schizophrenia

Schizophrenia 101; look beyond the pop culture portrayals and learn the reality behind this oft-stigmatized mental illness.

What Exactly Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a word that you may have heard before, or perhaps you've heard the shortened version of it: Schizoid. You may know the basic or shortened definition of the disorder, such as: "Hearing voices, acting irrationally, and being paranoid." There may be some truth to this definition that loosely gets thrown around, but schizophrenia is a complex mental illness that can interfere with a person's ability to think clearly, manage their emotions, make personal decisions, and even relate to other people around them. It can occur at any age, however, the onset tends to begin in the late teens or early-20s for men and late-20s or early-30s for women. A person younger than 12 or older that 40 rarely get diagnosed with schizophrenia. So, let's take a deep dive into what this mental illness is.
By Max7 years ago in Psyche
My Ex-Best Friend Who Was Never Real
It all started freshman year. I only had one friend, and she was always busy, so I guess it all started because I was lonely. Who knows.
By Milo .7 years ago in Psyche
The Autism-Schizophrenia Connection
I just read this article saying that autism and schizophrenia are genetically linked. Apparently this was already suspected but studies had only been done in western populations. A new study from Japan now adds more evidence based on the genetic studies of people around the world.
By Angel Mann7 years ago in Psyche
My Life: Schizophrenia
Step into my brain for a little while, and you'll want out as soon as you can.. You're a child; you wake up every day with three different people talking inside your head. Some days, you completely black out. When you come to, your peers tell you that you told them you wish they'd just die. “There's no way that was me,” you try to convince yourself, but this is happening more and more these days... They're constantly there, screaming, crying, scratching at your brain to get out. “Just let me say a few things,” they argue but you know it would be chaos if you did.
By Jessica Shoemake7 years ago in Psyche
A Guide on Psychosis. Top Story - September 2018.
What is psychosis? Psychosis is a severe mental disorder that causes abnormal thinking patterns as well as a change of perceptions. One type of psychotic disorder is schizophrenia and individuals with bipolar disorder may experience psychotic symptoms (Bien, 2016). Individuals who suffer from this disorder get disconnected from the world and they lose touch of reality, this may include hallucinations and delusions.
By Sumaya7 years ago in Psyche
Navigating High School with Schizoaffective Disorder
It started in February of 2015, during the second semester of my freshman year in high school. That was the month that my brain turned against me, where I could no longer diffuse between reality and illusion, where I believed things that were not possible, and unknown voices visited me at night. It all got worse from there.
By Emilie Morgan8 years ago in Psyche
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is having to live in two vastly different worlds. One is supposedly real while the other is all in your head, yet they are completely indistinguishable.
By Gillian Corsiatto8 years ago in Psyche
Don’t Say Rude Things About People Who Take Medication
To start off a conversation with someone you haven’t seen in years by saying “Oye loca” is plain rude. This means “Hey listen, crazy.” Oh I’m sorry, I finally have my hereditary illness under control. The person who did this was a family member and that is who I’m ranting about. It took me years to find the right meds that treat both bipolar 1 and schizophrenia, hence my diagnosis of schizoaffective. I finally got a chance to see a real psychiatrist, and not someone that makes you wait a lot just because I can talk about more esoteric subjects with them. Are you scared of me for the fact I have gained self-confidence and I practice witchcraft?
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Psyche
My Life’s Work is Similar to that of Edgar Cayce
I might be like Edgar Cayce, able to give good readings in trance. But I have limitations, unlike him. I have schizophrenia and need to take medication for it. I have to be medication consistent. Unfortunately, some people seem to get their panties in a bunch about my medication needs. I have to set limits on how many readings I would do in one day, if I get properly trained. He gave a lot of information out about how to use psychic talent, how to discover your purpose in life, and a lot of holistic health information.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Psyche
What It Feels Like to Have Schizophrenia
Everything is loud. Here I will write about what it was like to have schizophrenia as a child, not know what it was, and not having a diagnosis I could tell people about that they would understand. These days, my experience in class means I feel less wound up overall, to the point of not being wound up at all, in fact, which makes me feel odd. For somebody with real psychic talent, the input comes hot and heavy: everybody’s energy, everybody’s aura colors. Not being on meds meant that I was helpless at regulating the input I got from my mind. As an adult, on the right medication, I’m able to see that I can regulate the input better. I can also shut it off since I took a class on the off switch.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Psyche
Finding Someone to Love Me and My Schizophrenia
In my youth I always knew that some day I would want to find my prince charming, marry, and raise a family. The older I got the more I realized how important it was for me to be absolutely sure I was ready to settle down before I committed to marriage. There were boyfriends that were simply not husband material, and were kept around for the sake of having company. I only dated to have a bestie who was always down to do things and hangout. None of them did I even consider marrying or raising a family with.
By Jocelynn Schmalzer8 years ago in Psyche
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is many things, depending on how you look at it. Neuroscientists and others who study the brain see a phenomenon. This illness has no known cause. They see an illness that eats away at the brain and causes unusual, potentially dangerous behavior. For those who don't know anyone with this disease or much about it, they think of it as a mental illness and nothing more, something that only affects the sufferer. For those who know a little more, it is seen as a "zombie" disease that eats the brain and makes people crazy.
By Sierra I8 years ago in Psyche