One in 100 people will experience schizophrenia in the UK – it is not as uncommon as you think.
While attitudes to mental health have progressed over the last decade, understanding of this much-misunderstood illness has remained largely unchanged. Join Rethink Mental Illness on the 25 July and help share their message of hope as we encourage people to challenge the stigma and discrimination that surrounds the condition.
WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA?
Schizophrenia doesn’t mean split personality but describes a much more complex condition that can affect the way a person experiences the world around them. People living with schizophrenia can often experiences some, or all, of the following symptoms:
- Hearing voices / visual hallucinations,
- Disorganised or delusional thoughts,
- Feeling or smelling things that are not there.
Please visit the Rethink Mental Illness website for more information about diagnosis and symptoms
CAN PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA RECOVER?
When we talk about recovery, often this can mean regaining a good quality of life rather than being ‘cured’. With the right combination of support, one in four people will make a recovery and go on to live independently without further episodes.
This is why Rethink Mental Illness believes that a diagnosis of schizophrenia should not be a barrier to a good quality of life. People who have live with schizophrenia should be able to access care and treatment when they need it, with wider support for other important elements in their lives, such as housing, employment and their physical health, to help them have that maximum quality of life.
You can help us make this happen – look out for Rethink Mental Illnesses social media content on the 25 July and be ready to share it with your family, friends, and work colleagues. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
