Basic Info On Schizophrenia

A quick google search will tell you that Schizophrenia is "A disorder that affects a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly." But I have more to add to that.

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Before I talk about the specifics, I want to address the many people who are here looking for support. Whether you’re a friend, family member, or someone who believes they’re suffering from this disease, I hope that the information I put forth here provide some direction. 

Schizophrenia itself is a reminder of how far we have come in modern medicine, but also how far we have yet to come. For starters, there is no one actual symptom that determines who has the disease. Worse yet, some may not be diagnosed until suffering with the disease for years or decades. As we will discuss in later posts, a late diagnosis makes for more difficult treatment. 

Let’s talk further diagnosis. The only true method of diagnosis is through close observation by a medical professional. What exactly does that mean? It means that the affected individual should see either a psychologist or physiatrist to determine what is truly ailing them. This is because just like everyday people, schizophrenia is different in everyone. 

Now we’ve all seen the movies and television shows. Yes, the ones who portray schizophrenia sufferers as unpredictable, violent, and often made to be a criminal. These biases are only true in the rarest of instances. Those with schizophrenia are normal people, who happen to have a very disabling disease.

I want to take this last paragraph to make one extremely important point. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is not some kind of sentencing. You or the loved one effected still have the ability to either recovery fully, partially, or at least maintain a good quality of life. There are countless accounts of schizophrenia being diminished or beaten with the help of medication.

I sincerely hope that you will subscribe to my blog, and that the writing I post here will help anyone better understand this disease.