Mental health awareness week is 18-24th May this year and the theme is Kindness. This week Futureworks will be raising awareness of Mental Health.
Today's post will be focusing on Schizophrenia, Psychosis & Hallucinations, understanding what these are, how they affect people differently and how people cope with them on a day to day basis. These posts are to raise awareness about mental health conditions and for you to gain an understanding of what you or others may be going through.
If you have any questions about these posts or would like to talk to somebody about your own mental health please contact: support@futureworks.ac.uk
Schizophrenia is a mental illness which affects the way you think. The symptoms may affect how you cope with day to day life. You could be diagnosed with schizophrenia if you experience some of the following symptoms:
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Disorganised thinking
- Lack of motivation
- Slow movement
- Change in sleep patterns
- Poor grooming or hygiene
- Changes in body language and emotions
- Less interest in social activities
- Low sex drive.
Everyone is different. Not everyone with schizophrenia will get all of these symptoms.
Types of Schizophrenia
There are different kinds of schizophrenia. See here for more info.
What causes Schizophrenia?
Nobody knows exactly what causes schizophrenia, it is likely to be the result of several factors. For example: brain chemistry, genetics and birth complications can cause schizophrenia. Some people can develop the illness as a result of a stressful event, such as the death of a loved one or the loss of a job. Experiences like growing up in a town or city, stressful life events and moving to a new town or country can also trigger symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia. There is a strong link between the use of strong cannabis and the development of schizophrenia.
A battle with Schizophrenia and Depression
There needs to be more acceptance of Schizophrenia
8 things i'd like you to know about Schizophrenia
Living with Schizophrenia
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What is Psychosis?
Psychosis is when people lose some contact with reality. This might involve seeing or hearing things that other people cannot see or hear (hallucinations) and believing things that are not actually true (delusions). The 2 main symptoms of psychosis are:
- hallucinations
- delusions
Psychosis - blogs and stories
- Psychosis is a term to describe when you experience reality in a different way to other people.
- Common examples are hearing voices. Or believing that people are trying to harm you.
- Psychosis can be a one-off experience or linked to other conditions.
- There is no single cause of psychosis. Researchers believe that environment and genetics may affect who develops psychosis.
- You should be offered medication and talking therapy to help with your experiences.
- To access treatment for psychosis, you usually need to have an assessment by a specialist mental health service. such as the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT).
- You may need to go to hospital if you are experiencing very distressing psychotic symptoms.
What are hallucinations?
Hallucinations are where someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside their mind. They're common in people with schizophrenia, and are usually experienced as hearing voices. Hallucinations can be frightening for example:
- hearing voices,
- seeing things which other people do not see,
- feeling someone touching you who is not there, or
- smelling things which other people cannot.
Hearing voices or other sounds is the most common hallucination. Hearing voices is different for everyone.For example, voices may be:
- female or male,
- someone you know or someone you’ve never heard,
- in a different language or different accent to your own,
- whispering or shouting, or
- negative and disturbing.
You might hear voices sometimes or all of the time.
but there's usually an identifiable cause. For example, they can occur as a result of:- taking illegal drugs or alcohol
- a mental illness, such as schizophrenia
- a progressive neurological condition, such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease
- loss of vision caused by a condition such as macular degeneration – this is known as Charles Bonnet syndrome
Hearing Voices
Hearing voices in the mind is the most common type of hallucination in people with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia. The voices can be critical, complimentary or neutral, and may make potentially harmful commands or engage the person in conversation. They may give a running commentary on the person's actions. The experience is usually very distressing, but it's not always negative. Some people who hear voices are able to live with them and get used to them, or may consider them a part of their life.
This is where a person has strong beliefs that are not shared by others; a common delusion is someone believing there's a conspiracy to harm them. These are beliefs that are not based on reality. Even though they feel real to you. Other people are likely to disagree with your beliefs. A delusion is not the same as holding a religious or spiritual belief which others don’t share. For example, you may believe:
- that you are being followed by secret agents or members of the public,
- that people are out to get you or trying to kill you. This can be strangers or people you know,
- that something has been planted in your brain to monitor your thoughts,
- you have special powers, are on a special mission or in some cases that you are a god, or
- your food or water is being poisoned.
