on the planet, the internet. The information is available, and we should no longer turn the other cheek in ignorance.