Symptoms and Management of Schizophrenia, Misconceptions and Clarifications

What I want to share is my experience with schizophrenia that I encountered while living in the countryside. I later learned that management is important for schizophrenia, but when I was young, I didn't know much about it and remember being very scared. Based on that experience, I will also talk about the importance of managing schizophrenia, its causes, and symptoms.

 

Those who have lived in the countryside might have experienced this occasionally: there are people in the neighborhood who are mentally unstable, cannot communicate properly, and speak incoherently. I only found out later that these individuals were suffering from a mental illness called schizophrenia, and I also learned that if not properly managed, they can become violent. In the countryside, there was an incident where a person with schizophrenia caused a stabbing, injuring several people and requiring surgery. Fortunately, no one lost their life.

 

So even now, I am afraid of the disease called schizophrenia, and I often hear news about major incidents and accidents caused by its lack of management. The Jinju apartment murder case in 2019 was also a huge shock to me. Schizophrenia was previously called schizophrenia, and it is a representative severe mental illness characterized by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior.

 

 

Schizophrenia

 

Schizophrenia is characterized by symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior, and emotional flatness, which are divided into positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms refer to phenomena like hallucinations, delusions, and bizarre behaviors that are not typically observed in healthy individuals, while negative symptoms involve the loss of emotional responses, desires, and motivation to establish social relationships. It is generally known to begin in early adulthood or late adolescence, typically between the ages of 15 and 28.

 

 

Causes of Schizophrenia

 

There is no definitive cause that can be said to be the sole reason for the onset of schizophrenia, as it is considered to be multifactorial. Generally, it is described as a biological disorder caused by abnormalities in the brain, and it is difficult to attribute it to a single cause. Biologically, it is said to occur due to an excessive secretion of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. It is also known to have some genetic predisposition, and psychological factors such as stress or trauma are also believed to play a role.

 

I think there is some validity to the idea that causes of stress or shock can be legitimate, because I know someone around me who developed a mental illness due to a major shock, so I also wonder if there might be a brain that is vulnerable to environmental stress.

 

 

<Schizophrenia: Misunderstandings and Truths>

 

It is said that people with schizophrenia are violent, but when patients experience delusions, auditory hallucinations, or acute episodes, they may exhibit behaviors different from usual, such as getting angry or appearing violent. However, they also say that these behaviors are happening within themselves and are not aimed at others. Additionally, they state that people with schizophrenia do not have split personalities. Although they may display different behavioral characteristics when they are ill or experiencing events, their personalities are not fragmented.

 

 

The Importance of Managing Schizophrenia

 

Managing symptoms is really important for schizophrenia. When symptom management is not properly maintained in society, we often come across news reports of major incidents and accidents. The key to management is not only inpatient treatment but also continuous outpatient care after discharge to ensure that the individual can reintegrate into society without difficulty. However, it is fortunate if there are guardians such as family members, but if there are no guardians after discharge, it is common for patients to be readmitted.

 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to address the issue on a broad scale by establishing and operating joint response centers for mental health professionals and police in each of the 17 provinces to respond to 24-hour emergency situations. They include severe mental illness patients in vulnerable groups for economic support, and provide specialized employment opportunities for those diagnosed with disabilities.

 

 

A healthy society must enable patients with schizophrenia to integrate into the community and consistently manage their symptoms systematically. Society should provide both institutional and psychological support to facilitate their integration. While individuals who cause incidents may have schizophrenia, society bears the responsibility for neglecting to support them properly. I sincerely hope that through systematic management, we can quickly become a healthier society.