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Schizophrenia Introduction

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Introduction to Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is defined as a chronic, severe, and disabling disease of the brain and mind (Pickard, 2010). It is said that approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime and more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness (Pickard, 2010). People with schizophrenia suffer many terrifying symptoms such as hearing voices of non-existent people, or believing that they are being controlled by demons that are planning on harming them (Corrigan and Watson, 2002). These symptoms leave the schizophrenic individual emotionally and mentally distraught and withdrawn (Pickard, 2010). They may also experience disorganized speech and thought which may seem incomprehensible for others …show more content…

Primarily they suffer from the illness itself in terms of the symptoms and disabilities that arise, but they also suffer due to the stereotypes and prejudice that results from misconceptions about the illness. Both of these factors, thus, prevent the schizophrenic individual from have opportunities that allow them to lead as normal a life as possible. It strips away any opportunity for them to have a job, social network, safe housing and possibly even access to health care institutions (Corrigan and Watson, …show more content…

She was experiencing the entire event as a hallucination and delusion causing her to believe that the event going on in her mind was completely real. She believed that her family members had died, and that the demons were beginning to take over the world. Her paranoid experience created a great deal of fear within her, which is something that became very difficult for her to overcome.

During the early years of her diagnosis, my family could not comprehend the idea that one can suffer so much through ones “imagination”. My aunt would be so lost in her thought that she would forget her surroundings. The lack of understanding that my family had towards her experiences and events, made her suffer even more because no one was able to aid her and bring her back to reality. Along with her however, my family also suffered a great deal because they were constantly seeing her in state where she was completely

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