Dinner

During my Thanksgiving break I had the privilege to have dinner with someone who suffers from schizophrenia. When starting my research, that's all I had in mind! To sit down, and talk face to face with a schizophrenic. I wanted to see personally if it was obvious that they had a mental illness, to see if they acted any different from the rest of us normal people, to personally gain more experience and knowledge with this subject.
I know for some of you guys it would be the last thing you would want to do, because of what you heard about this illness. The danger, the aggression, and random attacks. But like I've stated in my past blog, they can live a normal life, be friendly and do things they did before the diagnose. My mother thought I was crazy bringing her to the house for dinner. I was excited.  And let me tell you, she was nothing like I had imagined...well sort of.
Unfortunately, taping the dinner was a bit out of the question. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable or intimidated by anything around her. I was writing notes on some of the questions I had asked her, and will share shortly with you too, I just want to share a bit of background information about her past and what she and her family have, and will continue to deal with...
Her name is Ali.
She is 24 years old and has a younger sister who is 20.
She lives with her mother, and sister.
Her diagnosed was a big surprise to her family, and she just accepted the fact to being a schizophrenic two years ago. She was diagnosed with this mental illness when she was 20, although she had symptoms starting when she was 17.
Being a teen and having schizophrenic symptoms is very difficult to determine if its actually a mental illness or if its just her being a teen. She always wanted to be alone, her appetite was very low, her music choice changed. She was going out and would get into trouble with others, picking fights and arguments with anyone who disagreed with her. Her 4.0 G.P.A. dropped down below 2.0. Since she was the first born and that's the stage where teenagers are known to do these things, her mom thought it was normal, and she soon would realize her bad habits would change.
But they didn't.
Her mom had to pick her up from the hospital because she had attempted to commit suicide. Apparently this wasn't the first time, but it got to the point where she almost succeeded. Her mom finally realized that there was something wrong. It wasn't just her being a rebellious teen anymore. Many test were ran and finally they were told she had schizophrenia. She has attacks, she forgets things, she isolates herself at times, she goes to school, has a part time job, and is soon getting married. I think her mom had the hardest time dealing with her illness. She lost her first born child as a teen, and although she will never be the same, she is still here living every day.

Hey Ali, can you tell me a bit about you?
I work and go to school. ummmm I like my job a lot! I eat cookies a lot too. Right mom?They're good.
Do you like cookies?
Me: Yes I do. I love sweets.
I like to draw when I have time, and sometimes go for walks. But I have to take my sister with me. Right?

How is school and work going for you?
Start. I tried telling my mom I need new shoes, but she says I have enough.
No one takes me seriously about it, but I think its an issue now, look!
Me: They look brand new, maybe you can ask that for Christmas?
No. School is boring, but I had a report due. I was scared ummmmm but I did it. End.

What about work?
Work? (Looks over to her mom)
Next. End.

Okay, Ali are you sick?
(looks at mom for reassurance, her mom nods and says yes.) Start. Well, look I loose track of my thoughts because I'm crazy. No. Not crazy. I feel good you know? I don't have a stuffy nose and headache's or feel sore...do you?
Me: No. not at all.
I like to be alone when I draw, I draw about life. One day I drew all the birds that were talking to me when I was waiting for the bus(she laughs). It was very funny! Right mom?

I had asked her why she likes to take long walks? I asked her if one day I can join her, since I myself enjoy them...this is when her mom noticed her facial expressions and told me that she was hearing voices. Her mom knows every moment she gets them and decided to let her have some space and calm down. She went outside with her sister for a few minutes, then came back.

Hey what happen? Are you okay? I can stop asking questions if that's what you want?
No. Its okay? Start. Right? Where were we? Oh right...ummmm wait no. I forgot.
End.
(Voices again)

Is there anything else you want to tell me?
I like you. Your very funny and pretty.
Me: Thanks! So are you.
Maybe we can hang out (voices)
No. End. I'll have to get back to you on that one...I'm not sure I have time.
Me: It's okay, whenever you can
I know I'm sick. I just don't like anyone to know about it, because....umm...End.
(Voices)



