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.

Building Experiential Wisdom

Intellect and its essence

Intelligence does not conquer all. More often than not, the apparent high graders do not classify as emotionally intelligent. Intellectual arrogance is the seed of downfall while humility of the unwise can work miracles owing to the prospects it offers for learning. There isn’t much left to discover if one knows it all. Intelligence ought to be applied perceptively towards pertinent outcomes. Wisdom calls for the wit to apply prejudgments optimally. As Einstein rightly put it, common sense is a collection of prejudices acquired in the formative years of life. Therapy that inculcates common sense is the need of the hour!

Self control (2)

Out of control?

It is each one’s own brain in that skull in their own head. None but us are obligated to take charge of it. Man may conduct experiments in animals but the motive is to predict responses in himself. Change (for the better) is a challenge. We can’t change how the world thinks and behaves; but we most definitely are monarchs of our own intellect. One only has to make the wiser choice for a sager outcome.

Changing cues

Outcome focus

Nullification

Token economy

Remembrance

Overcooking

Loss identification

Self-compassion or Self-pity? (2)

Right from wrong

In more cases than less, those who do the incorrect thing know that it is erroneous. Awareness is not a predictor of righteousness. Insight has different levels of cognizance and these foretell the quantum of behavior change in response to that level. The most common (and possibly worst) of all is knowledge without corresponding action.

• Exercise is good for health (how many do it?)
• Sadness isn't a defense (who realizes that?)
• Giving up isn’t an option (who acts on it?)
• Anger is destructive (who keeps it in mind?)
• Patience cures half the troubles (Oh really?)
• Kindness is better than wrath (do we do it?)

Few follow what they deem right for themselves. Anger, rage, blame, guilt, negativism and self-pity are internalized emotions that sprout from unresolved external conflicts. They rot the interior without us appreciating the damage they are capable of…

Games people play

Ever encountered a time when the best of your friends seemed to not care? When your partner seemed like a stranger; mother a tyrant and father an enemy? The earth seemed to be rotating in the wrong direction, sun setting in the east and most questions remaining unanswered? Relationships seeming estranged for the minutest of reasons, often without any. And it all seemed like the world was playing games with you. Games you had no awareness of, hence no methods known, no rules identified, and no processes acknowledged. Of course winning such a game is out of the question. But knowing the games; more so being cognizant of their aims helps to play them better. Life can become interesting and indeed fun too!