Schizophrenia: What we don't know

A special day?
24th May was World Schizophrenia Day. While we dedicate one day of the calendar year to some or the other illness these days, it's still a distant dream to enhance awareness and appropriate education about different physical as well as psychological conditions; sufficient enough to enable each one of us to take the right steps towards identifying them and treating them appropriately. More so in psychological conditions like schizophrenia. Frequently misconstrued as witchcraft, outcome of sins, possession by spirits or just simply insanity that warrants punishment; schizophrenia is rarely well understood and appreciated as a medical illness that deserves medical care and nursing just like all physical other illnesses.
Schizophrenia: The prototype of psychological illness
Schizophrenia exemplifies the typicality of being psychologically 'unwell'. Often described as madness, being crazy, out of ones mind and frequently believed to be dangerous and imbalanced; schizophrenia is the basic form of psychoses: a break from reality. An individual with schizophrenia has a breach in the continuity of thought to emotion to behavior. Usually these are on a direct continuum, appropriate thinking leads to normal emotions which further influence suitable behavior among all individuals ordinarily. 
Thought-emotion-behavior disruption
When there's a disconnect in the continuum, one is understood to be psychotic. This occurs due to a combination of imbalance in the brain's chemicals as well as a stressful environment, both of which together surpass the individuals ability to cope with the stressor; eventually resulting in a breakdown of all defenses leading to an abnormal state of the mind. Like a virus that engenders a common cold, the disruption of brain chemicals allow the schizophrenic individual to have abnormal thoughts and perceptions. It is comparable to any other medical illness that requires medical care and intervention.
Schizophrenia: We don't know everything we need to
Few believe in the medical nature of this illness. Suspiciousness, paranoid tendencies, doubting everyone including family and friends, getting aggressive and occasionally violent (when provoked) are some behaviors we see in such patients. This is part of the illness and gets controlled with medication. A patient with meningitis or brain trauma due to an accident can also have all these symptoms; we tend to empathize with that a lot better than we do with a mental illness. We usually blame the patients and use violent means to even punish them at times. Such patients are unable to judge their actions rightly. We, the normal people need to not misjudge them; else there's little difference between the 'crazy' people and us!
How schizophrenia can be treated
There are different modalities of treatment and they require patience and compliance to show results. Social acceptance of these patients, to convince the world of their 'non threatening' nature is an important step besides mainstream psychiatric medication. In severe cases there may be a possibility of patients harming themselves as well as others; in these situations hospitalization is mandated. Trained professionals prescribe medication and this assists in behavior and thought management. Regular medication, timely doctor visits and non judgmental care usually allows for recovery. Schizophrenic patients are not mentally retarded or split personalities. These are misnomers. They may be highly intellectual and emotive human beings who are suffering owing to a chemical imbalance in the brain which is usually correctible with medicines.
What we believe is not true!
Frequent myths that exemplify the ignorance of this illness in general population:

• Schizophrenics are dangerous, they need to be institutionalized
• People with schizophrenia are unpredictable split personalities
• Schizophrenia is just like a sudden onset of mental retardation
• Schizophrenia will just pass with time, treatment is not needed
• Psychiatric medicines are only meant to make the patients sleep
• Marriage is the best way to treat schizophrenia, it will get alright
• Schizophrenia cannot be treated, it is the end of one's existence

These myths when held strongly, not only reduce the access to care for patients, they also spread the stigma attached to the illness. Those who have a will to help their loved ones with this illness also then refrain from getting well deserved care.

Ignorance is not bliss

For those in pain, compassion is the biggest help anyone can offer. It is important to understand the medical nature of schizophrenia, accept it as an illness and help patients to deal with it and live healthy and productive lives. It is each one's birthright to live to their fullest after all...