People with schizophrenia face many daily difficulties of different types and need to be addressed at different levels: biological, psychological and social.
Anyone with a disease knows that it will be accompanied by daily difficulties; when this disease is of mental origin, such as schizophrenia, it is necessary to take into account other factors, such as social stigma.
- The documentary “Follows the Challenge of Schizophrenia”.
- In which Eduard Punset interviews neuropsychiatist Maria Ron for the Redes program.
- Talks differently to understand and live the disease in people with it.
They are especially critical with topics such as diagnosis and labels, general pharmacological treatment, social stigma and the absence of alternative therapeutic pathways to pharmacological pathways that allow them to integrate socially (direct relationship with the environment, the family, etc. ).
They show that this is not an individual problem, but a community problem, moreover, they point out that it is so complex that it cannot be reduced to a simple diagnostic manual.
“Schizophrenia cannot be understood without understanding despair. “- Ronald Laing-
According to neuropsychiatist Maria Ron, schizophrenia is currently considered a syndrome that has a set of symptoms that can develop in different ways over a period of time, these symptoms can be of two types:
It should be noted that medicines are generally useful for treating positive symptoms, while drug intervention is not as effective in treating negative symptoms.
However, the latter can be addressed when the intervention is complemented by other types of non-pharmacological therapies, such as cognitive stimulation, music therapy, relaxation techniques, among others.
On the other hand, any type of treatment, whether pharmacological or not, must be adapted to the needs of the patient, let us not forget that we do not yet have a comprehensive and closed neuropsychological profile of schizophrenia.
This is the consequence of the heterogeneity of the disorder, despite the coincidences of certain neurochemical, functional and anatomical changes in patients.
Genetics is one of the most important of the possible triggers or factors that can weigh as predictors, in addition, we can add a number of external aspects:
There are countless socio-educational projects that promote the integration of people with schizophrenia into society and help treat the negative symptoms of disorders (the most resistant to medication).
Among them, we have the Radio Nikosia project, with the motto “The healing power of words”, which refers to the open talk about schizophrenia and all it entails is a way of helping.
This radio project promotes a free space that allows patients to gain self-confidence, feel more integrated, leave the role or identity of the mentally ill, feel useful and be seen as people whose potential goes far beyond the disorder they suffer. .
Some people living with the syndrome show their non-compliance because diagnoses and medications are standardized, i. e. they generally use the same criteria and treat all affected people equally, regardless of gender, age, weight, and other important factors.
What they want is to be treated as people and not as sick, labeled schizophrenic and dangerous.
People with schizophrenia are often considered potentially dangerous, although current data denies this idea.
The facts analysed indicate that crimes committed by people with schizophrenia are rare; On numerous occasions, cases have been found where schizophrenia has been determined to be the cause of crimes for which there is apparently no reason.
As for the crimes that are actually the result of schizophrenia, we find that people with a paranoid illusion are especially dangerous: they attack because they feel threatened by a danger they consider real, however, this second idea should not make us forget the first.
“It’s not about having equal rights, it’s about having the right to be different. “- Anonymous-
People with schizophrenia say the cure is to address the cause of the disease; on the other hand, most interventions, past and present, focus on combating unpleasant symptoms with palliative treatment, which reassures the person and makes them uncomfortable.
They ask to be heard, that professionals and those affected by the disorder work together to shape a proper intervention.
Being aware of the complexity of the disorder and seeing it as a whole, with positive and negative symptoms, is a first step in understanding the daily difficulties patients face.
In addition, it is essential to listen to all the demands of people with the disease and to seek common solutions.
Thus, interdisciplinary interventions could yield more promising results, while being a recognition of the complexity of a disorder that, in many cases, can only be narcoticized, implying it at the biological, psychological and social levels.
“Integration doesn’t go at the same pace, it values the fact that there are different rhythms. “- Anonymous-