As you can see, she answered most of my questions, and sometimes went off track...She has never been interviewed or sat down for so long and it made her uncomfortable. So we ended shortly after we ate.
It was very interesting, and gave me my personal experience that I wanted. Although its hard to tell the difference by my posting this, in person it's different.
I did notice some things about her. When she would talk, she would say "start" and when she finished her response she would say "end". I was very confused and didn't know why she was doing it. She starred directly at me during our whole conversation, not looking away. (It was weird, so I would look away sometimes. She just gave me a smirk when I looked back a her) She answered my questions right away and sometimes twitched her head from side to side like a toddler does when they want something and they use the "I'm cute, give it to me" look. Telling me that she was done with that question. She would turn to her mom or sister and say "right guys?" to reassure me that she was telling the truth.
Altogether, my dinner was great.
Oh, by the way she changed her name to MiMi.
No one knows why, but who cares!
I'm happy to say that MiMi is doing well, and her family is there to support her along the way. They have supported her through all this time and will continue to do so.

Decisions.

How would you deal with a family member suffering with schizophrenia? Would you live with them? Send them to live in a mental hospital and visit them once a year? Or would you truly care and take care of them like if they were just a sick baby?

Family is the main support schizophrenics receive, whether it’s emotional or financially. 75% of schizophrenics are in regular contact with their families, and still enjoy their memories together. But, what happens to the others? Who is there to support them? What happen to their parents stepping up and always being there for them?

 

Family burden.

Most of the time, parents with mental ill children will live every day grieving the loss of the child they once had before the diagnose. They are embarrassed to go out in public and have everyone wondering, starring, and questioning their child. All of this leads to profound isolation. One third of schizophrenics are lucky enough to be still living with their aging parents taking care of them. They face day-to-day problems, including loss of income and disruption with basic household routines. The parents are forced to take extra care of their adult child, and protect them from anything they are facing. Family burden varies and really depend on the relationship that is within the patient and caregiver.

A diagnose of schizophrenia can take a major downfall on a healthy partner when they start to realize that this illness is becoming threatening or assaultive during his/hers symptoms. They are faced with more responsibility than they bargained for, and can cause them to become depressed, angry, and very emotional. When a patient is living with their aging parents, sibling are now taking over the spot, and can assume a primary role. They become more involved with the ill relative when the parents are unavailable. Schizophrenia creates issues with the sibling bond that can cause feelings of guilt, avoidance, and grieving. They often create a fear of becoming mentally ill or passing on “bad genes” to their children and future family members.

The family experience of schizophrenia is not restricted to burden and challenges. It sometimes become rewarding, particularly as the mentally ill relative makes progress in his or her recovery. Furthermore, sibling, parents, and caregivers, have gained personal qualities and strengths from having a mentally ill relative.

My question for you guys now is, would you stay or leave?

 Is it worth it? Knowing that they will never be the same person they were once then, knowing that they will be medicated or just have times where they will neglect all the time and support you are giving them?

I say yes.

---

 

The other side of schizophrenia

“I had a cousin who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He was 16 when he started his symptoms, it always became worse when my mother came around him. She is a very religious women. Every time we would go and visit them, he would sit in the corner of the room and stare at my mom, the whole entire time we were there. Hours of just starring. When we would gather around for dinner, my mother of course wanted to say prayer. He hated that. He would make a fit, and try to stop it all from happening. He would have attacks where he wanted to hurt anyone who tried to stop him. My mother was very suspicious, and would constantly ask me many questions on what we would talk about when we are alone. She didn’t really rely on doctors for cures, and medicine. She would ask if he had those attacks with me, if he ever hurt me, if he ever showed me his friends, or if he seemed a little off? He was normal to me. As ‘normal’ as anyone can be now a days. I attended church every Sunday, and so did his parents. Never did I see him there after his diagnosed. I always thought once people get informed with that type of condition or anything life changing they would become a bit more religious for certain reasons. But not for him. I remember my mother had picked me up from his house early Sunday morning to go for the ceremony, but this time it was different. He was coming along because my mother told his parents she was taking us for breakfast. She lied, and I knew she was up to something. I told her that he hates church and that he will get mad. To not take him, but she didn’t listen. My mother had dragged him along with us without telling him. I was scared. As we got out the car he noticed where we were and freaked out! I mean, he went nuts! I’ve seen him have small attacks but this was different, I can feel it, and so did my mom. He was screaming words no one understood, rolling on the floor while people tried to help him inside, he kicked and screamed, but no one helped him out his misery. He was tied to a chair facing the altar. ‘What is going on? Why are they hurting him? Mom, why are you doing this?’ I asked and asked but nobody paid attention to me, they just thanked me for binging him in. Me? I didn’t know about this? No. Not me. All I can think of, was how he was going to react when he found out I had a role in this. For the first time, I was scared to what he was going to do to me. I don’t like to tell what happen that Sunday, but all I can assure you of was that he was never the same; not that anyone every considered him like us, but to me he changed. He hated everyone and everything. He destroyed anything in his way, and hated me. He never spoke a word after that day, he locked himself in his room, never ate, and constantly had to be taken to the hospital. The doctors told his parents it’s a normal stage for schizophrenics, they become different and change the way they behave with family. Since it was a stage for him, no one paid much attention to his crazy attacks anymore. He eventually committed suicide when he was 23. He left his journal at my house. I read it and was able to finally understand what he was going through. He had a friend named Sam. He followed him everywhere, told him to do all the bad things he ever did. Tormented him the first day he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia until the last day. He made him leave us. Sam did this all! I never met him, why did we never meet. Me and him were close and shared everything. The last page in his journal described how he looked like… he mentioned that he had to go somewhere new because Sam wasn’t happy that my mom saw him.”

