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On the occasion of their 20th anniversary, the Schizophrenia Days, which are being held from March 18 to 25 in around ten countries, have set themselves the task of deconstructing stereotypes around the disease.
Schizophrenia is a poorly understood mental disorder. Often associated with the image of a “crazy and dangerous” person, it is essential for patient associations to deconstruct the stereotypes that persist about this disease.
More than 24 million schizoprenes in the world
Far from being rare, the schizophrenia affects approximately 24 million people worldwide and 660,000 people in France. This mental disorder generally occurs between the ages of 15 and 25, but it is not uniform. Indeed, the symptoms vary in patients and we must speak of schizophrenia rather than schizophrenia. Currently, 35 different types are listed.
Days to deconstruct clichés
Although known by name, schizophrenia is scary. It is associated with the image of a dangerous, unpredictable patient, who would present a split personality… A stigmatization of patients who does not allow them to speak calmly about their illness. While these patients need early and personalized support, including drug treatments and cognitive and psychosocial therapies.
More than 10,000 patients diagnosed each year in France
Evoking schizophrenia only on the occasion of news items contributes to a false vision of the disease. As Dr. Joacin Mullner, psychiatrist at the Hôtel Dieu, told us: “Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness related to a disorganization of the processing of information by the brain. It results in a disorganization of thought, emotions and behavior. It can also lead to delusional symptomatology which can be particularly anxiety-provoking for the patient. patient and lead to behavioral problems (…) It is very important to know that these patients are above all much more at risk of being victims of aggression themselves than the general population, and much more likely to commit acts self-aggressive than the general population, as this disease causes significant suffering“.
Each year in France, more than 10,000 people are diagnosed in France. And at the same time, 30% of people suffering from the disease are not followed. These patients, 43% of whom are women, have a life expectancy ten years less than the average and represent 20% of psychiatric hospitalizations. Finally, it should be noted that treatments are essential: in 80% of cases, patients improve as soon as they are treated.