Schizophrenia is not the same as crazy, and 7 other schizophrenia myths

In many films and world literature, schizophrenia is often described as insanity; a sadistic criminal who likes to torture and kill helpless victims. Is there any truth to this terrible stereotype?

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels (empathizes) and behaves. The person with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality.

People with schizophrenia will find it difficult to distinguish between the real world and the imaginary world. This is because the symptoms of schizophrenia often include psychotic experiences, such as hearing intangible voices, hallucinations, or delusions.

How common is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, between 16 and 30 years of age.

Everyone is at risk for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is the most common mental disorder globally. According to WHO, schizophrenia affects more than 21 million people from various parts of the world. Based on 2013 Basic Health Research data, about 1 in 1000 Indonesians are diagnosed with schizophrenia.

One in two people living with schizophrenia do not receive adequate treatment for their condition. Schizophrenic patients are often viewed as “crazy people” because they often hallucinate. As many as 14.3 percent of Indonesians with schizophrenia are shackled by their own families because of the public's ignorance of schizophrenia.

It is important to understand which myths are misleading and which facts surrounding schizophrenia, or in plain language, are “crazy”, in order to provide these people the opportunity to lead productive lives and be fully involved in society.

The myths surrounding schizophrenia that turn out to be grossly wrong

1. Schizophrenia cannot be cured

Schizophrenia, like many mental disorders, is treatable. Although until now no cure has been found for schizophrenia, therapy in the form of psychosocial care or rehabilitation is effective in enabling schizophrenic patients to lead productive, successful, and independent lives. With proper medication and therapy, about 25% of people with this disease will recover completely.

Some of the psychosocial therapies that can benefit schizophrenic patients include: family therapy, assertive community medicine, job support, cognitive remediation, skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavior modification interventions, and psychosocial interventions for substance use, and weight management..

2. Hallucinations are the only symptom of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a disease that affects several brain functions, such as the ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions, or relate to other people. In fact, often, ODS will have difficulty organizing their thoughts or making logical connections.

But hallucinations aren't the only symptom of schizophrenia. Another symptom that can arise from schizophrenia is delusions, aka delusions, which can be interpreted as holding onto false beliefs.

3. People with schizophrenia are dangerous to society

The large number of schizophrenic patients who are alienated or even shackled is because of the perception that schizophrenia is dangerous. In fact, a study shows that schizophrenic patients who get adequate medical treatment will not be dangerous, unless the patient has limited access to health or is neglected.

4. Schizophrenia is the same as multiple personalities

Not true. Schizophrenia is completely different from multiple personalities, aka dissociative disorders. What happens is, schizophrenic patients often have false ideas that have nothing to do with reality; sufferers find it difficult to distinguish the real world from the imaginary world.

Meanwhile, people with multiple personalities have two or more different personalities, and each of them can take over the consciousness of the individual “host” in turn.

5. Schizophrenia is caused by parental abuse of children

Schizophrenia is a mental illness caused by a variety of factors: genetics, trauma, and / or drug abuse. The mistakes you make as a parent will not cause your child to develop schizophrenia.

6. Schizophrenia is a genetic disease

Although genetics has a role in determining a person's risk factors for schizophrenia. But if only one of the parents You who have this mental illness, doesn't mean you will be destined to get it.

And if one of your parents has schizophrenia, your risk of getting this condition is only about 10%. The risk increases if more and more members of your family have schizophrenia.

7. Schizophrenia makes you unable to do anything

There are so many assumptions that underestimate schizophrenia, including: schizophrenic patients are definitely not smart, will not get a job, and so on. In fact, this opinion is clearly wrong.

Even though the patient has difficulty thinking, it does not mean that he or she is not smart. Or, even though schizophrenia can make it difficult for you to find work and work, it doesn't mean that ODS won't work. With proper treatment, many schizophrenics are able to find jobs according to their abilities and skills.

Schizophrenia will not go away on its own; Therefore, you need to get checked immediately if you find symptoms of schizophrenia in order to get the right treatment. Or, if you know someone who has schizophrenia symptoms, you need to motivate that person to get the right treatment as soon as possible.