25.07.2024
There are several types of schizophrenia – paranoid schizophrenia been the most common in children and adults. Schizophrenia is a severe type of mental health issue and 1 in every 100 people are diagnosed at some point in their life.
Typical Symptoms of Schizophrenia
- Changes of mood and emotions
- Hallucinating – heating voices
- Overthinking – thinking erratically
Having one or more of these typical symptoms does not mean you have schizophrenia but any concerns should be discussed with a professional.
Cause of Schizophrenia
A lot of different problems can cause schizophrenia. However it is believed that the cause is possibly a mixture of stress, drug and alcohol abuse and generic factors.
Stress Factors
- Mental, physical, emotional or verbal abuse/harassment
- Money issues
- Broken relationships
- Loss of a loved one
All of these impact each individual differently, some more severely than others.
Drug and Alcohol Use
Recreational drugs, alcohol and addiction can majorly affect individuals mental health leadings to further complications such as schizophrenia. However, using these drugs already knowing you have the diagnoses can also make your mental health significantly worse.
Along with drugs, alcohol and smoking can also reduce the impact of any medication prescribed, i.e. this may not make it work to its full potential to help you get through your day to day life.
Genetic
Although there is no definite statistic on the chances of inheriting it through your family genes. It is more likely you may experience some schizophrenia during your life. This is also linked with the environment you live in. Living with someone with schizophrenia and certain traits may be picked up by younger adults.
There is a lot of help and support to help you remove the stigma of schizophrenia speaking out about any issues you may have. Although the stigma behind mental health is slowly been removed, the stigma behind schizophrenia is still very high which makes people with the condition understand and reach out for help and support. A lot of recommended self-care can help you manage any symptoms or triggers.
Treatment
Whilst there is no cure for schizophrenia there is a vast majority of treatment that may help you to get better. These can be from medication treatments such as medications to therapy.
There are numerous community projects that will help you not only meet new people suffering with a form of schizophrenia that will help you understand you are not alone. There are a lot of different activities you can take up which should help you control your emotions and actions.
The awareness days aim to promote all of the above and try to break down the stigma of schizophrenia by being the voice for the people affected whether it be the patient or the family of the patient. Together we can speak up and give people the confidence to discuss any issues with health professionals and loved ones.
For more help, advice or questions please use the link below.