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The Truth About
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia and Related Disorders
Alliance of America
(SARDAA)
Linda Whitten Stalters
Board of Directors
Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America
(SARDAA)
Mission: Improve the lives of people with schizophrenia and related disorders by promoting hope and recovery through support programs, education and advocacy
Schizophrenia is NOT
• A lack of will power or self-discipline
• A result of poor parenting
• A consequence of substance abuse
• A Personality disorder
• Being evil or possessed
Schizophrenia is a Physical Disease
Research Indications
• Schizophrenia is a disorder of the neurochemicals that transmit messages between neurons in the brain and quantity of synapses
• There are physical differences in the brain
• There are differences in the cognitive processing of information
• MRIs show significant changes in brain functioning for those with schizophrenia
• Genetic markers that can increase a person's risk for schizophrenia
Brain Connectivity
Synapse
Normal Schizophrenia
Fewer synapses
in schizophrenia
Enlarged Ventricles
Cognitive
Working memory
Selective attention
Anosognosia
Positive symptoms
Hallucinations
Delusions
Disordered thoughts
Negative symptoms
Avolition
anhedonia
anergia
asociality
Alogia
Symptoms
of
Schizophrenia
A B
C D
Frontal
Lobe
Negative
symptoms
Temporal
Lobe
Positive
symptoms
Abnormality Locations
Greatest loss in the temporal and frontal brain regions that control memory, hearing, motor functions, and attention.
3-dimensional profile of gray matter loss in brains of teenagers with schizophrenia
Genetic Risks
General population 1%
Sibling 5%
Child with 1 parent w/schizophrenia 10%
Dizygotic (Fraternal) co-twin 10%
Child of 2 parents w/ schizophrenia 40%
Monozygotic (Identical) co-twin 50%
Recovery Is Real
A Consumer’s Perspective
“Recovery does not mean cure…”
“…rather recovery is an attitude, a stance and a way of approaching the day’s challenges.”
Patricia Deegan PhD (1996. pp.96-97)
Barriers To Recovery
Stigma and discrimination
“The stigma is harder to deal with than the illness itself.”
Barriers To Recovery
Lack of Education
Lack of Access to Effective Health Care
Lack of Resources
Lack of funding for Schizophrenia and related diseases
Hopelessness and shame
Putting Things In Perspective
• Schizophrenia: 3 million Americans
• Multiple Sclerosis: 400,000
• Insulin-dependent Diabetes: 350,000
• Muscular Dystrophy: 35,000
• HIV/AIDS: 1.2 million
• Two times more prevalent in the U.S. than
Alzheimer’s
Schizophrenia.com/CDC 2003
The Real Impact & Cost
Schizophrenia accounts for more hospital stays than any other illness
2% of GNP, nearly $70 Billion in direct and indirect costs
One of the 10 leading causes of disability in world (WHO)
Did You Know?
Lifelong morbidity and increased mortality
Individuals with a serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than other Americans
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)
The Current Approach?
Two of the largest mental health providers in the country today are Cook County and Los Angeles County jails
– between two and four hundred thousand or more persons with mental illnesses are confined in U.S. jails and prisons
SARDAA Sponsors Hope
Schizophrenics Anonymous
Peer Support
Joanne VerbanicFounder of Schizophrenics Anonymous
• 1970 diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia
• 1985 volunteer work with Mental Health Association in Michigan
– Spokesperson at Mental Health conferences, universities, schools, clubs, TV, radio in an effort to educate the public
– Founded Schizophrenics Anonymous in Michigan
“I have made a commitment to devote the rest of my life to helping other mentally ill…I will continue the endeavor as long as I live.”
Joanne Verbanic
Schizophrenics Anonymous
2008 – More than130 groups meeting throughout 31 states, as well as Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA)
• Voluntary
• Consumer membership driven
• No dues, governing bodies, or by-laws
• Peer support providing empowerment in working toward recovery
Schizophrenics Anonymous
“While most SA participants value the help
they receive in professional settings, SA provides a unique type of help in dealing with schizophrenia that members do not receive from professionals or from other mental health organizations.”
Salem, Reischl, & Randall, 2000
Michigan State University
Qualitative Findings
Involvement in SA helps members:
– Increase understanding of schizophrenia and how to cope with it.
– Promotes change in self-esteem
– Provides opportunities for participation in meaningful social roles.
– Helps to combat feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Salem, Reischl, & Randall, 2000
Michigan State University
SARDAA Philosophy
With treatment , support, public education and awareness every person with schizophrenia can have the opportunity to recover to their potential and live a full life in the community, free from stigma and discrimination.
What Can You Do?
Contact us to learn how.
Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America
SARDAA
PO Box 941222
Houston, Texas 77094-8222
www.sardaa.org
Linda Whitten Stalters, MSN,APRN,BC,PMH,MTAPA,FAPABoard of Directors
(240) 423-9432
Schizophrenia Quiz
1. Schizophrenia is a way of describing a “split personality.”
False. It is a disease with a physical cause, like cancer or heart disease.
2. No one can recover from schizophrenia.
False. With proper treatment and support, the majority of people do recover.
3. Schizophrenia is a common mental illness.
True. About 1% of the world’s population and about 3 million U.S. citizens have the disease.
4. Schizophrenia most commonly begins in people over age 50.
False. The onset of schizophrenia normally begins between the ages 15 and 25.
5. Schizophrenia can be caused by bad upbringing, or personal or moral weakness.
False. It is a disease with a physical cause.
6. Schizophrenia can be diagnosed through a series of medical tests.
False. There are, currently, no medical tests for schizophrenia but several tools are used by trained professionals to evaluate and diagnose the disorder.
7. Approximately 1 of every 10 people with schizophrenia completes a suicide attempt.
True. And about 20%-40% of people with schizophrenia attempt to commit suicide.
Suicide is the number one cause of death for young people with schizophrenia.
8. Like diabetes, schizophrenia has a genetic pattern.
True. There is a hereditary tendency.
Hereditary Tendency Rates
General population 1%
Sibling 5%
Child with 1 parent w/schizophrenia 10%
Dizygotic (Fraternal) co-twin 10%
Child of 2 parents w/ schizophrenia 40%
Monozygotic (Identical) co-twin 50%
9. People with schizophrenia are often violent.
False: People with schizophrenia are no more likely to be violent than their neighbors. In fact they are the victims of murder 6 times the general population
(Lancet, 2001)
