Every year the Mental Health Foundation celebrates World Mental Health Day. This year they are highlighting Schizophrenia.
Worldwide Schizophrenia affects around 26 million people. Schizophrenia affects how a person thinks, feels, and acts but it’s actually a word that describes a number of symptoms that psychiatry has labelled a disorder. Not everyone with schizophrenia has the same symptoms and the definition of the disorder is wide, including a number of combinations of different things.
Schizophrenia may make it hard for people to judge reality and key features of early psychosis include:
- Sleep disturbance
- Appetite disturbance
- Marked unusual behavior
- Feelings that are flat or seem inconsistent to others
- Speech that is difficult to follow
- Marked preoccupation with unusual ideas
- Ideas of reference – thinking unrelated things have a special meaning, ie people on television talking to you
- Persistent feelings of unreality
- Changes in the way things appear, sound or smell.
Schizophrenia can occur in anyone but it’s a treatable disorder. Long term medication may be necessary for some people but talking therapies and self-help groups can also be effective.
To find out more about this disorder, please visit: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/S/schizophrenia/
Caring for someone with a mental health problem
The mental health charity Mind, provide a downloadable guide for carers of people with mental health problems.
Youngminds provide a wealth of advice and support for children and young people affected by a mental health problem and for parents.
A document published through collaboration between The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the Royal College of General Practitioners, entitled ‘Supporting Carers and action guide for general practitioners’ recognises the effects on a person’s mental health and wellbeing of being a carer and outlines how GP’s can better support carers.
