Schizophrenia Myths Fuel Health Stigma: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Debunks Misconceptions

Despite how 1% of Americans have schizophrenia, mental illness is still highly misunderstood and stigmatized.

Brooke Kempf, a psychiatric nurse practitioner from Indiana, says that this is due to general knowledge pertaining to schizophrenia.

Debunking Schizophrenia Myths

Kempf explained that people could witness a person hallucinating and think that they have schizophrenia. However, there is actually so much more to the mental illness.

The nurse added that it is important for people to realize that schizophrenia is a medical condition that is diagnosed and treatable.

Let's take a look at some of the common misconceptions regarding schizophrenia.

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Myth 1: Multiple Personalities

There are some people who think that individuals with schizophrenia have multiple personalities. Kempf noted that this could be due to how the Greek word "schizophrenia" actually translates to "split mind."

However, this is actually a misconception. People who have schizophrenia do not have split or multiple personalities.

Kempf explained that though these individuals could exhibit different behavioral characteristics when they go through an episode or illness, this is not due to split personality.

Myth 2: Violence

Another great and harmful misconception is that individuals who have schizophrenia are violent or dangerous. The nurse said that TV shows and movie characters have exhibited frightening, confusing, and odd depictions of schizophrenia.

However, such situations are just fictional and dramatized. Kempf noted that a schizophrenia diagnosis is not related to what can be seen on the screen.

When individuals with the condition go through an acute episode, they could end up behaving differently than usual. At times, they may appear violent or angry.

Kempf said that this person could be going through something within them that they could be responding to or arguing about. However, they are not aiming anything at someone else.

The nurse also added that individuals with schizophrenia are likely to be violent crime victims rather than perpetrators.

Myth 3: Lack of Intelligence

With regards to intelligence, Kempf explained that if the condition is not managed well and persistently progresses, or if a patient experiences recurrent relapses, they could lose brain gray matter. Their cognitive function could also end up declining.

Though this may happen, this does not mean that individuals who have schizophrenia are not smart.

Kempf explained that there are patients who could go through cognitive decline during the disease's early stage (prodromal phase). However, diagnosis and intervention early on could help in preventing this.

As long as patients of schizophrenia receive proper treatment, their symptoms can be kept controlled and managed.

Myth 4: Just Hallucinations and Delusions

While schizophrenia does involve hallucinations and delusions, there is more to the illness. Schizophrenia involves negative, positive, and disorganized symptoms.

Behavioral changes, thought changes, hallucinations, and delusions are all classified as positive symptoms. Individuals with these symptoms could experience auditory hallucinations or may have more fixed false beliefs or delusions.

Hallucinations can also occur in other sensory forms, such as through searing, smelling, or feeling.

There are also negative symptoms, such as when people lose interest in the world, withdraw, or no longer take an interest in usual social interactions.

While it is possible for a person with schizophrenia to be labeled as lazy, this is actually due to how their brain does not link such matters as important.

Schizophrenia patients could also experience psychomotor symptoms. They could have delayed or disorganized speech and thought processes. They could also appear unusually slow.

If such negative symptoms are not properly treated, they could end up impairing their cognitive function.

Myth 5: Lifelong Hospitalization

Kempf said that for a person going through an acute episode of schizophrenia, hospitalization is usually short. For inpatient settings, the average length of stay due to a schizophrenia episode is around five days.

If the patient is not responsive to medication or cannot safely function independently, it may be necessary for them to opt for a higher-level and longer-term setup.

Kempf explained that, at present, healthcare providers aim to offer community-based services to individuals with schizophrenia so that they can function independently. This could involve supporting them with employment or housing services.

There are some patients who could live with their family, while others may live in a group home.

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