Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Schizophrenia Awareness Day is May 24th, and I was thinking of doing a PSA-style post here, but then I noticed that May 24th is the week before finals and like heck would I be doing a PSA. So here it is several months in advance.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that often get stereotyped badly in the media. A person with schizophrenia can have any of a number of symptoms including hallucinations, delusions, disordered thoughts, cognitive deficits, apathy, among others. The first three listed are the primary ones that must be present for six months to a year (along with another symptom) to be classified as a person with schizophrenia. Most people with schizophrenia in films or TV shows will have hallucinations and delusions. For the person having these symptoms and for the people around them, it can be very scary.

However, people with schizophrenia are no more violent than anyone else. They are not monsters. Most people with schizophrenia are using medication (that have a whole host of side effects, but that's another story) that allow them to live their lives. Some people, high-functioning schizophrenics, are able to live their lives like ordinary people, while others must live on disability or live with family. Schizophrenia is a frightening, challenging disease to live with. There's no cure, although medication can help keep some of the symptoms under wraps.

If you think this is a useless thing to know, I don't really blame you. You likely don't know anyone with schizophrenia yet in your life. Yet I still think it's an important thing to be aware of. As you become an adult and enter the real world, you're going to see people with different kinds of illnesses and disabilities. If you don't understand what's going on, you might fear it. Fear is never a good thing to have towards fellow humans. It is better to accept a person for what they are and for what they have than to ostracize them or harm them. Please remember this in life. Thanks very much for reading.

If there are any questions, I'd be happy to answer.