In this article on Schizophrenia random facts we are not going to delve deep into the disease itself. We will rather talk about other facts. These facts are very disturbing and everyone should know because, this mental illness can affect just anyone.
Knowing these schizophrenia random facts is thus very important so that proper care can be imparted to people suffering from the disease. Let us take a quick look into the facts…
Schizophrenia Random Facts: 1-5
1. Schizophrenia is not limited to a single country or place. It is a disease that is found throughout this world irrespective of cultures, races and social classes.
2. Schizophrenia is so widespread that in US alone, 2.2 million people are affected by this brain disorder in any given year.
3. This disease is most likely to affect people within the age range of 16 and 30 years. However, it doesn’t mean that others cannot get this disease.
4. Men and women are equally affected by this disease. This disease has absolutely no gender preference.
5. There is however an age preference that is in turn dependent on the gender. In case of males, Schizophrenia will attack for the first time within the age range 16-20.
Schizophrenia Random Facts: 6-10
6. In case of females, Schizophrenia will attack for the first time within the age range of 25-30.
7. Scientists believe that the extra levels of progesterone and estrogen in women in those extra years may be the reason for delayed onset of the disease.
8. The experience with the disease will completely differ from one person to another. This means that two Schizophrenic people will not have same experience.
9. Children who are as young as 12 years or below are also susceptible to this disastrous disease. However, the cases are very rare.
10. Schizophrenic people can recover from the disease. Over years doctors have found that 25% of all Schizophrenic people actually recover completely with proper medication and care.
Schizophrenia Random Facts: 11-15
11. About 50% of such patients will see significant improvements in their symptoms over years of treatment.
12. There is a misconception that Schizophrenic people are lazy. No, this isn’t true at all! Schizophrenic people just need some additional help with their daily chores.
13. Yet another misconception about the disease is that Schizophrenic people need to be admitted to mental hospitals. This WAS true back in the past when the understanding was very poor.
Schizophrenic don’t need to be asylum. Proper medical treatment and family support at home works just fine.
14. Here is something weird. In case you think that a person suffering from Schizophrenia is not smart at all, you need to rethink. Did you know that Nobel Laureate John Nash was Schizophrenic?
15. Schizophrenia is to minor extent, hereditary. Genes play an important role in Schizophrenia but it doesn’t mean that a child will surely get the disease from his/her parents.
As a matter of fact, if one of the parents has Schizophrenia, the possibility of child getting the same mental disorder is a scanty 10%.
Schizophrenia Random Facts: 16-20
16. There is however a problem. If more than one people in the family has Schizophrenia, the possibility of a child contracting the disease is pretty high.
17. Movies often portray that bad parenting leads to Schizophrenia. Get this notion out of your mind. A parent’s deeds and mistakes has nothing to do with Schizophrenia. The disease may get in because of drug abuse, trauma or through genes but never because of bad parenting.
18. TV shows and movies have successfully portrayed a wrong notion that Schizophrenic people are very violent and aggressive. It real life, it is pretty much the opposite. Schizophrenic people are unpredictable but they are rarely violent.
19. Those with violent traits have some other associated problem such as substance abuse. As a matter of fact, Schizophrenic people are actually prone to abuse and violence.
20. It is not uncommon to find people who think that Schizophrenics have split personalities. This is totally FALSE. That split personality thing is called Multiple Personality Disorder. It has nothing to do with Schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia Random Facts: 21-25
21. Schizophrenic people cannot easily maintain good relationships with friends and coworkers. It is because of this, they can have difficulty finding friends, jobs or even housing.
22. People suffering from Schizophrenia will find it very difficult to remember things and will lose focus quickly. They will have difficulty in paying attention and hence, a caregiver should not quickly get irritated.
23. Schizophrenic people get depressed and become prone to suicide. One of the harsh realities is that about 10% of people suffering from Schizophrenia commit suicide. So, people family support is very essential.
24. There are absolutely no known tests in the entire world that can diagnose Schizophrenia. The only way doctors can diagnose Schizophrenia is by observing. This makes its very difficult. Humans are yet to learn A LOT about the brain.
25. Antipsychotic drugs are what used to medically treating Schizophrenic people. However, did you know that those drugs that were introduced back in 1950 are still in use?
Schizophrenia Random Facts: 26-30
26. It turns out that the new wave of antipsychotic drugs for treating Schizophrenia that were introduced in the 1990s didn’t increase the efficacy of the drugs in in form. They only managed to reduce some negative side effects of the those introduced in 1950s.
27. Schizophreniic people may have grand delusions. They may think of themselves as exalted persons. Some may think of themselves as gods.
28. Schizophrenic people are mostly affected by auditory hallucinations. They usually hear ‘voices’.
29. Some patients of Schizophrenia have paranoid delusions. For example, they may believe that some intelligence agency has tapped their phones or they may even believe that some mafia gang has a hitman arranged to put them away.
30. The term ‘Schizophrenia’ was coined back in 1887 by Dr. Emile Kreplin. However, the illness itself is very ancient. One of the earliest recorded mentions of psychotic disorders like that of Schizophrenia can be found in Ancient Egyptian text known as The Book of Hearts. However, that doesn’t mean that Egyptians were the ones who discovered the disease. People of farther antiquity may have had experiences with the illness.