Schizophrenics

Media portrayal of the mental illnesses schizophrenia are damaging not only to individuals with schizophrenia, but also ‘normal’ people such as the families of those who are schizophrenic. The media portrays schizophrenia sufferers as violent peoples who will harm given the opportunity, and as such, should not be trusted and should be approached with caution. These portrayals are incorrect,

Schizophrenia is a disorder that is characterized by a broken thought process and poor emotional responses. Typical symptoms of this disorder include delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, social dysfunctions,

Throughout the many years, there have been many negative public perceptions of Schizophrenia, which is known by majority of the public as an indication of mental illness. This disorder is most of the time perceived by the public as caused by psychological factors. People with this mental illness are considered to be unpredictable and threatening (Angermeyer & Matschinger, 2003, p. 526). Most patients have a behavioural dysfunction. Victims, families and society carry a substantial burden due to this illness (Wood & Freedman, 2003).

Dementia praecox was first introduced to the world by Dr. Emile Kraepelin, but its name later changed to Schizophrenia in 1911, by Swiss psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler, he was the first doctor to describe the symptoms from positive to negative classified directly as a mental illness. According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 1.1% of the population worldwide is diagnosed with schizophrenia yearly. The disorder affects both men and woman, it does not discriminate. Its onset in seen in teen years and young adulthood, the frustration caused by living with a mind that feels disorganized much of the time often causes feelings of suicidal thoughts sadness, and anxiety. People with this condition find themselves socially isolated mainly

Schizophrenia in media portrayal is generally depicted as negative, and is not true, as most cases of schizophrenia are either partial truths, inaccurate or unrelated to it. These negative portrayals of schizophrenia in the media are usually exaggerated as a negative reinforcement of the myth that schizophrenics are unpredictable and dangerous.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects an estimated 3.2 million people in America alone (Nemade). Often, people have scattered reactions when they hear the word “schizophrenia.” Some may associate this word with uncontrollable actions that could potentially cause harm to those around them. People may think of serial killers, rapists, or any form of negative archetype seen in the the media. According to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), schizophrenia is characterized by a patient experiencing delusions, hallucinations, and/or disorganized speech for more than a month. Delusions include, but are not limited to, the belief one is going to be harassed or harmed, environmental cues are directed at oneself,

Schizophrenia is an extremely complex mental disorder that has yet to be fully understood. This particular disorder has affected much of the population today, causing many different emotional, physical, and psychological problems in every affected individual. These symptoms include: “distorted thoughts, hallucinations, and feelings of fright and paranoia. Psychiatrists evaluate symptoms, tests, and medical history, and prescribe medications and psychotherapy for treatment” (Kirkpatrick). Schizophrenia affects approximately 2.4 million adults in the United States today (We Live With...). Schizophrenia should be thought of as a neurological disorder with emotional and cognitive symptoms, rather than pure insanity.

Emil Kraeplin, a German physician was one of the first to categorize mental disorders and he used the term dementia praecox for individuals who had symptoms that we now associate with schizophrenia. Since then our understanding of this mental illness has evolved even though the causes of this illness to this day remain hard to comprehend. (Weiner, 1997)

Socially the term Schizophrenia has a certain caricature about it that society has turned into a very serious social stigma. Many associate the disorder with criminals, nut houses, and extreme uncontrollable violence. Schizophrenia is portrayed in literature, and in movies so horrendously negative that those who experience symptoms of this very serious mental disorder can be in a stage of denial that can ultimately cause them to go undiagnosed, that is until something goes wrong. In spite of myths and portrayals in pop culture schizophrenia is sometimes viewed as split personality, but the root of the word comes from the Greek word schizo and phrene which loosely translates into split mind (Internet Mental Health Initiative 2010).

Schizophrenia is a horrible brain disorder where people mix up what is real and what is their imagination. People with Schizophrenia hear voices in their head that aren't really there. People affected with this disease may be paranoid because they believe people are reading their minds, controlling what they think, or plotting to hurt them. Schizophrenics may not make sense when they talk or seem "crazy" to people around them. They can sit still for hours without moving and you really can't tell these people are sick until they start saying what's really on their mind.

Over the years, a disorder known as Schizophrenia has affected many people across the globe. Before advances in the 20th century mental health movement occurred, many thought that the symptoms conveyed by an individual with the disorder were demonically possessed (Walker and Tessner 2008). Today, more and more people are being properly educated about this disorder and understand its effects on individuals, however, there are misguided and false perceptions about it, similar to those prior to the 20th century.

Dr. Emile Kraepelin gets credit for classifying mental disorders. He called schizophrenia early dementia: “dementia praecox.” He believed it to be a form of Alzheimers that prevails in adolescence. It had very similar symptoms to the elderly suffering from Dementia and Alzheimers. He even took it a step further and broke the disorder into three groups: disorganized, catatonic and paranoia.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder of the brain. Schizophrenia also has the most negative stigma attached to it as well. People who view schizophrenia in a negative aspect, tend to think that schizophrenic people are all violent and unpredictable (The Leap Institute, 2013). This is not always accurate because schizophrenic symptoms vary in drastic ways. The common symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations, hearing voices, paranoid thoughts, anosognosia (poor insight), confusion, forgetfullness, unfocused, and isolation/withdraw from others. The more negative symptoms are a decreased motivation,  lack of energy,  and lack of facial expressions (The Leap Institute, 2013).

(Szasz,1982, p.4, p.29) In 1900, the term schizophrenia, now used worldwide, was used to describe the condition that one out of every hundred people had. This statistic remains the same today. Through research and years of study, the world has a better understanding of schizophrenia, its forms, characteristics, symptoms, types, possible causes, and treatments, if any. ( Pierce, 1990. p.263 )

Movies and other forms of popular entertainment sources have often presented varied information and as well as misinformation about schizophrenia, most specifically in regard to its negative portrayals, which can lead to confused public opinion. In summary, majority of movies and popular entrainment media sources portrays people with schizophrenia as violent and with homicidal and suicide thoughts. In addition, most characters in these media sources are portrayed as Caucasians, males, and with supernatural abilities (Gaebel, 2011).