Relating to a Person Living with Schizophrenia

 

Relating to a Person Living with Schizophrenia 

Schizophrenia Bulletin, Volume 42, Issue 5, September 2016, Pages 1081-1082,

https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbt004

published: 13 February 2013

The only thing you had to eat was a breakfast bar or granola bar. Suddenly, you notice it is time to go home from work so you do. You sit down in your comfortable chair and start to watch TV while trying to figure out what you are going to eat for dinner. A Papa John’s commercial comes on. You are glued to the screen. Your mouth starts to water, and you now can taste pizza with 6 kinds of cheeses, pepperoni, and sausage.

Another example is: You are in your bed, in a deep sleep. In your dreams, you are running for president. Your speeches are an inspiration, your mannerisms are emulated, and people cry out your name. You might even feel famous (in your dreams). Abruptly, you are woken up and for a split second, you still feel the aspirations of your supporters. Yet, there is no one in your room. Your alarm goes off; time to go to work.

How about this one, you live in an apartment building, and you have neighbors above you, below you, and on the side of you. You can hear your above neighbor stomping around upstairs, and you can hear your other neighbors on their cell phones talking loudly. If you are not on medication, you probably just ignore it. You probably take for granted the fact that you don’t have to worry about what your neighbors are doing. After all, it is an apartment building. A schizophrenic questions what is real and what is not all the time. I know I do.

Most schizophrenics, myself included, just want silence. They may watch TV or listen to music, but that is all they want to hear. I often have to look through my peep hole in my front door to make sure nothing is actually going on. This helps. Sometimes, I even open up my front door just to see what is going on. I often find it helps to talk with my neighbors even if it’s just a simple, “Hi, how are you?” I do this to see if the voice in my head matches the voice whom I think it belongs to. Also, it is just nice to be friendly with your neighbors.

My current issues are as follows: I recently have been getting the shakes. I figure it is either from my medication or the fact that I am a heavy smoker. I also have been hearing a lot of voices that I have to continually question whether or not they are real. So I have to increase the dose of my medication that my doctor suggested. If I do this, I might experience more shakes. I tried going on a different medication but it was horrible, and I would rather not do that again. As far as my own issues, a person can conclude that a schizophrenic is a survivor. A schizophrenic has to be strong and doesn’t take things for granted. A person with schizophrenia values things that a person without schizophrenia takes for granted.

Some people in the mental health field feel that some schizophrenics aren’t self-aware. However, some are and it is a constant struggle debating what is real and what is not. People who don’t have this illness should look past the craziness and realize people who suffer from this illness are humans dealt a bad hand.

The 2 examples of everyday situations are ways for me to explain what some schizophrenics go through on a regular basis. If you can relate, don’t worry, you probably don’t have to be put on medication.

The human brain is a wonderful and marvelous thing. I am sure you have been so hungry that you start to have cravings for certain foods. Maybe in your starvation, you have tasted them without them being around. Don’t worry, you probably are just hungry. Schizophrenics, however, (some of us at least) know that this is called sensory hallucinations.

About the dream example, you might not have dreamt about being president, but you had another one. Maybe you were a spy. Then you wake up and for a split second, you think the dream is real. Don’t worry, you are not delusionary, but sometimes, or more often than not, a schizophrenic feels this and it lasts longer.

Schizophrenia affects 1%–2% of the population. When it goes untreated, it can be catastrophic, but the brave individuals that seek treatment can live healthy, productive, and successful lives.

The examples used in this writing are just a few examples. Because there are many forms of schizophrenia, there are many symptoms.

An example of this is that your mood can fluctuate. I feel like this is self explanatory, but for those of you who don’t understand, think back to being a kid on Christmas day or observe (if you have any) your own kids at a birthday. They can go from excited to crying or sad very quickly especially when grandma buys them socks instead of a toy.

A schizophrenic didn’t ask for their illness. The reason why they have it may not be known but schizophrenics just have to deal with it. With the distorted voices and delusions, just a simple walk around the block can be difficult. Driving a car can be close to impossible. Schizophrenics are disabled but you would be surprised by what they can do or what they know.

Now, because you can relate to a so-called “disturbed individual,” don’t hate, educate.