"Do You, Perhaps Without Being Aware of It, Know Someone Close to You Who Is Suffering from Schizophrenia?"

[Michel Collon <michel.collon at skynet.be>]

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