What is it like living with someone with schizophrenia?

Individuals will show a lack of interest and pleasure in everyday life. There may be a lack of ability to maintain planned activities, and a person will often not speak when spoken to. A person who shows negative symptoms often needs help with everyday activities, such as personal hygiene.
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Can you live with someone with schizophrenia?

Living with family can be a good option for someone with schizophrenia if their family members understand the illness well, have a strong support system of their own, and are able to provide whatever assistance is needed.
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What is it like talking to someone with schizophrenia?

A person with schizophrenia may not respond in the way we might expect in a 'normal' conversation. Your words may be met with silence or monosyllabic answers. In some cases, the person may say that they are extremely interested in what you want to discuss, but their facial expression and tone may not reflect the same.
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Should you trust someone with schizophrenia?

Challenging or denying hallucinations and delusions

A lack of trust can make it more difficult to support them and encourage them to get help for symptoms. Offering support doesn't mean pretending to believe in the hallucinations or delusions. You can simply say: “It must feel so upsetting to hear those voices.”
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What should you not say to someone with schizophrenia?

What not to say to someone with schizophrenia
  • Don't be rude or unsupportive. ...
  • Don't bully them into doing something they don't want to do. ...
  • Don't interrupt them. ...
  • Don't assume you know what they need. ...
  • Don't second guess or diagnose them. ...
  • Don't use words that make you seem like an enemy. ...
  • Start a dialogue, not a debate.
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What it's like Living with Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Disorder



What do schizophrenics do all day?

They may sit for hours without moving or talking. These symptoms make holding a job, forming relationships, and other day-to-day functions especially difficult for people with schizophrenia. changes in emotions, movements and behavior.
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What are the three stages of schizophrenia?

The phases of schizophrenia include:
  • Prodromal. This early stage is often not recognized until after the illness has progressed.
  • Active. Also known as acute schizophrenia, this phase is the most visible. ...
  • Residual.
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Does schizophrenia worsen with age?

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that may wax and wane in severity, but it does not typically worsen with age. 1 For some people, the symptoms of schizophrenia will improve over time while for others the symptoms will stay the same or get worse.
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What schizophrenia does to families?

Individuals with schizophrenia may be emotionally unavailable because of preoccupation with their mental stress. As a result, family members may feel rejected and lonely. b. Family members often experience these negative symptoms as more disturbing than the other (positive) symptoms (Pollio, North & Foster, 1998).
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What triggers schizophrenia?

The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.
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Should you tell a schizophrenic they are schizophrenic?

An essential part of the treatment of people who have schizophrenia must be to inform them of their diagnosis. Not to do so reverts to a time of medical paternalism (as in previous cancer care) where patients were not allowed the basic ethical right to take part in decisions about their health care.
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Do schizophrenics say weird things?

These voices may be from people they know or people they don't know. They might be judging or threatening them. They could also be a narration of what the person is doing or demanding them to do certain things. Sometimes the voice isn't a voice at all — instead it's a sound like a whistle or hissing noise.
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Whats the best way to talk to a schizophrenic?

Actively listen to what they express they're feeling, sensing, or hearing, regardless of whether it makes sense to you. Ask them what you can do to help them right now — encouragement can help increase motivation. Let your loved one know you're there for them whenever they're ready to talk with you.
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How long do schizophrenic patients live?

The life expectancy of patients with schizophrenia is reduced by between 15 and 25 years. Those patients dying of natural causes die of the same diseases as in the general population. In 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) identified underlying global risk factors for mortality in the general population.
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What are 4 symptoms of schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that affects less than one percent of the U.S. population. When schizophrenia is active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking and lack of motivation.
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Can a schizophrenic live alone?

With medication, most schizophrenics are able to have some control over the disorder. It is estimated that approximately 28% of schizophrenics live independently, 20% live in group homes, and about 25% live with family members.
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Can schizophrenic love?

Finding love while living with schizophrenia, however, is far from impossible. It begins with good, ongoing treatment and continues with patience, practice, and persistence.
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What are the challenges of living with schizophrenia?

Complications that schizophrenia may cause or be associated with include:
  • Suicide, suicide attempts and thoughts of suicide.
  • Anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Depression.
  • Abuse of alcohol or other drugs, including nicotine.
  • Inability to work or attend school.
  • Financial problems and homelessness.
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How does schizophrenia affect those around them?

"Negative" symptoms-those that are absent in people with schizophrenia but present in others-may also occur, including: apathy and inability to follow through on tasks. inability to experience pleasure and to enjoy relationships. inability to feel and express emotions.
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What it feels like to have schizophrenia?

These simply mean experiences that someone with schizophrenia has, such as hallucinations, delusions, unusual physical movements, and illogical thoughts. “These are as real to the person with schizophrenia as it would be if someone came in the room and started talking to you,” Weinstein says.
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What activities help with schizophrenia?

Summary: Aerobic exercise, such as treadmills and exercise bikes, in combination with their medication, can significantly help people coping with the long-term mental health condition schizophrenia, according to a new study.
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What are positive signs of schizophrenia?

positive symptoms – any change in behaviour or thoughts, such as hallucinations or delusions. negative symptoms – where people appear to withdraw from the world around then, take no interest in everyday social interactions, and often appear emotionless and flat.
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Can schizophrenics be manipulative?

“Science shows that chronic schizophrenics probably have a biochemical imbalance, but there's also very much a learned, manipulative component to the illness that people don't realize,” Ellis said.
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How do you have a relationship with schizophrenia?

Here are some tips:
  1. Educate yourself. ...
  2. Listen. ...
  3. Use empathy, not arguments. ...
  4. Don't take it personally. ...
  5. Take care of yourself, too. ...
  6. Maintain your social network. ...
  7. Encourage your loved one to keep up with their treatment and recovery plan. ...
  8. Take action if you think you or your loved one is in danger.
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Is schizophrenia caused by trauma?

Research and experts suggest trauma, especially severe childhood trauma, can increase the likelihood of someone developing schizophrenia or expressing similar symptoms later in life. Although trauma cancause schizophrenia, traumatic life experiences usually don't lead to trauma-induced psychosis.
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