Page 135 - Biblical Counseling II-Textbook

Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia means “split mind.” “Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder, affecting 20 million
people worldwide. Schizophrenia is characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions,
language, sense of self and behavior. Common psychotic experiences include hallucinations (hearing,
seeing or feeling things that are not there) and delusions (fixed false beliefs or suspicions that are firmly
held even when there is evidence to the contrary). The disorder can make it difficult for people affected
to work or study normally (“Mental Disorders,” 2020).

“While a person with schizophrenia “may have
hallucinations seeing, feeling, tasting, or smelling things
that are not there. Most often, however, the
hallucinations are auditory, frequently voices making
insulting remarks or giving orders. The voices may tell the
patient that she is bad or that she must do something to
herself. Imagine your own reaction if a dream broke into
your waking consciousness. When the unreal seems real,
the resulting perceptions are at best bizarre, at worst
terrifying” (Myers, 2009).

This photo is by an artist with schizophrenia. It is titled
“The Future of Schizophrenia” (source: www.drjack.co.uk) The picture is somewhat terrifying, isn’t it? In class
when we talk about schizophrenia, students often share stories of people in their communities who
were viewed as either crazy or demon possessed but who may have schizophrenia. I share the story of a
man who lived in my small town growing up. He had been a star athlete in high school then developed
schizophrenia as an adult. He wandered around town talking to himself and to people and things that
weren’t there. He often had rubber bands somewhere on his face, usually around his ears, to keep the
evil spirits away. He clearly experienced auditory and visual hallucinations.

“What causes schizophrenia? It is one of the most heavily researched disorders. Most of the new
research studies link it with brain abnormalities and genetic predispositions. Schizophrenia is a disease
of the brain exhibited in symptoms of the mind (Myers, 2009) Studies also show that “certain mind-
altering drugs called psychoactive or psychotropic drugs, such as methamphetamines or LSD, can make
schizophrenia more likely. Some research has shown that marijuana has a similar risk. The younger you
start and the more often you use these drugs, the more likely you are to have symptoms like
hallucinations, delusions, inappropriate emotions, and trouble thinking clearly” (NAMI, 2020).

“Stigma and discrimination can result in a lack of access to health and social services. Furthermore,
people with psychosis are at high risk of exposure to human rights violations, such as long-term
confinement in mental institutions. Schizophrenia typically begins in late adolescence or early
adulthood. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective. With appropriate treatment
and social support, affected people can lead a productive life and be integrated in society. Facilitation of
assisted living, supported housing and supported employment can act as a base from which people with
severe mental disorders, including schizophrenia, can achieve numerous recovery goals as they often
face difficulty in obtaining or retaining a place to live and normal employment” (WHO, p. 1, 2019)

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