You Mad, or You Crazy? World Schizophrenia Day Celebrated

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Well, they’ll say words like they’re mad. Or they’re crazy or you know things like that.” (Black/African/ Afro-Caribbean Family Member, Schizophrenia Society of Ontario)

When you hear the word Schizophrenia, what is your first thought? It is probably very similar to the thought presented in the above quote. There have been studies that have suggested that members of the African and Caribbean community are less likely to find a pathway of care for their mental illnesses and are more likely to have police or criminal justice involved in an involuntary admission to a mental health institution. This is truly unfortunate, especially when discovering that over 360,000 Canadians and more than 1,000,000 Canadians experience some type of psychosis. These numbers can be broken down to 1 in 100 people suffer from schizophrenia, and 3 in 100 Canadians suffer from a psychosis. Many African and Caribbean members of the community, who suffer, do so in silence because of the stigma associated with being diagnosed with a psychosis, lack of knowledge, and mistrust of the medical model. This silence has serious implications; many people do not seek help, nor do they look into recovery plans.

“People can live fulfilled lives with Schizophrenia.”Ania Jones (Schizophrenia Society of Ontario)

There are some major misconceptions about Schizophrenia, and the symptoms can be confusing, so let us clear these up first. Individuals living with schizophrenia will have what is considered, ‘breaks from reality’ which include: an inability to concentrate, paranoia, needs to withdraw, delusions and hallucinations. The start of the psychosis is between the ages of 16 – 25 years old and affects men and women equally. What needs to be made clear is that Schizophrenia is a treatable mental illness. If it is caught early, and an individual commits himself or herself to treatment, they can live full, healthy and meaningful lives. When a person is challenged with accessing the care needed, or experience stigma, their risk for poor mental health increases. It is for these reasons that the need to improve mental health services and outcomes for Canada’s diverse population has been identified as a national priority.

World Schizophrenia Day

“Being included is one of the biggest gifts you can offer someone!” Ania Jones (Schizophrenia Society of Ontario)

World Schizophrenia Day is observed on Friday, May 24^th. The purpose of World Schizophrenia Day is to fight these stigmas and make people more aware of mental illness. Schizophrenia Awareness Week has been celebrated in May every year since 1986. May 20^th – May 27^th are the official dates, and all over the world, numerous campaigns and awareness programs are held during this time of year and are done to help Schizophrenic patients and to increase sensitivity towards the topic.

A local group has taken up the charge in Ontario; started in a church basement in Oakville 40 years ago, Schizophrenia Society of Ontario has become one of Canada’s largest mental health charities, helping tens of thousands of Canadians affected by Schizophrenia and Psychosis each year. This is a family run charity that started off as a support group. The family was personally connected to Schizophrenia, as they had a son who was actively coping with it at the time. They noted that there was not enough support and took action. They started a support group (originally called The Friends of Schizophrenics) and began to provide community support to other families living with the illness. In the last 40 years, the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario has grown its programming and services to meet the needs of people and families affected by Schizophrenia and Psychosis. They are up to 20 staff, and over 100 volunteers which allows them to service over 10,000 people across Ontario each year.

With programs like, “Ask the Expert” a counselling helpline, that is offered via phone, or online Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, advocacy that supports families: navigate the health care system, allows families to access quality standard of care, and offers psycho-educational course offerings, there is more being offered to families and individuals who have to live with what can be a debilitating disorder.

On May 24^th, they would like for you to share the word and help them shine a light on Schizophrenia and Psychosis. They will be featuring interviews and talks with the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario guest speakers including: staff, leaders, entrepreneurs and medical professionals who have had the opportunity to work intimately with members of the community who live with Schizophrenia. For more information, you can visit their website at https://www.schizophrenia.on.ca/, or you can visit them on: Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

There is still so much to do to help our community, but it is good to know that there is someone who you can turn too.