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"Do You, Perhaps Without Being Aware of It, Know Someone Close to You Who Is Suffering from Schizophrenia?"
- Subject: "Do You, Perhaps Without Being Aware of It, Know Someone Close to You Who Is Suffering from Schizophrenia?"
- From: Michel Collon <michel.collon at skynet.be>
- Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 02:57:36 +0200
Do You, Perhaps Without Being Aware of It, Know Someone Close to You Who Is Suffering from Schizophrenia? Because the reality of this illness, which strikes one person in a hundred, is different from the image we have of it nowadays. And perhaps our painful experience with the loss of our dear Marie will permit you to save or at least to provide comfort to a person who is suffering terribly. When we discuss this illness with people we know, many of them recognize someone close to them who presents the same symptoms. The person suffering from schizophrenia is a victim of a kind of hypersensitivity. The mind works "too quickly, too hard." It seems that the chemical relations in their brain cells are much more powerful and numerous than ours are. All at once, the victim "perceives" sounds, images, sensations that are difficult to interpret. This plunges the victim into agony. And then the person suffering from schizophrenia begins to construct interpretations, delirious theories that allow him to "justify" what others inevitably do not perceive. One victim hears "voices" that tell him to perform a certain act, while another takes himself to be a famous person that has been entrusted with an important mission. And as those who are close to the victim of this illness deny his "reality," the victim becomes paranoid, believing that the world is plotting against him and that he is therefore in danger. Even if the victim does behave violently from time to time, the "schizo" is not aggressive; he is afraid, that's all. But, of course, his behavior provokes counter-reactions from those close to him, and this merely aggravates his stress. Everyone lives in a state of frightful anguish. What is the cause of this illness? According to scientific studies which have made great strides in recent years, it is a combination of numerous factors: 1) There is probably a genetic basis and/or agonizing circumstances that took place at birth or during infancy that provoked such hypersensitivity; 2) The illness itself almost always strikes between the ages of 18 and 25, no doubt in connections with the stress of entering adulthood; 3) Drugs such as LSD, amphetamines, ecstasy and other such trash often trigger schizophrenia. A lot of young people take a "bad trip" from which they never return and it destroys their lives. Contrary to certain statements, smoking cannabis dos not provide comfort, but instead provokes or aggravates delirium and paranoia among certain individuals. Whatever the exact causes may be, the victims of schizophrenia inevitably withdraw from social life, abandon their studies or stop working. Not because of laziness or certain character traits, as one might be inclined to believe at such time. Because, at the beginning, parents or friends, hardly informed about this illness, do not understand the first symptoms, and believe that it's a phenomenon related to "post-adolescence" or that it's "a passing thing." Thinking that they are doing well, they take offense at certain behaviors and try to force the victim to change their conduct. Or, losing their bearings, they reject the victim of schizophrenia. All these reactions merely aggravate the victim's stress, fear and deliriums. One can try to argue and reason with a person in delirious state in order to show that such and such person is not planning to kill you, and no, the television is not broadcasting a secret message to you in order to threaten you or give you orders, and no, your friends are not plotting to do harm to you.... The problem is that one cannot hold any sort of discussion with a delirious person. It's unintelligible to him, because he lives in two separate worlds that are opposed to each other. Unfortunately, without medications, it is impossible to ameliorate the effect of such deliriums, if not suppress them. And, from the schizophrenic's point of view, why take such medications when they "know" what's going on, while no one else "knows what's going on." One can see that in a situation as stressful as this one, the schizophrenic first of all needs love, security and understanding. But if the victim does not look after his illness, the deliriums will become so monstrous that they will become dangerous to themselves and those close to him. Many of them mutilate themselves, trying to rip out of their bodies what they think are "foreign bodies" that have been infiltrated by "the enemy." It is of prime importance to identify the illness as quickly as possible and to prescribe vigorous treatment. And sometimes the painful decision to forcibly hospitalize the victim of schizophrenia. To be frank, complete recoveries are rare. Medical science has not yet found the solution. But treatments do exist that are not as oppressive as they once were, which allow the schizophrenic to lead a more or less normal life and to enjoy its small pleasures. Unfortunately, suicide is common. And it's horrible to lose a child in such circumstances. But if we love them, we must learn to respect their decision to end such unbearable suffering. More and more young people are affected by schizophrenia in our pitiless society which cannot guarantee them either employment or a future, a society in which drugs have become one of the most important sectors of the economy. This is why it is vital to consult as quickly as possible a physician who specializes and is competent in such matters (one is unfortunately bewildered to see how ignorant doctors can still be with respect to schizophrenia). Precious help and a source of comfort can be found in an association of parents of schizophrenics. In Belgium, we have the association Similes.* It is an admirable initiative undertaken by volunteers who have gone through it and have dedicated themselves to offering the agonized parents a confidential place to speak and to listen, to offer advice and to discuss their experiences. This is what we'd like to tell you. If this helps you detect the illness more quickly with someone who is close to you, and helps them, then our dear Marie's suffering shall not have been in vain and that will help us through our bereavement. Her mom, her dad, and her sister, Francoise Pasquier, Michel Collon, Julie Collon Pasquier.fr at skynet.be SEE: www.mariecollon.info Temporary address this Monday: www.collectifjauneorange.net/mariecollon Useful Addresses and documents: ASSOCIATION DE PARENTS: Federation Similes Francophone - Rue Ducale, 81 - 1000 Bruxelles. Tel.: 02/511.19.08; Fax: 02/503.47.15 similesfrancophone at wanadoo.be, site www.similes.org FORUM ON SCHIZOPHRENIA: <http://www.atoute.org/n/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=8>http://www.atoute.org/n/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=8 AN ARTICLE <http://www.enmarche.be/Sante/Maladies/Schizophrenie.htm>http://www.enmarche.be/Sante/Maladies/Schizophrenie.htm TWO BOOKS - De Hert / Magiels / Thys - Le secret de la micropuce cerebrale, Editions EPO - De Hert / Magiels / Peuskens - Si loin, si proche (Sorry, this title is out of print. Perhaps you can find it in the library?), Editions EPO www.epo.be A COMIC STRIP: "Fous allies" - A comic strip published by a collective of people suffering from psychic illnesses. - Centre hospitalier psychiatrique de Liege - 2001 Maison du Social, Boulevard d'Avroy, 28/30 - 4000 LIEGE 04/232 31 77 - 79 maisondusocial at prov-liege.beg
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