Topic Tuesday // Myths and misconceptions of Schizophrenia // CLOSED

HI, my son (24) has been diagnosed with schizophenia, he had the symptoms for years but refused treatment. he is finally on medication after a long hospital stay which seems to make him a bit calmer but still has outbursts of rage and complete crazyness. does this mean he needs stronger or different medication? will the medication have to be stronger as patients get older? i heard they will become resistant to meds later in life? it really worries me as he is still so young and medication is still not really doing its job. i know there is no miracle cure or 'magic pill' for such a devastating illness. i really often dont know how to handle my son's illness, he has been so abusive and violent. and when he goes crazy it is so terrible to watch him and to take the brunt. i do anything to keep him calm and to avoid these 'tantrums' but it is like 'walking on eggshells' and often unbearable. but i have to put up with anything because he can not live independantly... it is the most heartbreaking thing to see you own child so unwell and knowing that it is for the rest of our and his life is unbearable.

FYI On ABC2, 7:30 segment airing now on mental health...

Hi @tac

What a great attitude that you have! Your son is very lucky to have such a supportive family.

I know of a lot of people that don't like the word 'recovery' . When I think of the word recovery i think of it in a very different contact to recovery from a psychical illness. Recovery can mean different things to everyone. I know people who consider themselves recovered who still hear vocies and take medication, because they manage their symptoms and have accepted who they are, accepted they may never be who they were before the mental illness, but they are who they are despite of it. No one should be defined by their illness, but by who they are.

So well don't to your son for managing his symptoms.

I really dislike the word 'normal' because no one is normal - we are all unique individuals and we should embrace that!!

Welcome to the forums!!!

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@Former-Member wrote:

Whose heard this one before?

"People with schizophrenia are violent"

If you are living with schizophrenia how does this make you feel? As a carer how does this make you feel when you hear people in society and the media saying this?

Is this a true statement?

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I know very well that people with Sz(common abbreviation for schizophrenia) are no more likely to be violent than ordinary members of the public. However this myth continues and the media in this country particularly newspapers of a certain media proprietor perpetuate this myth.

Certainly violence can occur from persons with Sz but that is usually from someone who is off their medication or is taking alcohol or other drugs particularly things like ice or methylamphetamine, as it is otherwise known.

I have had Sz now for at least 35 years and have never ever been violent to others even before I hadd Sz.

I have had lots of delusional thinking and have had troublesome thoughts/images of violence towards women but have never ever "acted out" the fantasies. One thinf that made these almost compulsive thoughts go away and recede was the simple acceptance by me that

in certain very extreme circumstances I would be capable of violence towards women and it literally took me years of torment to realize my brain was trying to inform me of something I found hard to accept by giving me these distressing compulsive thoughts!!!!!

Hope my frankness doesn't disturb anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@tac

Thank you so much for your insights. I really love hearing these positive stories.

So often we hear about the terrible things, reported in the media in particular, it's not often we hear the positives. I don't believe that's because there aren't positive stories, but because there's no outlet for people to share OR they are just getting on with things and don't feel they need to disclose.

🙂

What are some common misconceptions you have heard?

What gets under your skin when you hear people saying it?

Mine is "people with schizophrenia can never get a meaningful job, or get married and have kids."

Regarding

"People with schizophrenia are violent"

I believe the research shows that the incidence of violence in people with schizophrenia who are on their medication is no higher that the general population.

A couple of times my wife has switched from loving partner to attacking me violently at the flick of a switch, and the next day when I've shown her my bruising declared she could never do that.

And the thing is, she is right, she never could. But the other one, the one that is terrified and in fear for her life, is not her.

Hey @Geronimo

I could not have answered that question better myself!!!

Thanks for sharing your words.

You are so true, people living with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of violence that to commit a violent act. Unfortunately when drugs and alcohol are involved in may become an issue, but the majority of the time, violence happens when person feels vulnerable or threatened, and it is most often to family members and not the general public.

So that is one myth busted!!!!