According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Schizophrenia is defined as, “a serious mental illness that interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to others.
It is a complex, long-term medical illness. The exact prevalence of schizophrenia is difficult to measure, but estimates range from 0.25% to 0.64% of U.S. adults.”
There are not too many movies and/or TV shows that display schizophrenia, especially in an accurate light. In the movie Call Me Crazy, we see a young law student start to experience different kinds of hallucinations and end up having to be hospitalized in order to get a hold of her mental illness and become a practicing lawyer.
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READ: How to Help a Partner With Schizophrenia
Unfortunately, there is a lot of stigma around schizophrenia, such as believing that
many people with this illness are homicidal, homeless or incapable of living a regular life.
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While that may be true for a few, it is not true for all.
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Schizophrenia myths
Here are 4 myths about people with schizophrenia:
- People with schizophrenia are dangerous - people with schizophrenia are not dangerous. In fact, many people with serious mental illnesses say you are more of a danger to them than they are to others; most people with mental illnesses are more prone to self-harm.
- Schizophrenia means you have a split personality - while the word schizophrenia does mean “split mind,” it doesn’t indicate another personality. Schizophrenia is a thought disorder, it has nothing to do with different personalities. People who experience different personalities are typically diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder.
- People who have schizophrenia are violent and/or aggressive - that is not true at all! Studies show that they are more likely to be a victim because of how their mind works, and sometimes people with schizophrenia do end up in situations like homelessness because they are in a state of confusion. Because of the state they are sometimes in, they may not be able to articulate themselves in a way they are easily understood.
- Schizophrenia is the result of bad parenting or an abusive childhood - there is no evidence that supports this. Someone is more likely to get it due to genetics, but even then, there's still a low probability of it being passed on.
Remember to educate yourself before you pass judgment!
