FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT SCHIZOPHRENIA
Q.1. True of false: “Schizophrenia” means “split personality”.
Ans. False. The term “Schizophrenia” does not mean split personality. “Schizo” means split and “phrenia” refers to the mind. In Schizophrenia, the brain has difficulties processing information. Messages from one part of your brain may not be transferred to another part of your brain. Or, messages may be transferred, but not completely. When this happen, you may feel confused be cause you are getting only pieces of information,
not the entire message.
Q.2. True or False: Schizophrenia is not a real disease.
Ans. False. Schizophrenia is a real disease. People with the brain disease need medical help to get better.
Q.3. True or False: people with Schizophrenia are always disabled and are unable to live on their own.
Ans. False. With treatment, many people are able to go back to school or get a job. However, it may take much longer to complete a school or training program than it would if you were not ill.
Q.4. True or False: with continued treatment with medicine, many of my symptoms can be managed.
Ans. True. Although there is no cure, many of your symptoms can be improved or managed if you keep taking your medicine. Your medicine does more than just relieving your symptoms. It helps to alter chemicals in your brain where an imbalance maybe responsible for your symptoms.
Q.5. True or False: Medicine alone is all the need to get better.
Ans. False. While medicine is a necessary part of your treatment, most people with Schizophrenia find that additional therapies also helpful for issues such as regaining self – esteem and learning new job skills.
Q.6 True or False: I can stop my medicine when my symptoms get better or are gone.
Ans. False. It’s extremely important to take your medicine the right way, every day. If you miss doses or stop taking completely, your symptoms are likely to return in a few days or weeks.
Q.7 True or False : My illness was caused by family conflicts during my childhood.
Ans. False. Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are medical health problems just like diabetes and high blood pressure. They are not caused by family problems, they are caused by chemical imbalances in brain.
Q.8. True or False: People who have Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder have low intelligence.
Ans. False. Like other illnesses, Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder can affect people with any level of intelligence. However, poor control of symptoms or multiple recurrences may not allow a person to function as well as he or she did before the illness began.
Q.9. True or False: It’s important to tell your doctor or case manager if you think your symptoms may be getting worse or if you notice new symptoms.
Ans. True. If you experience new symptoms or old symptoms that are getting worse, your doctor might want to adjust your treatment. Be sure to tell your doctor or case manager about any possible symptoms or change in behaviour.