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Misconceptions about People with Schizophrenia

Carola Finch
5 min readSep 30, 2024
Photo by Fernando @cferdophotography on Unsplash

I confess that I knew next to nothing about schizophrenia when someone close to me was diagnosed with this condition. Since then, I have found that there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about this mental health disorder.

Facts about schizophrenia

  • Three out of every 100 people will experience a psychotic episode at some time in their lives
  • The development of this condition happens in the late teens to early 20s for males and females, during their mid-20s to early 30s
  • Schizophrenia affects anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, culture, or economic status
  • Environment and genetics can play a role in the development of this condition
  • Approximately 50 percent of people with schizophrenia also abuse substances or have a chemical dependency

Understanding the meaning of “psychosis” and “psychotic”

Psychosis is one of the main characteristics of schizophrenia. This word is actually a medical term for a specific state of mind in which people lose touch with reality and experience auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. The term “psychotic” should not be used in place of words like “crazy.”

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Carola Finch
Carola Finch

Written by Carola Finch

Writer & author. Posts about Christian living, mental health, and social issues. Website: carolafinch.ca

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