Did you know Schizophrenia affects about 1 in 100 people? It can be a long-term mental health? condition and is characterised by the experience of:
- Positive symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations. . Delusions are distressing unusual beliefs. For example, people can experience unusual thoughts and worries about others being out to cause them harm, reading their mind, or trying to control them.? Hallucinations are also distressing unusual experiences where you may hear or see things that others can’t, or feel things that others don’t.
- Negative symptoms are also a common characteristic of schizophrenia. Experiences that leave you feeling disconnected from your emotions, as well as struggling with concentration, motivation and/or self-care.
- Disorganised thinking such as racing thoughts, jumping quickly from idea to idea or from one conversational topic to the next, making it hard for others to follow your train of thought.
- Disorganised speech such as speaking very quickly or stumbling over your words or stringing them together based on how they sound rather than meaning. Both again make it hard for others to understand you.
There is often confusion between schizophrenia and psychosis, however both mental health conditions are not the same. A? person affected by psychosis does not necessarily have a schizophrenia diagnosis. Psychosis generally refers to an experience rather than a diagnosis (Mind, 2021). For example, a person may experience an episode of psychosis due to specific circumstances such as drug use (drug induced psychosis), but this often ends when the drugs have left their system.
While schizophrenia can be an enduring? condition, people can learn to manage it effectively. 25- 30% of those affected will recover and experience no further significant symptoms (Fuller Torrey, 2001). People can also have long periods of wellness with little relapses. There are a number of things that can help? manage symptoms :
- Be aware of triggers (such as stress) and your early warning signs. . Awareness of both means that you can intervene quickly.?
- Stress is a common trigger for many mental health difficulties. By learning how to cope effectively with stress (e.g. engaging in relaxation techniques) you can maintain your wellbeing.
- Our physical health can impact our mental health and physical health difficulties can also act as triggers. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise can help keep you well and are also strategies to manage stress more effectively.
- Maintaining hobbies and engaging in activities that give a sense of purpose and achievement are important for our overall wellbeing and for managing difficult symptoms.? .? Social isolation can act as a trigger for relapse.? Sharing triggers and early warning signs with trusted loved ones can be beneficial so that they can support you in engaging with coping strategies. .
- Medication helps 70-80% of those affected by schizophrenia with their positive symptoms (Burton, 2012). Some people find it helpful to stay on a lower maintenance dose during their period of wellness.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective recommended treatment for people affected by schizophrenia (Nice, 2014). CBT focuses on? identifying unhelpful thinking and behavioural patterns, evaluating? these? and replacing them with more adaptive? ones. CBT can help you identify triggers for relapses as well as early warning signs and link these to coping strategies. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) can also help develop coping strategies for managing? positive symptoms through helping you change unhelpful thinking styles that otherwise may maintain these experiences.
If you are concerned about yourself or someone you know, you can access the following online resources for more information and support. You can also discuss your concerns with your GP or psychiatrist, who can facilitate an onwards referral for therapy. If you are interested in engaging in psychological therapy, contact HelloSelf today to be matched with one of our experts.
Mind (https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-
problems/schizophrenia/about-schizophrenia/) or
Living with Schizophrenia (https://livingwithschizophreniauk.org/) for information and resources such as peer support.
Burton. N. (2012). Living with Schizophrenia. (2 nd ed.). Acheron Press.
Fuller Torrey, E. (2013). Surviving Schizophrenia: A family Manual. (6 th ed.). Harper Perennial.
Mind (2020). Schizophrenia. https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-
problems/schizophrenia/about-schizophrenia/
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2014). Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults: prevention and management. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg178
