Schizophrenia is a very complex disorder and is really a group of psychoses. Broadly speaking it is a disorder of thought and mood which manifests itself in ‘maintaining and focusing attention and in forming concepts’. This can lead to false perceptions and beliefs, trouble in understanding reality and difficulties with language and expressing emotion.

Myths

One of the widest spread and largest misconceptions about schizophrenia is that it means a ‘split personality’ – a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Where the person’s personality switches drastically. This is actually a whole different disorder known correctly as Multiple Personality Disorder where 2, 3 or even more distinct personalities inhabit a single person.

This is a misconception that is frequently portrayed in the media – even on relatively intelligent programmes and it irritates me beyond belief. If you’re going to refer to a mental health issue, either writing a character in with the problem, or by using it in a derogatory way, then at least get the facts straight!

The media tends to only mention schizophrenia when it is linked to a dangerous or violent crime. They portray all those suffering from schizophrenia as dangerous, volatile, unpredictable and out of control people who are in need of being heavily drugged and hospitalised.

It is true that on occasion someone suffering with schizophrenia may show violent tendencies, but more often than not they are actually withdrawn and preoccupied with their own thoughts and problems. In fact, it is twice as likely for someone who suffers from a drug or alcohol problem to commit a violent crime than a schizophrenia sufferer.

Types

There are 5 different subtypes of schizophrenia:

• Paranoid
• Disorganised
• Catatonic
• Residual
• Undifferentiated

Paranoid schizophrenia

If people do know about schizophrenia then this is the subtype they are most likely to be most familiar with. This involves systematised delusions or auditory hallucinations. They suffer from delusions of persecution, grandeur, control or jealousy which are often complex and which are often completely comprehensible.

They seldom display severely disorganised behaviour, incoherence or loose association, they don’t e experience flat or inappropriate emotion – their demeanour is more formal and intense.

Disorganised schizophrenia

This can be characterised by silliness and incoherence, giggling or grimacing without any apparent reason. Extreme sensitivity to internal cues and extreme insensitivity to external cues means their behaviour is often seen as bizarre.

Like paranoid schizophrenia, disorganised schizophrenia involves delusions or hallucinations, though this time they tend to be focussed on the individual sufferer and their bodies. For examples they might believe that their intestines are dissolving. Within this type, patients may also ignore personal grooming such as forgetting to shower or brush their hair.

Catatonic schizophrenia

Here, the defining features relate to motor behaviour. Patients frequently have frozen body postures, staying even in the most uncomfortable looking postures for a long time. They may also exhibit very excited movement, look agitated, resist control and look to be dangerous to themselves. Once again they might suffer hallucinations or delusions, often during these frozen episodes. These tend to focus on death and destruction.

Residual Schizophrenia

This is defined by the absence of such as delusions, hallucinations and incoherence exhibited by the previous three subtypes. Ins there place there are normally 2 or more symptoms suc as marked social isolation, very peculiar behaviour, serious impairment of personal hygiene, flat or inappropriate emotional expression, bizarre thinking or unusual perceptual experiences

Undifferentiated schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is so difficult to pin down even into these subtypes, so professionals are left with a final category used to group those who don’t easily fall into any of the above.

What are the causes?

With so many different types of schizophrenia experts have not been able to agree on one single cause. Instead there are numerous possibilities:

• Biological
  • genetics (seems that if schizophrenia is in the family there will be a higher chance of another member suffering)
  • dopamine (a biochemical substance in the brain) – too much or too little of these neurotransmitters affect behaviour. In the case of schizophrenia research shows there is excess.

• Physical changes, such as brain injury

Treatments

• There are drugs that can be prescribed.

• Psychotherapy, counselling or cognitive behaviour therapy may help people to recognise their problems, deal with consequences, develop coping strategies and learn ways to prevent crisis situations from occurring.

• Community Care can be arranged by the local Community Mental Health Team, this might include access to day centres, visits by the community psychiatric nurse &/or occupational therapist

• Admission to hospital

• “Advocates” – trained to help people communicate needs and wishes, to access impartial information, and to represent their views to other people.

What can you do?

As a friend or family member you can help make a difference to recovery and improve chances of not relapsing.

Like all of us, people suffering from schizophrenia want to feel safe, cared for and they don’t want to feel alone. They need to be reassured that they have someone they can TALK TO without being blamed or told off. Try and be constructive – don’t tell them they’re being silly if they start talking about something they can see or hear but you can’t. It’s better to explain that you can’t, but that you accept that they can. TALK TO them about what they want, what coping strategies they have or would like to try. Again, it’s all about TALKING.

At the same time, those caring for someone suffering from schizophrenia, may need to TALK too. You might feel frustrated, angry or frightened which is perfectly normal, but it’s still a good idea to TALK and get help and there are organisations to help. If you feel that you, or your family are in any danger then it is vital to get help. Find somewhere you can be safe and help get the person suffering from schizophrenia to get help.

If you, or someone you know, is living with schizophrenia then visit www.mind.org.uk where you can find lots of information and further links.

