What Does Schizophrenia Feel Like?

You’ve probably heard of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that causes someone to abnormally interpret reality, changing how they think and behave. But what does schizophrenia actually feel like? Schizophrenia symptoms are commonly divided into the following four categories:

• Hallucinations – Someone with schizophrenia may hear, see, smell, taste, or feel things that don’t actually exist. The voices heard are often annoying, critical, rude, or even abusive.
• Delusions – A person with this condition may believe that certain things are true, when they actually aren’t. For example, they might believe that someone is following or chasing them, that they’re being watched, or that a catastrophic event is about to happen. These delusions often develop as a result of hallucinations.
• Disorganized thoughts and speech – This can impact communication, causing someone with schizophrenia to say things that don’t make sense and don’t fit into the context of the conversation. People with this condition often describe their thoughts as feeling “hazy” or “misty.”
• Inability to function – Many people with schizophrenia neglect their own personal hygiene, lose interest in the activities they once loved, and withdraw from their social circles. They may also speak in a monotone and fail to make eye contact during a conversation.

Your Source for Schizophrenia Treatment

If the schizophrenia symptoms described above seem familiar, it’s important that you promptly seek treatment for this each out for this condition. Psychiatrists often oversee the medication management for the disorder. This is necessary to help mitigate the symptoms so the individual can work with a licensed mental health therapist to examine beliefs and find healthy ways to cope.

One may or may not have a family history of the disorder. Even if there is a family history, one may never develop the disorder as researchers continue to explore epigenetic factors, examining how life events and environmental factors could possible activate genes. If you or a loved on is struggling with symptoms of a disorder like schizophrenia, there is help. You are not alone.

Some resources here in Pinellas County Florida :

NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness 727-826-0807

Home

Mobile Crisis Response Team 727-362-4424

PEMHS Personal Enrichment through Mental Health Services

Also anyone can Call 988 for the Suicide Hotline. Consider this the 911 version of mental health emergency.