The Soloist

Schizophrenia A psychotic disorder in which a person has lost touch with reality Hallucinations and delusional thinking frequently accompany this disorder

Hallucinations Experiencing sensations that don’t actually exist except inside your head For example, seeing things, hearing voices, or smelling, tasting, or feeling things that are not actually there

Auditory Hallucinations Hearing voices inside your head Your brain interprets these voices to be real because the part of of your brain that process auditory information is activated These voices usually insult you, tell you negative things, or tell you to do things

Are all schizophrenics the same? No – some have severe cases and are unable to function in society at all and need to be in a psychiatric hospital Others are able to lead quite normal lives with the help of antipsychotic medication Some experience multiple, long-lasting episodes of psychosis, and others may have only an occasional psychotic episode

Nature or Nurture? Schizophrenia is genetic and is unlikely to occur in someone who does not have a parent or relative who has it However, schizophrenic episodes are often brought on by anxiety and stressful situations

Are schizophrenics violent? Most people falsely believe the stereotype that schizophrenics are dangerous In reality, the vast majority are not dangerous They are more likely to harm themselves than act out violently toward others

Types of Schizophrenia Paranoid Disorganized Catatonic Undifferentiated

Paranoid Schizophrenia Characterized by delusions (false beliefs) about being persecuted by others Because they believe that others are out to get them they don’t usually trust anyone and likely won’t take medication b/c they believe it to be poison Other thoughts, speech, and emotions may appear fairly normal

Disorganized Schizophrenia Behavior often appears “crazy” Frequently confused, incoherent, and have jumbled speech (word salad) Behavior is often silly, childlike, or inappropriate for the situation May also exhibit flat affect (appear emotionless) Ability to perform normal daily activities may suffer – eating, showering, finding adequate and safe shelter

Catatonic Schizophrenia Visibly appear unresponsive to the world around them Appear rigid, stiff, and immobile Unwilling or unable to respond to the world around them, though they may be very well aware of what is going on May demonstrate peculiar movements, strike bizarre postures, or appear to grimace for no apparent reason

Undifferentiated Schizophrenia Diagnosis given when person does not clearly fit into one of the other 3 subtypes Often has a combination of the symptoms of the other 3

Where do they end up? Unfortunately, many schizophrenics do not receive the treatment that they need Most are not in psychiatric hospitals, but instead living on the streets or in jail

It is estimated that anywhere from 30 – 60% of the homeless population in this country is mentally ill – that translates to hundreds of thousands of mentally ill individuals living on the streets of America Most of those who are in jail are not in for violent crimes, but rather for petty things like trespassing or disturbing the peace – they are usually not even aware of why they are being arrested

What about treatment? Though treatment is available many do not benefit from it for a number of reasons. Some are unresponsive to medication Some refuse treatment because they do not trust the doctors/social workers or because they don’t believe they are ill Some are not capable of regularly taking their medication due to forgetfulness or disorganized thinking

Can a schizophrenic be forced into treatment if they would clearly benefit from it? No one can be forced into a psychiatric hospital or forced to take medication against their will unless it is determined that they are a danger to themselves or others i.e. makes a suicide threat or threatens to kill someone else