Schizophrenia is a very complex disorder and is really a group of psychoses. Broadly speaking it is a disorder of thought and mood which manifests itself in ‘maintaining and focusing attention and in forming concepts’. This can lead to false perceptions and beliefs, trouble in understanding reality and difficulties with language and expressing emotion.

Myths

One of the widest spread and largest misconceptions about schizophrenia is that it means a ‘split personality’ – a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Where the person’s personality switches drastically. This is actually a whole different disorder known correctly as Multiple Personality Disorder where 2, 3 or even more distinct personalities inhabit a single person.

This is a misconception that is frequently portrayed in the media – even on relatively intelligent programmes and it irritates me beyond belief. If you’re going to refer to a mental health issue, either writing a character in with the problem, or by using it in a derogatory way, then at least get the facts straight!

The media tends to only mention schizophrenia when it is linked to a dangerous or violent crime. They portray all those suffering from schizophrenia as dangerous, volatile, unpredictable and out of control people who are in need of being heavily drugged and hospitalised.

It is true that on occasion someone suffering with schizophrenia may show violent tendencies, but more often than not they are actually withdrawn and preoccupied with their own thoughts and problems. In fact, it is twice as likely for someone who suffers from a drug or alcohol problem to commit a violent crime than a schizophrenia sufferer.

Types

There are 5 different subtypes of schizophrenia:

• · Paranoid
• · Disorganised
• · Catatonic
• · Residual
• · Undifferentiated

Paranoid schizophrenia

If people do know about schizophrenia then this is the subtype they are most likely to be most familiar with. This involves systematised delusions or auditory hallucinations. They suffer from delusions of persecution, grandeur, control or jealousy which are often complex and which are often completely comprehensible.

They seldom display severely disorganised behaviour, incoherence or loose association, they don’t e experience flat or inappropriate emotion – their demeanour is more formal and intense.

Disorganised schizophrenia

This can be characterised by silliness and incoherence, giggling or grimacing without any apparent reason. Extreme sensitivity to internal cues and extreme insensitivity to external cues means their behaviour is often seen as bizarre.

Like paranoid schizophrenia, disorganised schizophrenia involves delusions or hallucinations, though this time they tend to be focussed on the individual sufferer and their bodies. For examples they might believe that their intestines are dissolving. Within this type, patients may also ignore personal grooming such as forgetting to shower or brush their hair.

Catatonic schizophrenia

Here, the defining features relate to motor behaviour. Patients frequently have frozen body postures, staying even in the most uncomfortable looking postures for a long time. They may also exhibit very excited movement, look agitated, resist control and look to be dangerous to themselves. Once again they might suffer hallucinations or delusions, often during these frozen episodes. These tend to focus on death and destruction.

Residual Schizophrenia

This is defined by the absence of such as delusions, hallucinations and incoherence exhibited by the previous three subtypes. Ins there place there are normally 2 or more symptoms suc as marked social isolation, very peculiar behaviour, serious impairment of personal hygiene, flat or inappropriate emotional expression, bizarre thinking or unusual perceptual experiences

Undifferentiated schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is so difficult to pin down even into these subtypes, so professionals are left with a final category used to group those who don’t easily fall into any of the above.

What are the causes?

With so many different types of schizophrenia experts have not been able to agree on one single cause. Instead there are numerous possibilities:

• · Biological
  • § genetics (seems that if schizophrenia is in the family there will be a higher chance of another member suffering)
  • § dopamine (a biochemical substance in the brain) – too much or too little of these neurotransmitters affect behaviour. In the case of schizophrenia research shows there is excess.

• · Physical changes, such as brain injury

Treatments

• · There are drugs that can be prescribed.

• · Psychotherapy, counselling or cognitive behaviour therapy may help people to recognise their problems, deal with consequences, develop coping strategies and learn ways to prevent crisis situations from occurring.

• · Community Care can be arranged by the local Community Mental Health Team, this might include access to day centres, visits by the community psychiatric nurse &/or occupational therapist

• · Admission to hospital

• · “Advocates” – trained to help people communicate needs and wishes, to access impartial information, and to represent their views to other people.

What can you do?

As a friend or family member you can help make a difference to recovery and improve chances of not relapsing.

Like all of us, people suffering from schizophrenia want to feel safe, cared for and they don’t want to feel alone. They need to be reassured that they have someone they can TALK TO without being blamed or told off. Try and be constructive – don’t tell them they’re being silly if they start talking about something they can see or hear but you can’t. It’s better to explain that you can’t, but that you accept that they can. TALK TO them about what they want, what coping strategies they have or would like to try. Again, it’s all about TALKING.

At the same time, those caring for someone suffering from schizophrenia, may need to TALK too. You might feel frustrated, angry or frightened which is perfectly normal, but it’s still a good idea to TALK and get help and there are organisations to help. If you feel that you, or your family are in any danger then it is vital to get help. Find somewhere you can be safe and help get the person suffering from schizophrenia to get help.

If you, or someone you know, is living with schizophrenia then visit www.mind.org.uk where you can find lots of information and further links.

