Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental illness that affects how you or a loved one may think, feel, and behave. People impacted by schizophrenia may even seem like they have lost touch with reality.
Below you will find helpful tips from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), along with info about our Schizophrenia Management Support Group in Oklahoma City.
Symptoms of schizophrenia usually start between ages 16 and 30. In rare cases, children have schizophrenia, too.
The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three categories: positive, negative, and cognitive.
“Positive” symptoms are psychotic behaviors not generally seen in healthy people. People with positive symptoms may “lose touch” with some aspects of reality. Symptoms include:
Negative Symptoms: “Negative” symptoms are associated with disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors. Symptoms include:
Cognitive Symptoms: For some patients, the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are subtle, but for others, they are more severe and patients may notice changes in their memory or other aspects of thinking. Symptoms include:
Caring for and supporting a loved one with schizophrenia can be hard. It can be difficult to know how to respond to someone who makes strange or clearly false statements. It is important to understand that schizophrenia is a biological illness.
Here are some things you can do to help your loved one:
Oklahoma City Only: Each Thursday at 1 pm our peer-run drop-in center, Lottie House, offers a Schizophrenia Management Support Group. This is your opportunity to share, listen, teach and learn with others impacted by schizophrenia, and their friends and loved ones.
Lottie House is located at 1311 North Lottie Avenue in Oklahoma City. For more information, call 405.943.3700 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.