The Effects of Schizophrenia on the Family
The Effects of Schizophrenia on the Family
First off I would like to tell you what exactly schizophrenia is. Schizophrenia is a brain disease, with concrete and specific symptoms due to physical and biochemical changes in the brain. This illness strikes young people in their prime age usually between 16 and 25. Schizophrenia is almost always treatable with medication. Contrary to what most think schizophrenia is not a "split personality", or caused by childhood trauma, bad parenting, or poverty, and not the result of any action or personal failure by the individual.(3) Now with a little knowledge about this disease I would like to tell you about how this illness can affect a family that is exposed to it. Schizophrenia disturbs the way people think, feel and relate to others. During a lifetime, people with schizophrenia may become actively ill once or twice, or have many more episodes. For family members the first episode can be particularly upsetting if you do not know what is wrong or how to help. Knowing about this disease and acknowledging can be the first step towards feeling less isolated and freeing your energy for caring for both your relatives and yourself. It is also important to remember that schizophrenia is not cause from family pressure or parental errors. (1) During the active stage of schizophrenia, the person may fell their mind is being bombarded from all directions by ideas, questions and commands. They may feel overwhelmed to sort out even minor problems. So during this time families need to be supportive, understanding, and try to speak in a calm, clear and straightforward manner. Using these types of methods to help the ill person can not only help calm them down but relieve them of stress. Other great things to help people with schizophrenia are listening to music, painting, watching television, and or just sitting quietly together. (1) There are many don 't also when dealing with a family member with schizophrenia, like
First off I would like to tell you what exactly schizophrenia is. Schizophrenia is a brain disease, with concrete and specific symptoms due to physical and biochemical changes in the brain. This illness strikes young people in their prime age usually between 16 and 25. Schizophrenia is almost always treatable with medication. Contrary to what most think schizophrenia is not a "split personality", or caused by childhood trauma, bad parenting, or poverty, and not the result of any action or personal failure by the individual.(3) Now with a little knowledge about this disease I would like to tell you about how this illness can affect a family that is exposed to it. Schizophrenia disturbs the way people think, feel and relate to others. During a lifetime, people with schizophrenia may become actively ill once or twice, or have many more episodes. For family members the first episode can be particularly upsetting if you do not know what is wrong or how to help. Knowing about this disease and acknowledging can be the first step towards feeling less isolated and freeing your energy for caring for both your relatives and yourself. It is also important to remember that schizophrenia is not cause from family pressure or parental errors. (1) During the active stage of schizophrenia, the person may fell their mind is being bombarded from all directions by ideas, questions and commands. They may feel overwhelmed to sort out even minor problems. So during this time families need to be supportive, understanding, and try to speak in a calm, clear and straightforward manner. Using these types of methods to help the ill person can not only help calm them down but relieve them of stress. Other great things to help people with schizophrenia are listening to music, painting, watching television, and or just sitting quietly together. (1) There are many don 't also when dealing with a family member with schizophrenia, like
Cited: Websites 1. "Schizophrenia: Help for Partners and Families" July 23, 2006 2. "Basic Fact About Schizophrenia" July 23, 2006 3. "Schizophrenia" July 23, 2006