You may not always find these experiences distressing, although people often do. You may be able to stay in work and function well even if you have these experiences.
The combination of hallucinations and delusional thinking can cause severe distress and a change in behaviour.
Treatment for Schizophrenia and Psychosis- Talking therapies can help you understand your experiences and develop coping strategies to deal with them. You may be offered 'cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis' (sometimes called CBTp). This is a type of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) specifically for people experiencing psychosis.
- Anti-psychotic medication is offered to most people with psychosis, as a way of managing symptoms. You may also be offered other drugs (for example antidepressants or mood stabilisers) if you experience mood based symptoms, as well as additional medication to help reduce the side effects caused by the antipsychotics. - What are anti-psychotics?
- Arts therapies can help you express how you are feeling in different ways. They can be helpful if you are having difficulty talking about your experience.
- Family intervention focuses on helping family members talk to each other about what helps, solve problems and plan for a crisis. Your GP will be able to find out if this is available in your area.
Managing Voices Understanding your voices Taking control Keeping busy Attending peer support groups, or other places where you can talk to others who hear voices in a safe space, can help some people to feel less alone and can provide a non-judgmental space to feel listened to and accepted. This doesn’t have to be in person. There are also discussion and peer support groups available online such as Mind’s Elefriends, Intervoice Online Discussion Forum and the Voice Collective Support Forum (for young people aged 25 and under). Looking after yourself
Organisations like Rethink Mental Illness, Mind, Voice Collective, and Hearing Voices Groups suggest some of the following self-management approaches may be helpful, however, everyone will manage their voices in different ways and not all the suggestions below will be right for everyone.
Some people find that understanding how their voices relate to their lives can help them to feel more in control and more able to manage their voices. This could include keeping a diary or journal to record the voices, what they say, how they make you feel and how you manage them. This may help you to notice patterns of what makes you feel bad, what makes you feel good, or what triggers your voices.
Though it can be difficult, some people find strategies like standing up to the voices, choosing times to pay attention to the voices and times to not, or ignoring voices you don’t like and focusing on ones that are more positive or easier to listen to, can help them to feel more in control.
Listening to music, keeping up with hobbies that you enjoy, or finding creative outlets of expression (like writing, painting or making something) can be helpful ways for some people to distract themselves, express themselves, feel more relaxed and meet new people.
Though it can be difficult, it is important to look after and be kind to ourselves. This can include things like eating a healthy diet, finding ways to stay physically active (e.g. going for regular walks or an exercise class) managing stress through relaxation techniques and breathing exercises or spending time outdoors. It may help to set goals around these activities and to reward yourself for meeting or progressing toward these goals.
The group is free to attend and open to anyone who hears voices, see visions or have other unusual sensory experiences. It's friendly and everyone who attends goes out of their way to help people feel at ease. The group welcomes people whether or not they have a diagnosis, and members may also have other issues that they are struggling with (including unusual beliefs, self harm and bipolar). They are able to offer one to one support before or after the group if members prefer, also they can feel more at ease when they choose to attend the group. Who to Contact? In crisis? Call 999 if you are in serious distress or in danger of harming yourself or others. Alternatively: 24/7 mental health helpline for Greater Manchester: 01204 4830 New 24/7 mental health for carers and service users who are currently engaged with the GMMH service - Greater Manchester: 01204 483 071 New 24/7 mental health crisis line for people of all ages in Halton, Knowsley, St Helens & Warrington: 01925 275 309 New 24/7 crisis line for people of all ages in Wigan: 01942 636 395
Helpline: 0800 1111
Helpline: 0808 808 4994 (1pm-11pm daily)
0300 304 7000 (Helpline open 4.30pm-10.30pm).
