23 People Share What It’s Like Living with a Schizophrenic

Let’s get something out of the way right up top here – before we talk about the experiences of Schizophrenia, we should define what it is. Because it’s not, as many people use it, a generic stand-in for any type of “insanity,” nor is it untreatable or necessarily the defining characteristic of a person’s life.

Here’s a dictionary definition:

“a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation.”

And now that we’ve got some idea of what we’re dealing with in theory, let’s see what these anonymous contributors have to say about the reality.

23. “Too focused on protecting him”

Sometimes the most protective thing you can possibly do for someone is to help them admit there’s a problem.

22. “Undiagnosed schizophrenic”

What a scary situation.

21. “I’m terrified”

“She has shown no sign of change.”

20. “She can tell what’s real”

Wow, I never would have thought of that.

19. “My father is always there for her”

“It’s so unfair.”

18. “She is living life well”

You really can treat this stuff.

17. “I wish I could’ve gotten her help”

A reminder to act before it’s too late.

16. “Scarily aggressive”

How could you know?

15. “No role models”

Like looking in a terrifying mirror.

14. “I haven’t seen her”

“All I got was a thumbs up text…WTF?”

13. “I love him, but…”

Man, how do you lose a therapist?

12. “He’s good people”

The two things are definitely not mutually exclusive.

11. “I hope you die”

What a horrible thing to hear.

10. “Because my grandma asked me”

That’s quite a responsibility to take on.

9. “Things are getting out of hand”

You’re not gonna see that money for long.

8. “Wow.”

You take after them, huh?

7. “I will never have a child”

That is one of the heaviest things I’ve ever heard.

6. “For the first time”

How can you handle that sort of thing?

5. “I cry every time”

“He already asked me what my favorite ice cream was like 5 secs ago. So sad.”

4. “I worry”

That’s understandable.

3. “Too many tales”

Strange how we all find a way to survive.

2. “I’d call the cops, but…”

Yiiiiikes.

1. “I hate how mean society can be”

We’re all only human.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, don’t wait. Seek help. It can get better.

Do you have experience with this sort of thing?

Tell us in the comments.