World Schizophrenia Awareness Day
Hello, Happy Minds. If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ll know that we like to champion awareness days, either through our Inclusion Calendar or in a longer blog format. May had tons of interesting awareness days to pick from, but I found myself irresistibly drawn to World Schizophrenia Awareness Day (May 24th) for the simple reason that I realised that I barely knew anything about either the day or the mental health disorder, and I wanted to remedy both, post-haste.
So shall we learn together? Let’s do it.
First, a little bit of history
I want to get in there early and shout about 18th century physician Philippe Pinel, in whose honour the date was founded. 24th May is supposedly the date that Pinel ordered those incarcerated in the asylum that he oversaw to be set free of their shackles. While you can find some incredible illustrations of this event out there, there is some doubt that it occurred as depicted. Nevertheless, Dr Pinel instigated a sea-change in how psychiatric patients are treated, preferring to rely on science and talking therapies rather than the brutal treatments utilised at the time. His massive contributions to the ongoing campaign for mental health equity should be commemorated. The goal of World Schizophrenia Awareness Day is to continue in his spirit by educating others about the realities of living with schizophrenia, in order to help those suffering from the disease to find compassion and understanding in their communities.
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is often described as a type of psychosis, this means those living with it may experience hallucinations, delusions and may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality. It doesn’t discriminate. It affects all genders and people from all social backgrounds, with onsets most often occurring in the late teen years or in the early twenties. It can be triggered by a stressful life event, but it’s likely to be (at least in part) genetically determined. While there is no known cure, through diagnosis, treatment and the support of those around them it is possible to live a meaningful and happy life with schizophrenia.
Stigma and discrimination
Sadly, there’s so much stigma surrounding schizophrenia that those dealing with the condition can feel pushed to the margins of society, when they are most in need of empathy and support. They can face not just shame but real barriers to basic needs like healthcare, education, housing, and jobs. For example, in the UK, only about 13% of people with schizophrenia are employed. And, according to the World Health Organization in 2022, these hurdles can make their symptoms even worse, adding to their struggles.
All of this negative stigma is partially due to a lack of public understanding; If you don’t know someone directly affected, it’s likely that everything you’ve learned about this disorder was influenced by its negative portrayal in the media. One study found that across 42 characters depicted as schizophrenic in films released between 1990-2010, one-third of them engaged in homicidal behaviour, one-quarter committed suicide and the majority exhibited violence toward others. Is it any wonder that patients are met with fear and misunderstanding from those around them?
That’s why awareness days like World Schizophrenia Day are so important. They present an opportunity to shine a light on this misrepresented condition and educate ourselves and each other about the realities of living with it, so that we can end the stigma and create a more supportive and humane society for all.
What’s it like to live with schizophrenia?
Imagine hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t actually there. How would you feel if it seemed like people were out to get you and you couldn’t figure out who you could trust? Would you realise that something wasn’t right?
Sadly, many people with schizophrenia don’t recognise that these experiences are symptoms of a mental health condition. They might feel their lives coming apart at the seams, yet believe everything they’re experiencing is normal. Some might even think they have special insights or abilities that others simply don’t understand. It’s a tough and often isolating reality.
It’s true that the experiences of those living with this disease can be tricky to understand from a neurotypical perspective, and that may seem a little frightening. However, I found a few personal accounts which I have linked below which demonstrate that the disorder is far more frightening for those who are actually experiencing the symptoms first hand.
Real-world experiences
For example, Leon writes about hearing voices telling him to crash the car while driving, and being persecuted day and night by antagonists only he could perceive. While, the fear of being judged by others made Mark afraid to leave the house because he was anxious about having a public episode and attracting attention from people who didn’t understand his condition. Ashley found that the hardest thing about being diagnosed was trusting others with the truth, for fear that they would reject or judge her. The common theme that I found when researching all these experiences, is that we could lessen their suffering simply by educating ourselves about the condition and what they are going through. So how can we help break the stigma?
The power of language
Language is incredibly powerful—it can shape perceptions and impact lives deeply (sidenote: you can read more about that in my How Language Shapes Reality blog post).
When we choose our words, we have the opportunity to either challenge harmful stereotypes or inadvertently reinforce them. Using stigmatising terms like “crazy” can perpetuate negative stereotypes, leading to some of those issues I mentioned above (exclusion from jobs, housing, and social circles etc), and this can deeply hurt someone’s relationships and self-esteem. This kind of language can make people believe the negative things they hear about themselves, which can add to their symptoms and delay their recovery.
Person-first language has been the most widely accepted way to address someone but this has been changing more recently. Person-first language means “person with a disability”. The preferred usage can vary from disability to disability and even person to person. Person-first language vs. identity-first language comes down to preference. For example, Autistic people tend to prefer identity-first language. When you’re speaking to someone and you aren’t sure which they prefer, it’s best to ask.
More tips and take-aways
Okay, so now we’re a little bit closer to understanding schizophrenia, here are a few more things we can all do to make the world a slightly better place – this World Schizophrenia Awareness day and beyond. Do just one or all of them if you like.
- Educate yourself on schizophrenia by reading one (or more) of the blogs I’ve linked for you above.
- Share some info about the day through your social media channels to make it clear you’re an advocate for informed, compassionate mental health care. This can really help those suffering in secret to feel seen and validated.
- Give a donation of your time or money to a schizophrenia charity – like SANE or Maudsley.
As the Inclusion Calendar continuously reminds me, we are on this big ol’ learning journey together. And life is about approaching each day, and each person, with an open mind.
Remember, we still have more in common than that which divides us. So, on that note: go well, be kind and – as the great Bill and Ted once said: “be excellent to each other.”