Schizophrenia is a very complex disorder and is really a group of psychoses. Broadly speaking it is a disorder of thought and mood which manifests itself in ‘maintaining and focusing attention and in forming concepts’. This can lead to false perceptions and beliefs, trouble in understanding reality and difficulties with language and expressing emotion.

Myths

One of the widest spread and largest misconceptions about schizophrenia is that it means a ‘split personality’ – a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Where the person’s personality switches drastically. This is actually a whole different disorder known correctly as Multiple Personality Disorder where 2, 3 or even more distinct personalities inhabit a single person.

This is a misconception that is frequently portrayed in the media – even on relatively intelligent programmes and it irritates me beyond belief. If you’re going to refer to a mental health issue, either writing a character in with the problem, or by using it in a derogatory way, then at least get the facts straight!

The media tends to only mention schizophrenia when it is linked to a dangerous or violent crime. They portray all those suffering from schizophrenia as dangerous, volatile, unpredictable and out of control people who are in need of being heavily drugged and hospitalised.

It is true that on occasion someone suffering with schizophrenia may show violent tendencies, but more often than not they are actually withdrawn and preoccupied with their own thoughts and problems. In fact, it is twice as likely for someone who suffers from a drug or alcohol problem to commit a violent crime than a schizophrenia sufferer.

Types

There are 5 different subtypes of schizophrenia:

• · Paranoid
• · Disorganised
• · Catatonic
• · Residual
• · Undifferentiated

Paranoid schizophrenia

If people do know about schizophrenia then this is the subtype they are most likely to be most familiar with. This involves systematised delusions or auditory hallucinations. They suffer from delusions of persecution, grandeur, control or jealousy which are often complex and which are often completely comprehensible.

They seldom display severely disorganised behaviour, incoherence or loose association, they don’t e experience flat or inappropriate emotion – their demeanour is more formal and intense.

Disorganised schizophrenia

This can be characterised by silliness and incoherence, giggling or grimacing without any apparent reason. Extreme sensitivity to internal cues and extreme insensitivity to external cues means their behaviour is often seen as bizarre.

Like paranoid schizophrenia, disorganised schizophrenia involves delusions or hallucinations, though this time they tend to be focussed on the individual sufferer and their bodies. For examples they might believe that their intestines are dissolving. Within this type, patients may also ignore personal grooming such as forgetting to shower or brush their hair.

Catatonic schizophrenia

Here, the defining features relate to motor behaviour. Patients frequently have frozen body postures, staying even in the most uncomfortable looking postures for a long time. They may also exhibit very excited movement, look agitated, resist control and look to be dangerous to themselves. Once again they might suffer hallucinations or delusions, often during these frozen episodes. These tend to focus on death and destruction.

Residual Schizophrenia

This is defined by the absence of such as delusions, hallucinations and incoherence exhibited by the previous three subtypes. Ins there place there are normally 2 or more symptoms suc as marked social isolation, very peculiar behaviour, serious impairment of personal hygiene, flat or inappropriate emotional expression, bizarre thinking or unusual perceptual experiences

Undifferentiated schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is so difficult to pin down even into these subtypes, so professionals are left with a final category used to group those who don’t easily fall into any of the above.

What are the causes?

With so many different types of schizophrenia experts have not been able to agree on one single cause. Instead there are numerous possibilities:

• · Biological
  • § genetics (seems that if schizophrenia is in the family there will be a higher chance of another member suffering)
  • § dopamine (a biochemical substance in the brain) – too much or too little of these neurotransmitters affect behaviour. In the case of schizophrenia research shows there is excess.

• · Physical changes, such as brain injury

Treatments

• · There are drugs that can be prescribed.

• · Psychotherapy, counselling or cognitive behaviour therapy may help people to recognise their problems, deal with consequences, develop coping strategies and learn ways to prevent crisis situations from occurring.

• · Community Care can be arranged by the local Community Mental Health Team, this might include access to day centres, visits by the community psychiatric nurse &/or occupational therapist

• · Admission to hospital

• · “Advocates” – trained to help people communicate needs and wishes, to access impartial information, and to represent their views to other people.

What can you do?

As a friend or family member you can help make a difference to recovery and improve chances of not relapsing.

Like all of us, people suffering from schizophrenia want to feel safe, cared for and they don’t want to feel alone. They need to be reassured that they have someone they can TALK TO without being blamed or told off. Try and be constructive – don’t tell them they’re being silly if they start talking about something they can see or hear but you can’t. It’s better to explain that you can’t, but that you accept that they can. TALK TO them about what they want, what coping strategies they have or would like to try. Again, it’s all about TALKING.

At the same time, those caring for someone suffering from schizophrenia, may need to TALK too. You might feel frustrated, angry or frightened which is perfectly normal, but it’s still a good idea to TALK and get help and there are organisations to help. If you feel that you, or your family are in any danger then it is vital to get help. Find somewhere you can be safe and help get the person suffering from schizophrenia to get help.

If you, or someone you know, is living with schizophrenia then visit www.mind.org.uk where you can find lots of information and further links.