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What it's not:
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Schizophrenia
isn't about having a 'split personality'. |
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Schizophrenia doesn't mean a person will automatically
be violent, ill, or in hospital for life. |
People with schizophrenia often have unusual experiences
where they feel out of control, as well as lacking energy
and motivation.
The symptoms
and severity of schizophrenia vary widely from person to person
(and some people dispute that schizophrenia is a specific
'condition').
But generally
speaking, during an episode of schizophrenia, the way someone
experiences and interprets the outside world becomes disrupted.
They may lose touch with reality, see or hear things that
aren't there, develop 'false beliefs' (for example that other
people can read their thoughts), and act in unusual ways in
response to these experiences. An episode of schizophrenia
can last for several weeks, and can be frightening or disturbing
for the person themselves and their friends or family. After
this acute phase, people can go into a long-term period of
'negative' symptoms, including lack of motivation, a feeling
of flatness, and social withdrawal - sometimes with less intense
symptoms left over from the acute phase.
About
one in every hundred people experience at least one episode
of schizophrenia and about a quarter of people with an initial
diagnosis of schizophrenia make a complete recovery.
Major advances in recent years - in both psychological therapies
and medication - mean that more people with schizophrenia
are able to live fulfilling lives.
Information on www.mindout.net is provided
for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for
the advice a health care professional. The
mind out for mental health campaign
is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does
it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on those sites.
Always consult your GP if you are concerned about your health.
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