Signs Of Schizophrenia: How to Cope
Candice Yates
Multi-Niche Freelance Writer, Blogger, Copywriter, Content Writer, Copy Editor, Creative Writer
It is estimated that .25% to .64 % of adults in the United States are coping with schizophrenia disorder. Living with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder can be a challenge. However, it’s not all bad news. There are many ways you can learn to live with schizophrenia and improve your everyday life.?
It all starts with educating yourself about this disease. Whether it’s a loved one who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia or if it’s yourself, the more you understand this complicated mental illness, the better you will be able to cope with it and manage all of the symptoms of schizophrenia in general.
I know I wasn't sure what to expect when I was diagnosed with this mental illness. Or how my life would be in the future. However, since doing a lot of research over time, I have come to realize that my condition isn’t as bad as the stigma presents it to be.?
Learn More About Symptoms and Schizophrenia?
The most important thing you can do to help manage your schizophrenia is to learn as much as possible about the disorder. You can find a plethora of information about the negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia. However, you’ll want to ensure you get your information from trusted sources.?
When you are doing research, you should focus on the following:
Some great resources to look into include The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The American Psychiatric Association (APA).??
What Are Some Schizophrenia Disease Symptoms?
Typically, the many symptoms of schizophrenia include “positive” and “negative” symptoms. However, their name doesn’t suggest that the symptoms are either good or bad.?
Both of these symptoms can affect a person’s ability to function normally. However, some people will often experience negative symptoms many years before they ever experience an episode of psychosis.?
If you are diagnosed with schizophrenia, it doesn’t mean you will experience all the associated symptoms. The signs of schizophrenia can be easy to detect. However, sometimes it takes years for symptoms to become debilitating. And the way schizophrenia affects someone usually depends on what type of schizophrenia they have.?
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
When I first heard the term “positive symptoms,” I didn’t know exactly what to think. At first, one may think that it means that the symptoms are, in a sense, “positive.” However, it really refers to the symptoms that one experiences that are in addition to our reality.?
Positive symptoms can even occur within other mental health conditions. And when they are present, they are typically referred to as “psychosis” or “psychotic symptoms.” Some of the most common positive symptoms include the following:
Some of the signs of schizophrenia include hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there. However, as I mentioned before, not everyone will experience delusions or hallucinations. However, they can experience many negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia.?
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Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
The negative symptoms refer to the symptoms that occur, including the loss of ability and the loss of enjoyment in life. Some of the negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia include the following:?
There are positive and negative symptoms, and you may also experience cognitive impairment, which happens to be another form of negative symptoms. When you experience this, you typically have trouble remembering things, making decisions, and not being able to concentrate.?
If you experience any of these symptoms, they are all signs of schizophrenia. And if they are left untreated, they may lead to overall dysfunction in one’s daily life. You should seek treatment for this condition to help alleviate some of the debilitating symptoms.?
How to Cope With Schizophrenia
There are plenty of ways to cope with schizophrenia as well as other mental illnesses. It all plays into self-care and taking care of yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. Since I personally live with schizophrenia, I can share with you some of my personal coping strategies.?
Plan For a Crisis
One way to help keep yourself safe while living with this mental disorder is to make a crisis plan ahead of time. This means putting together a well-thought-out plan that you and your family follow in case your symptoms take a turn for the worst.?
A crisis plan can be just about anything you can think of that would help to get you the help you need in your time of need. For instance, your family members who live with you can play a specific role in helping you. Whether that means they call for help, regulate your medications, or anything you can think of that would help you when you are spiraling.?
Practice Mindfulness
One way to combat the negative thought process that naturally comes with living with schizophrenia is to practice mindfulness. This can mean meditating, saying positive affirmations, and praying. Although this coping strategy comes with its challenges, it can be immensely beneficial.?
Emotional Support Animals?
I wouldn’t know what I would do without my pets. They truly are everything to me and help me with my mental state on a daily basis. And you don’t necessarily have to get your dog or cat or whatever pet you have certified to be an emotional support animal.?
They can help you regardless of that status. Just sitting with your pet for 20 minutes or so can lift your spirits. They love you unconditionally, and you can hold on to the fact that no matter how you feel or how you may act, they will always love you. That knowledge alone can change anyone’s perspective of themselves.?
Write About Your Experiences
A lot of people see the signs of schizophrenia and automatically think the worst. You can show those who believe the stigma about schizophrenia that your illness is not what society has deemed it to be. And you can do this by writing blogs or articles about your illness and daily life.?
And if you post those thoughts online, people can read them and come to know schizophrenia for what it is. And not for what the world has misunderstood it to be. Because most mental illnesses have a bad rap, however, schizophrenia is seen as a very dangerous condition. And the more people learn about it and realize that those suffering from it aren’t dangerous or crazy, the better off we who live with this condition will finally be.?