Living with Schizophrenia - reality & hope

"Imagine suddenly developing an illness in which you are bombarded with voices from forces you cannot see, & stripped of your ability to understand what is real & what is not.  You discover that you cannot trust your senses, your mind plays tricks on you, & your family & friends seem part of a conspiracy to harm you.  Unless properly treated, these psychotic experiences may destroy your hopes & ambitions, make other people recoil from you, & ultimately cut your life short.  Some 220,000 people in England have such psychotic experiences - we probably all know a family who is affected, but the stigma is such that they may be keeping it a secret"  

(Prof Robin Murray, The Abandoned Illness - report by the Schizophrenia Commission)

Schizophrenia, with over 26 million people diagnosed worldwide, is the most common psychotic mental illness: 220,000 people in England are subject to a diagnosis of schizophrenia; 30%, some £2.5 billion, of our annual mental health & social care spend (but, this is being cut & more than 55% is already spent just on in-patient care); an overall cost to the nation of some £12 billion; with poor health indicators & high mortality rates, it is scandalous that those diagnosed with schizophrenia die 15-20 years younger than the general British population.  Anyone with an interest in the impact of this condition should read the Schizophrenia Commission's powerful & shaming 2011 report (or Executive Summary) which can be accessed here. This is a damning report; indicting our health, social care, & political institutions; in reality, our society as a whole.  However, the Commission offers more than a glimmer of hope, outlining achievable solutions that might yet improve the lot of folk who experience this most debilitating illness.

The National Audit of Schizophrenia (2012) provides a comprehensive picture of the quality of formal care & support received by those diagnosed with Schizophrenia in England & Wales.  Underpinning World Mental Health Day 2015, The World Federation for Mental Health published a very informative range of papers, Living with Schizophrenia, reflecting up-to-date scientific knowledge about the illness, & attempting to capture the real-life impact on individuals & families (a tad too 'medical model', but still a great starting point for improved understanding of schizophrenia).

Rethink Mental Illness & the Meridan Family Programme offer Caring for Yourself, a practical guide to inform & help those experiencing mental illness, their carers, family & friends.  Focused on developing new skills & coping strategies, the eight downloadable booklets offer tips & exercises to enhance self-care & provide 'how to' information for supporters & friends.

Many websites offer a broad range of information about Schizophrenia, causality, treatment, self help, & guidance for family & friends: Sane; Rethink Mental Illness; Mind; the Hearing Voices Network; the Royal College of Psychiatrists; Time to Change, to name but a few.  There is a huge rang of information, advice, research, & personal experience relating to Schizophrenia (& other severe mental illnesses) available on the web & at your local library... so, why not do a little reading, take a little time to think, make an effort to try to understand... & always have compassion...