                I grew up in a household where church on Sunday was a priority, not a choice. My family is very religious, and I do believe in the good and evil. It was never forced on me like everyone believes, I had a choice and made mine. I do sometimes sit and wonder about things like this, but it never crossed my mind that schizophrenia can be linked with demonic possession. I get frightened very easily about things like this, but sitting down with my coworker and hearing his story made me a lot more curious. So I went ahead and sat down, and listened to everything he had to tell me on his view of schizophrenia and what he believes in. He let me talk about what I have been researching and learning, which were mostly facts, but then it was his turn.

He showed me some family pictures of his cousin. Some before his diagnose and others when he was going through hard times. He changes physically and it was an obvious thing. I saw how his face and body changed within the pictured as they grew closer to the time when he died. There was one picture that captured my attention, and he said it was his proof of Sam. During the church visit, he was tied to a chair, there was no way he could move or get up. Several pictures were taken, and I got the chance to see them. One of them had a black shadow that fully covered his face and body. You can see everything else clearly, even the chair he was sitting on, but not his body. When his mother was praying and holding his head backwards, you can see his eyes a complete different color than what they usually were; brown. They were red. Not just the pupil, but the entire thing. The last pictures he showed me was the last family meals they had together. There was always a black shadow either right next to him or one that completely covered him, to the point that you can’t even tell he was ever in the picture. I would have showed you guys what I was able to see, but he was comfortable doing that. All I can say now is that, I truly believe in evil. This isn’t a blog, to convince anyone to believe in what I was told or seen in the pictures, but just to let you guys know what others have to think of a mental disorder like schizophrenia.  

 

 

 

Is there a treatment?

   The cause of schizophrenia is not fully known. However, it is said that schizophrenia usually results from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors.
   Because schizophrenia has a strong hereditary component, people with a first degree relative(parent or sibling) who has this illness, have a 10 percent chance of developing it as well. The general population only has a one percent chance. Amazingly, 60 percent of schizophrenics have no family members with the disorder! So how did it evolve? This comes to show that biology is not destiny.
   Studies have suggested that inherited genes make a person vulnerable to schizophrenia and then environmental factors act on this vulnerability to trigger the disorder even more. Stress is a major factor which influences schizophrenia symptoms. Factors such as prenatal difficulties, viral infections, prenatal complications, and various stressors seam to influence the development of this disorder. Other recent studies think that schizophrenia may result in part when a certain gene that is key to making important brain chemicals malfunctions.
   Overall, research is still on going about where schizophrenia develops and where it originally came from. Which to me means that no one really knows what schizophrenia is!
   Schizophrenia is known to many, but since no one really knows the history or how to control it properly, they use medication. Drugs. Antipsychotic medications. Its a life long treatment, and once taking the medications thousand of doctors suggest that they keep on using even if the symptoms have gone away. These medications usually help a schizophrenic reduce their symptoms such as; hallucinations, delusions, and incoherence.
   Another form to treat this disorder is going to therapy. Unlike the medications, therapy helps the patient go on with life knowing they have this illness, and still have social interactions with others. They help them understand all of the symptoms they have, the crazy thoughts, and sudden urges to do things.
   I recently, had a conversation with one of my co-workers who has an cousin with this disorder. As I was telling him about what I was learning, he stopped me and said he doesn't believe in the word schizophrenia. I was taken back on what he was telling me, which lead me to research a little more into what he was telling me. A little off the lines with what I'm studying but I wanted to try and see his point of view. Here is a small video of what he had shown me...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beAjfx1g24o

Since he is not the first person to tell me this, I thought maybe my next blog will be about others perspectives on schizophrenia. Whether is good or evil.

inside.

