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The word ‘schizophrenia’ creates a lot of scary images in my mind. Can you tell me what having schizophrenia really means?
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects 1 percent of the population worldwide. The word schizophrenia means “psychosis” or “split from reality.” It is often mistaken for dissociative disorder (once referred to as “split personality”), but the two are actually not related. Someone having a psychotic break can experience hallucinations (false sensations), delusions (false beliefs), and paranoia—though symptoms and their severity vary from person to person.


I’ve heard that schizophrenia is genetic. Is that true?
There is a genetic component to schizophrenia, but having a parent with schizophrenia does not necessarily mean a child will have it as well. Some people are born with genes that are more susceptible to developing the disease. Combined with a biochemical imbalance and severe stress, these genes can be triggered.

Other factors, such as drug use, have long been studied as causes of schizophrenia; however, there is no evidence that drug use causes schizophrenia, but rather that drug use is a stressor that can trigger the disease in someone who is genetically predisposed to it.


Can schizophrenia be cured?
Currently there is no cure for schizophrenia, but there are many medications available to control the symptoms of the disease. ‘Typical’ medications have been around since the 1950s and are a part of the tranquilizing family. They are effective in treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia but have a lot of side effects and do not work well for negative symptoms. ‘Atypical’ medications are relatively new (developed since 1994) and are more effective in treating both positive and negative symptoms.


What are the ‘positive’ symptoms of schizophrenia?
Positive symptoms are disturbances that that are added to your personality: Paranoia, delusions, illusions, and hallucination are all positive symptoms. The chemical imbalance associated with schizophrenia also increases sensitivity such as acute hearing, seeing brighter colors, and a heightened sense of taste and smell.


What are the ‘negative’ symptoms of schizophrenia?
Negative symptoms are also known as deficit symptoms and include: lack of motivation, lack of energy, emotional blandness, depression, and so on. These are symptoms that should be part of your personality but are lacking. Many people with schizophrenia feel that it is the negative symptoms that are the debilitating part of the disease.


I’m looking for programs and resources to help my son who has schizophrenia. Where should I go?
In the United States, there are support groups such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Mental Health America. In Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Schizophrenia Society of Canada can provide help and guidance. Each province also has a Schizophrenia Society. You will find a list of resources in both Canada and the United States on our Website.


Can you tell me more about the probability of having a child with schizophrenia if I have the disease myself?
If one parent has schizophrenia, there is a 10-percent chance that his/her children will develop schizophrenia or a related illness (such as bipolar disease). If both parents have schizophrenia, there is a 50 percent chance that their children will have it.

Having children can be stressful for anyone, but more so for people who are living with a mental illness. Many couples have talked to me about starting a family and tell me they are hesitant because the wife has schizophrenia. I always tell them to consider the effect it will have on both parents. It is typically the mother who is the primary caregiver in a family, and that can increase her stress level. It is important to have a support system—perhaps hired help or a family member or friend—to help as much as possible.

I would never discourage someone with schizophrenia from having children. There is no guarantee their child will inherit disease, but there is the possibility that a cure can be found if he/she does.


Once my symptoms are under control, can I stop taking medication?
I know that I will be on medication for the rest of my life. I once tried once to come off of it and my psychosis came back within six months. I know that the best way for me to live my life is with medication.

I have heard of people who have come off their medications and were able to remain stable, but it’s not very common. I think that most people who are on medication will—at one point or another—stop taking their medication to see if it really is doing anything (to sort of prove that they do indeed have schizophrenia). Some stop taking their medication because they truly believe they are not sick and don’t need medication—a condition called anosognosia.

I think it’s fairly common for people to stop taking their medication at some point, but once they relapse they usually realize that if they want to stay in reality, they need to take their medications.


I don’t want to hide my illness because it’s a part of who I am, but I also don’t want to be stigmatized by it. What should I do?
Stigma is a very big part of mental illness and there is a lot of stigma out there. We need to fight stigma by being transparent about the disease. Be honest, educate people, and don’t be ashamed of who you are, what you have, or what you are doing. Ignorance fuels stigma, so get out there and educate people about schizophrenia.