What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that alters thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. Mixed delusions, chaotic thought patterns, and erratic conduct are possible outcomes of this mental health condition. People with schizophrenia experience hallucinations which are marked by seeing or hearing unobserved objects or sounds. They may also experience delusions when they have firm beliefs regarding untrue things. People with schizophrenia may appear to lose all sense of reality, which can considerably complicate their day-to-day life.

What to do when someone close to you has Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia may be scary but it is not incurable. Schizophrenia patients require exceptional care, love and support from their loved ones, friends and family during schizophrenia treatment. So, as patients’ loved ones, we play critical roles in their journey to recovery. However, as loved ones, we may also be experiencing challenging feelings such as dread, guilt, anger, and frustration. 

Sometimes when our close ones display symptoms of schizophrenia and abnormal actions, we may feel bewildered and ashamed or might feel powerless to act in the face of the stigma associated with schizophrenia. We often think we should keep it a secret that our loved one is mentally ill. It is crucial to understand that being diagnosed with schizophrenia doesn’t mean that one must live indefinitely with the condition. With your love and support, recovery is attainable.

Supporting people with Schizophrenia

1. Become knowledgeable

Though it's not necessary to be an expert in schizophrenia, knowing more about the condition can help you comprehend what's happening. Finding reliable information always matters because there are a lot of misconceptions about schizophrenia. Also, you can converse with therapists specialising in schizophrenia to understand more about the condition.

2. Listen Actively

One of the crucial roles you can play in helping your loved one navigate their healing journey is encouraging them to talk about issues or worries. It's critical to realise that discussing sensitive topics, such as a loved one's experiences with schizophrenia, can be extremely difficult for them. Active listening is therefore important and you must ensure that outside distractions do not interfere with your communication. Listen carefully to what they say, even though they may take longer than usual to change their ideas. The key thing is to remain judgment-free and empathetic when listening.

3. Don’t argue, show empathy

Even when people are receiving schizophrenia treatment and adhering to their treatment plan, some symptoms of schizophrenia such as delusions and hallucinations can take some time to go away. Caretakers may find it difficult to respond to delusions or hallucinations. The best advice is to refrain from debating these encounters as you cannot reason patients out of them. Their feelings may not be authentic to you but to them it is. Try to sympathise with the feelings and emotions evoked by these experiences. With appropriate care and support, it becomes easier for people to handle and lose the significance of symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.

4. Avoid taking things personally

It can be a challenging illness for anyone to deal with schizophrenia. You may be unable to comprehend the terrifying experiences that your loved one is going through during psychotic episodes. It is crucial to understand that these are signs of a disease.

5. Additionally, look for yourself

You must look after yourself even as you care for your family member. It helps you be mentally and physically strong. Keep up your routine and interests. You can also ask a family member to assist you in caring for your loved one during their sickness. It helps you strike a balance between your caregiving responsibilities and self-care time.

6. Maintain your social network

Even during challenging times, try to maintain your friendships or the network of people that you have in your life. These will later become important supports as your loved one recovers. 

7. Intervene immediately

If you feel your loved one is showing signs of schizophrenia, get them assessed by a therapist specialising in schizophrenia to embark on their schizophrenia treatment journey at the earliest. Delaying support will put the patient and the caregiver at increased health risk.

8. Supporting Treatment and Medication

During schizophrenia treatment, medications become necessary to help the patients recover from the mental illness. In such cases, ensure your loved ones take the medications as prescribed. Also, you can encourage them to participate in therapy sessions that help manage symptoms and improve functioning.