“I thought space aliens were after me. I didn’t dare leave my room and covered all my windows with aluminum foil to keep them out. I refused to eat because I thought the food was poisoned.”

             This is a quote from a young lady who believes her delusions are real. No one could convince her otherwise. Below is a couple of blogs from a schizophrenic himself. Just to take a closer look on how they think, check it out! http://lifeofschizo.blogspot.com/

           Schizophrenia is NOT a MPD (multiple personality disorder)! This is a common misconception that has greatly contributed to the ‘schizophrenic stigma’ which makes life for people suffering with this illness even more difficult. MPD has been blown out of perspective by society, making it look a lot worse than it really is.  Not all people suffering with schizophrenia will have the same type of

experiences, but they will all at some point have some disturbances in thinking, feeling and having a social life with others. The symptoms range in severity and consistency. They may come on very suddenly, or they may gradually appear over an extended period of time. Symptoms vary within each individual, a schizophrenic may suffer no symptoms at all before experiencing a psychotic episode where symptoms suddenly increase. Schizophrenia has three stages in which people have the time to fully develop the illness, in which then, others can be fully aware of it too.
         Prodromal phase, is the first stage in which people begin to lose interest in their usual activities, and start to stay aware from family and friends. A person is now overwhelmed with everything, and cannot concentrate on a day-to-day task, which causes them to spend most of their days alone. Family members will most likely think they are lazy and get upset over the behavior being shown, rather them taking a second to sit down and see what the problem is. I realized these are phases that teenagers go through on a daily basis, so how exactly can you tell whether a teenager has schizophrenia? You can’t. Unfortunately, no one will notice until they get into the second stage, which is the active phase.
        This is the stage where everyone around will start to think they are absolutely crazy! Many people will start to have hallucinations, experience delusions, strange behavior and feelings, and of course, ‘the voices’.  They may believe that the day they are living through is nothing but a dream, or that the person they pass on the street was only a hallucination.

     The last phase is the residual phase which is somewhat similar to the Prodromal stage in which, they completely want to be withdrawn from everything and everything around them. Their ability to function a ‘normal life’ will decrease after each active phase.

Just like everything else in life, schizophrenia symptoms fall into two categories—“Positive” and “negative” symptoms. The positive symptoms are often called psychotic symptoms because they refer to the symptoms that appear. Negative symptoms refer to the elements that are taken away from a person.

Positive                                                                                   Negative

-          Delusions                                                                                - Attention

-          Hallucinations                                                                        - Memory

-          Disorganized thoughts                                                          - Fluency of thought&language

-          Mood swings                                                                           - Emotional expression

-          Strange behavior                                                                    - Judgment

                                                                                                   -Decision making&motivation

  

 

 

Introduction to the mind

Hello there,

                I have been given the opportunity to research whatever it is I want this term in class, and I love it! I would have thought to research a completely different subject, something that’s not school related, or even involved with it. But here I am, researching schizophrenia…

                I only knew what I have heard about this condition, which was the mood swings, aggressive behavior, and death. All of which is semi false. I have started my research with just typing in the word schizophrenia into google, and seeing what I get. Of course, the first thing I saw was the definition. Every source I went to had a different version. Why? Because the reason that this condition evolved, or how it comes to start is still unknown, which means that test are being performed frequently to try and figure out more about it. I thought about it, and wondered how something can be named, been known for years, has treatments, is given as a condition, but NOBODY knows where it comes from and how it started specifically.

So far I have managed to find out that schizophrenia is a very misleading illness, which everyone thinks is a split personality. It’s not. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it hard to: Tell the difference between what is real and not real, think clearly, have normal emotional responses, or act normally in social situations.  People suffering from this illness do not have the same symptoms as everyone else. Just like every individual, we are different.

There are 5 different types of schizophrenia categories you get placed in, which are; Paranoid schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia, Catatonic schizophrenia, undifferentiated schizophrenia, and Residual schizophrenia. You can also have positive and negative symptoms while leading up to this illness...which I will inform you next time! J