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  • Schizophrenia
    Schizophrenia affects approximately 1% of the world population and has a ubiquitous distribution. Schizophrenia  cuts across boundaries of gender, socioeconomic class, race, caste, creed and geographic location. This implies that anybody can be affected by schizophrenia. It is considered as the “greatest disabler of youth” as it most commonly affects persons in the productive period of their life between 15 and 35 years of age. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified schizophrenia as one of the ten most disabling disorders affecting all human beings.
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 18 May 2016

What is Schizophrenia

“A slowly progressive deterioration of the entire personality which involves mainly the affective life and expresses itself in disorders of feeling thought and conduct and a tendency to withdraw from reality”          -  Eugen Bleuler 

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe multi-faceted and complex disorder of the mind, now being increasingly considered a brain disorder. It affects approximately 1% of the world population and has a ubiquitous distribution. It is considered as the “greatest disabler of youth” as it most commonly affects persons in the productive period of their life between15 and 35 years of age. Schizophrenia cuts across boundaries of gender, socioeconomic class, race, caste, creed and geographic location. This implies that anybody can be affected by schizophrenia.

It causes distortion in the thought process and behavior and affects emotions. So, it affects how a person thinks feels and behaves. There is distortion of reality and so the sufferer is unaware of his ailment.

 

Condition

Stories

  • Frequently Asked Questions on Schizophrenia
    Schizophrenia is one of the ten most disabling illness affecting individuals. Manisha Shastri answers some of the common and frequently asked questions that people have about Schizophrenia.  Schizophrenia is a mental illness affecting 1 per cent of the global population. It affects individuals irrespective of gender, race, age, socio – economic class and geographical location. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed Schizophrenia as one of the ten most disabling disorders affecting…
  • Physical Activity and Exercise Can Help Keep Mental Illness in Control
    Exercise and yoga can improve quality of life for people with mental illness and reduce risks of strokes, diabetes, auditory hallucinations and other health problems, informs Dr R Padmavati, Additional Director, Schizophrenia Research Foundation. World Health Organisation defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity is not just "exercise". Exercise, is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned,…
  • Caregiver's Guide to Mental Illness support
    ‘Mental Illness and Caregiving: Challenges, Concerns and Complications’ – authored by Schizophrenia Awareness Association’s president Mr Amrit Bakhshy, was launched to coincide with World Mental Health Day. This comprehensive book, the first of its kind in India, is written mainly for caregivers of persons with mental illness and provides valuable information. Here is an interview with the author and an extract from the book. What was the inspiration for your book? How was the idea born? I…
  • Surviving Suicides
    World Suicide Prevention Day 2016 Yuna Angell realises, after several attempts at suicide, that life is too sacred to be lost like this. She advises people with suicidal tendencies to reach out for help in times of desperation, because everyone matters in life. The two songs I love to listen to when I have suicidal thoughts are “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry and “Vincent (Starry Starry Night)” by Don McLean. I would read the lyrics online while I listened intently to the songs, encouraging…
  • Tackling the side effects of Schizophrenia medication
    Yuna Angell has coped with Schizophrenia and has also been in control of it for some time now. Here she recounts the regimen of her daily life, the accompanying stresses and the side effect of her daily doses of medicine and how does she cope with it all. How do I prepare for a work day, now that I have various things to do in my life right now, while changing my medications? I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 2004 and stabilised more or less in 2013. I was originally on 4mg Risperidone. But…
  • Lets Break the Cycle of Myths, Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health
    By Dr. Mangala of Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) When a mentally ill person requiring help and treatment is discriminated against and is made to feel like an outcaste exactly when he needs maximum support, it is not only harmful for the individual but for society at large. Any community or society which is not inclusive and gives credence to stigmas and myths can never prosper and even advanced treatment gets defeated in the process. Advances in scientific research have brought…
  • His Friend's Tenacity Supported Him Through Schizophrenia
    Even when ‘disturbing voices’ were threatening to turn Vivek’s life topsy turvy, it was a perceptive friend who had the good sense and heart to bring him to SCARF, an organisation that managed to ultimately streamline his life. When Vivek* first came to SCARF, he had been ill for over 22 years and had not worked for at least the last three. Separated from his wife and children for over a decade, Vivek was living in a garage owned by a family friend, and working, at least on paper, for a quasi…
  • Schizophrenia Management - A Multi-pronged Affair
    Radhika had everything going for her when she was struck by an illness which went beyond her control. But proper guidance, an astute understanding of the situation and a rational approach helped her regain her confidence to return to the normal cycle of life.  To all appearances, Radhika (not her real name) had a good life. From an upper middle class family, her father, a professor at a leading city college and her mother, a creative homemaker, were wonderful, supportive parents. She was…
  • Stock pic of a woman in black and white sitting
    Schizophrenia Rehabilitation: Value of Family support and Sense of Purpose
    A hapless woman, abandoned by her husband and wracked by a challenging mental illness called Schizophrenia, Bano is the story of immense effort to overcome the travails and the invaluable role of a supportive family in the rehabilitation process.  Bano (not her real name) is 28 and her story began almost a decade ago. The youngest of eight children, Bano completed secondary schooling but didn’t pursue her education after that. Her four elder sisters and three elder brothers are married and…
  • Schizophrenia is a bit like thinking the world is a virtual reality horror and thriller game
    Yuna Angell has been to the depths with her schizophrenic attacks. She had to be a caregiver when she needed caregiving herself, and her mother, in despair, even wanted to give her up to the psychiatric ward of the hospital. She has come a long way since and is now a mental health advocate in her own right, besides being an author with certification degrees from Harvard in medieval history.  I moved past the “only O levels” high school qualification recently with the basic counselling…