I've Been Diagnosed With Schizophrenia. What Am I Up Against?

Posting Date: 06/13/2000

Original broadcast date: March 10, 2000

Sono: I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia. I'm taking Risperdal, and I'm feeling okay now, but what am I up against?

Dr. Dean: What a schizophrenic is up against is that he can't tell what's real from what's not real. Your brain fools you. Schizophrenia is a type of mental illness known as psychosis. Psychotic people experience breaks with reality.

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The reality distortion may be in the form of a delusion or a hallucination. A delusional person doesn't know who he is. If I think I'm Jesus Christ, I'm delusional. Hallucinations are seeing things that aren't there or hearing voices that aren't speaking.

These imagined experiences are only real to the person with schizophrenia, which causes isolation from other people and can lead to antisocial behavior. The patient might hear frightening voices that make threats or give commands that are dangerous to the patient or to other people.

You should be encouraged by the fact that you're feeling okay on the medication. Modern psychopharmacology shows promise in keeping the symptoms of schizophrenia under control, and in your case they seem to be doing the job.

Something as simple as exercise, even taking a walk, may also calm the anxiety that can overwhelm a schizophrenic person.