Page 122 - Biblical Counseling II

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, but 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 into 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)

120