How does Schizophrenia Affect Daily Life?

Schizophrenia can be understood as a group of related psychotic disorders which is characterised by:  

• Positive symptoms: These are changes in behavior or thoughts that are added to a person's experience. Examples include hallucinations (such as hearing voices), delusions, disorganized speech, and abnormal movements.

• Negative symptoms: These are deficits or reductions in normal behaviors or emotions. Examples include social withdrawal, lack of motivation, difficulty experiencing pleasure, and reduced emotional expression.

These symptoms can vary in severity and may not all be present in every person with schizophrenia. It's also essential for individuals experiencing these symptoms to seek professional help from a mental health provider.

Also read: What Is Psychosis? An Introduction to the Psychotic Mood Disorder

You may have realised that its symptoms can make it difficult to navigate through everyday life. During the treatment plan, psychiatric medication and therapy can help you understand how you process information differently to cope with everyday challenges. It can help you to understand why some days are better than others and why it is truly difficult to even focus on basic functioning some days.

With the right support, care, and treatment from mental health professionals, family, friends, and colleagues, it is possible to recover and live a fulfilling life with schizophrenia. Being aware of how the disorder impacts your daily life can help you and your loved ones gain more insight into the disorder and help yourself better. 

On a day-to-day basis, schizophrenia can impact your physical health, psychological health, and social relationships. Let’s understand how.

Physical Health 

As psychotic disorders like schizophrenia alter thoughts and may causes one to lose touch with reality, it is hardly surprising that they cause physical inactivity, and addiction to cope. This results in acquiring health issues from smoking and alcohol or drug addiction. 

Schizophrenia can also make you more prone to physical health problems like heart problems at an early age than others. There is also an increased risk of weight gain and other physical illnesses like cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Weight gain can result in lower self-esteem, loneliness, and body image issues. 

Also read: How is Body Image Associated With Depression?

However, with consistent and adequate physical monitoring and management, it is possible to cope with these challenges. Learning how to cope with health issues through regular physical exercise can help you in the longer run.

Psychological Health 

Positive symptoms in schizophrenia can make it difficult to think clearly and distinguish between what is real and what is not. It can make it difficult for you to experience and cope with complex emotions. This can cause constant disorientation in your mind making it difficult to carry on everyday tasks. 

You may feel drawn by the visual and auditory hallucinations which can make you feel like you have no friends or that you have magical powers. The voices you may hear can tell you that you are worthless or stupid or that your partner is cheating on you. However, as this is not the reality for others, it can make it difficult for you to make sense of the voices and what you want to do about them.

Research indicates that suicide is one of the main causes of death for people with schizophrenia. This can mainly occur because it causes you to experience severe anxiety and depression, especially in the early stages. Seeking help during tough times can help you cope and overcome these mental challenges. 

Also read: How to Support a Loved One Suffering from Schizophrenia

Social Relationships

Schizophrenia can make it difficult to communicate with others where you may sit still or remain silent for long periods at a time. It can make it difficult to maintain eye contact and coherently respond to others. Hence, day-to-day communication can suffer.

One of the main symptoms of schizophrenia, social withdrawal can lead you to unexpectedly not turn up for important events or make excuses to be by yourself. It can also cause you to have mood swings and exhibit inappropriate behaviour which can make personal and work relationships difficult to maintain. 

Also check: 5 Therapist-Recommended Tools to Improve Your Relationship

The auditory hallucinations can also make you believe that your loved ones are being unfaithful to you which can result in you taking ill-suited steps and can harm the relationship. When your family, partner, and friends are willing to self-educate and understand, it can give them more clarity and insight about the disorder. If you are looking to learn more about how you can support someone with schizophrenia, talk to our mental health coach. 

Understanding how schizophrenia affects your life can help you untangle the confusion of your thoughts and behaviours along with the right help from a mental health professional. With awareness of your disorder, you and your loved ones can learn to know yourself and choose better with time.

Also read: How to Talk to Your Loved Ones About Your Mental Health Diagnosis

Sources:

1. https://www.samhsa.gov/serious-mental-illness/schizophrenia#:~:text=Schizophrenia%20can%20be%20extremely%20disruptive,or%20take%20care%20of%20oneself

2. https://www.healthyplace.com/thought-disorders/schizophrenia-effects/living-with-schizophrenia-effects-of-schizophrenia 

3. https://livingwithschizophreniauk.org/information-sheets/physical-health-schizophrenia/