Topic Tuesday// Living a Meaningful and Fulfilling Life with Schizophrenia// Tues 31st May, 2022 7-8:30PM AEST

[RiverSeal]

Great to have you join in tonight for the event tonight @Patchworks 

[Millielulu]

I want to see this. Please let me know how I log in

Having trouble

[TideisTurning]

To kick things off with our first question for @RiverSeal: 

So that we can all have the same understanding for this discussion, 

What is schizophrenia?  

& for the community: What are your experiences with schizophrenia? 

[RiverSeal]

Thanks for joining in @maddison 

[maddison]

I have an interest in this topic, as I am a carer/ support person for someone with diagnosis of schizophrenia. I am mid 40s and I think mostly identify as her she / sometimes I don't feel that gender is identity?!

[RiverSeal]

Schizophrenia: 

Schizophrenia is a syndrome which may include a range of symptoms in individuals including positive, negative, and cognitive. 

Positive: psychotic symptoms are added to someone, that don’t usually exist 

• Hallucinations 
• Delusions 
• Disorganised behaviour 
• Disorganised speech  
• Catatonic behaviour 

Negative mental symptoms are taken from someone 

• a seeming lack of interest in the world 
• not wanting to interact with other people (social withdrawal) 
• an inability to feel or express pleasure (anhedonia) 
• an inability to act spontaneously 
• decreased sense of purpose 
• lack of motivation (avolition) 
• not talking much 
• difficulty speaking due to disorganized thinking (alogia) 

Negative physical symptoms are taken from someone  

• an inexpressive or blank face (flat affect) 
• monotone or monosyllabic speech 
• lack of gesturing when communicating 
• lack of eye contact 
• physical inactivity 

Cognitive: are changes in the way your mind functions 

• disorganized thinking 
• slow thinking 
• difficulty understanding 
• poor concentration 
• poor memory 
• difficulty expressing thoughts 
• difficulty integrating thoughts, feelings and behaviour 

Schizoaffective Disorder: 

Schizoaffective disorder is having a combination of schizophrenia (cognitive disorder) and bipolar or depression (mood disorders) 

Schizophrenia - causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment & pathology 

Healthline - Schizophrenia 

What is Schizoaffective Disorder? 

[Millielulu]

Can anyone help me?

[maddison]

I think you are in @Millielulu , can you see these messages?

[Former-Member]

Hi @Millielulu, it looks like you are logged in 😊 You are in the right place - for the event, just continue to 'refresh' the page and you will see new the responses that come through 🙂 

[Patchworks]

@Millielulu it looks like you are already logged in. this thread is the special event so welcome!

@TideisTurning and @RiverSeal I have had some of the positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. I find the hallucinations and delusion can be very distressing. The negative symptoms make life hard to tolerate sometimes.