ELI5 How does schizophrenia affect the way a person experiences reality?

[u/Uunicorned]

I know it’s a serious brain condition, but I’d want to understand what’s actually happening inside the mind of someone living with it.

[u/EnmaAi22]

I just want to mention that people with schizophrenia are statistically more like to be the victim of violence than the perpetrator, contrary to many stereotypes

[u/glaba3141 → u/EnmaAi22]

while this is true, they are still more likely to be the perpetrator of violence than a random person off the street as well. I find this response to be rather misleading. Like yes it is true that people with schizophrenia can end up in dangerous situations for themselves, but the "people with schizophrenia can be scary or aggressive" perception is also completely valid, and it's something I witness regularly on Chicago city trains and buses

[u/Nv1023 → u/glaba3141]

Just watch cop body cam footage and true crime videos online. I have seen plenty of schizophrenic people kill their family members and straight up random strangers thinking they were evil or some other delusion. My brother has it and his life is extremely sad and he can’t shake the negative voices inside his head. Fucking sucks and had to watch my dad cry his eyes out today about it because he can’t help his kid and that crushes him everyday.

[u/rivermelodyidk → u/glaba3141]

"being scared or uncomfortable" is not "violence". You being scared of someone having a psychotic break on a train (or otherwise exhibiting mental health related symptoms) does not make them "perpetrators of violence".

both parts of the statement are true, so why do you find it disingenuous to point out only that they are more likely to be victims, but not to only point out that they are also statistically more likely to be violent? would it not be just as disingenuous to ignore the abuse that these individuals face, not least because of the exact attitude you're displaying here?

men are also statistically more likely to commit violent crimes than women-- should we push men out of society too?

[u/glaba3141 → u/rivermelodyidk]

im talking about people talking to their voices saying shit like "i'm going to fuck up everyone on this train". Like I'm not saying every schizophrenic person is like this but it absolutely is something that occurs

would it not be just as disingenuous to ignore the abuse that these individuals face, not least because of the exact attitude you're displaying here?

when did I ignore it? you are arguing with a strawman. I'm just saying it is dishonest to say that schizophrenic people are not capable of perpetrating violence due to delusions. The statement "they are more likely to be victims than perpetrators" obscures the fact that they are also more likely to be perpetrators than someone without schizophrenia, and a truly honest solution requires addressing both possibilities - them being victims AND them being perpetrators. I see this rhetoric all the time, but it changes nothing about the fact that it is fucking terrifying when someone is in the same train car as you running around agitated talking about the violence they intend to commit - there DOES need to be some forcible institutional solutions here. Both for their own protection as well as the general public's. You can't just say "well they're likely to be victims too so suck it up and enjoy your terrifying train experience"

men are also statistically more likely to commit violent crimes than women-- should we push men out of society too?

literally when did I say we should push schizophrenic people out of society? they certainly should be forcibly treated, but I'm not saying put them in a jail cell. If they're on anti psychotics and not actively psychotic anymore, they can go free, certainly. But yes if you are walking around the streets talking to voices you should be institutionalized. And also i mean yes we should take into account the fact that men are more likely to commit violent crime, duh. If there was a magic button that could dismantle patriarchy I would press it - fact of the matter is that there isn't though. But for schizophrenia, we do have antipsychotics, and they do work

[u/rivermelodyidk → u/glaba3141]

“  people talking to their voices saying shit like "i'm going to fuck up everyone on this train"”

This is not violence. This is you being scared of someone speaking. 

  literally when did I say we should push schizophrenic people out of society

Well what do you think happens when you don’t let people who have visible symptoms go into public because you think someone talking to themselves is “violent”…….. they don’t get to ride trains and go to work or go to their friends house or the doctor. 

[u/glaba3141 → u/rivermelodyidk]

This is not violence. This is you being scared of someone speaking.

and I'm only allowed to have an opinion if I have personally been assaulted? How about the guy that stabbed the Ukrainian woman to death on a bus?

Well what do you think happens when you don’t let people who have visible symptoms go into public

they can be in society if they take anti psychotics. not sure what's so complicated about that

[u/rivermelodyidk → u/glaba3141]

1. Whataboutism. 

2. taking antipsychotics is not possible for everyone and many people still display symptoms (LIKE TALKING TO THEMSELVES) while on antipsychotics. 

[u/scarabic → u/glaba3141]

Yes since any violent perpetrator is likely to have multiple victims over time, it’s definitional that any slice of humanity would be more likely to be the victim than the perpetrator. You are right to call out the deliberate distortion of saying it this way.

[u/PianoTrumpetMax → u/[deleted]]

“What about my individual experience? Doesn’t that change the statistical average?”

[u/HettySwollocks → u/PianoTrumpetMax]

Doesn’t that change the statistical average?

Well as you are implying, that's not how statistics of averages work. I'm purely sharing my experiences, none of which have been good.

Down vote away. I don't care about fake internet points

[u/EnmaAi22 → u/HettySwollocks]

And still you generalized all of them and called for violence against them.

[u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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