schizophrenia

[dani780]

Hello everyone, I am a university student completing a dissertation study on schizophrenia. I would appreciate it so much if you could complete this short survey as part of my research to break the stigma against our sufferers.
Thank you

1. What is your opinion on how television portray schizophrenia?

2. Have you seen any movies that have depicted schizophrenia in a bad way?

3. If yes, how did it make you feel?

4. What positive things could you suggest for television media to portray a better light on people who suffer from the illness?

5. How does television (such as movies, news and advertisements) involving schizophrenia affect your patients or loved ones?

6. Do you believe television slows down the process of a sufferer towards getting better?

7. Television tends to associate sufferers as murderers and paedophiles, why do you think that is?

8. Has any sufferers spoken to you about television programmes that portray the illness?

9. Without pressures from television the public, in your opinion. Do you believe it would be easier for a sufferer to get better?

10. Do you believe the public misrepresent or treat sufferers differently because of television media?

11. Do you blame the public for how they perceive sufferers?

12. What is your opinion on negative movies that involves schizophrenia?


13. Have you seen any negative advertisements that involve schizophrenia?

14. If yes, Can you describe the advert and how it made you feel?

15. Is it harder for the sufferers because of the public’s perception?


16. Do you believe the public are to blame for their behaviour and reaction to sufferers?

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[susieq87]

Personally, I do not know much about schizproneia.  I wish I could help.

[susieq87]

Most commonly, the schizoeffective diagnosis comes along with bi polar so you might want to post that forum.

[izzie55]

my daughter has schizophrenia i think its becoming more accepted though still not understood by the public     i do wish when murders are comitted the media would state this person did not have schizophrenia if they dont have it they always seem to stress it if they do   most schizophrenics are very gentle frightened people  with an illness just an extensionb of the [norm ] they are more likely to hurt themselves than others my daughter loves people and wouldnt hurt a fly   i think more should be done on tv /media to educate  not terrify people  they are mixing with them everytime they go out    

[o0theresa0o]

Let me first of all say that my mother is schizophrenic, so obviously my opinions will be biased,

1. What is your opinion on how television portray schizophrenia?

I think it is portrayed to be frightening, foreign and those with it are dangerous and "weird".

2. Have you seen any movies that have depicted schizophrenia in a bad way?

Yes, however I cannot think of any off the top of my head.

3. If yes, how did it make you feel?

It made me feel fearful and worried that people may think that my mother could be so terrible.  It also made me worry about what people would think of me for being related to her.

4. What positive things could you suggest for television media to portray a better light on people who suffer from the illness?

Perhaps not associating the disease to murder, and other terrible things.  Not all people with the illness do that kind of thing.

5. How does television (such as movies, news and advertisements) involving schizophrenia affect your patients or loved ones?

I think it really hurts my mother.  She has a very serious problem with her self-consciousness, fearing that others will assume she is similar to the portrayals.

6. Do you believe television slows down the process of a sufferer towards getting better?

Yes!  When there is an idea perpetuated into society, leading people to believe that those with the illness are dangerous, and bad, it can lead to self-loathing, and as I mentioned, a severe self-consciousness.

7. Television tends to associate sufferers as murderers and paedophiles, why do you think that is?

Because things that are "shocking" and foreign to regular day to day life is what people find interesting.  What people find interesting, they will watch, and that brings them money.

8. Has any sufferers spoken to you about television programmes that portray the illness?

My mother has told me that she hates that t.v perpetuates this belief that she would be a murderer, and wants it to be known that she wouldn't hurt a soul.

9. Without pressures from television the public, in your opinion. Do you believe it would be easier for a sufferer to get better?

Yes.  If there wasn't such a taboo on the illness, and there wasn't such a fear of it, the sufferer would probably receive a lot more support, and not feel so "out casted".

10. Do you believe the public misrepresent or treat sufferers differently because of television media?

Yes.  People who have found out that my mother suffers from the illness will often shun her, or treat her with caution.  

11. Do you blame the public for how they perceive sufferers?

Yes.  People *in general* are sheep.  They believe whatever they are told without actually trying to find out for themselves.  People do not question what they have been force fed, and accept it as it is presented.  If people were a little more intelligent, and did their research to determine what they saw on tv was really the way it is, they wouldn't perceive sufferers the way that they do.

12. What is your opinion on negative movies that involves schizophrenia?

I don't like it.  I don't think it is fair to those that suffer from the illness.  They have a hard enough time as it is with the illness that they do not need perpetuated fear fighting against them as well.

13. Have you seen any negative advertisements that involve schizophrenia?

Not that I can think of.

14. If yes, Can you describe the advert and how it made you feel?

15. Is it harder for the sufferers because of the public’s perception?

Yes.  If people were more understanding, more open, and more empathetic, I think those who suffer would be able to recover easier.  They wouldn't feel so "abnormal" and "weird".

16. Do you believe the public are to blame for their behaviour and reaction to sufferers?

Yes, and I am pretty sure this is a repeat question.

[Bob_D]

Dani, I counted nine grammatical errors in your list of questions. If you want to be taken seriously in your school career, I strongly suggest you take a remedial course in English grammar.

[mixedup2008]

I suffer from depression and I am very knowledgable about all mental illness as I identify it with my self. I Know Schizophrenia is a chronic illness and cannot be cured but controlled. Most schizophrenics are harmless, it is the cancer of mental illness and horrible. There are different types of schizophrenia, paranoia is one where the patient thinks people on the television are reading their thoughts and aliens are out to get them. Such a crippling illness thats affects behaviour, they become withdrawn, anti-social, loss of hygiene. So when the television ptrays schizophrenia as a jeckle and hyde split personallity disorder it's wrong, Althought there are cases where the patient hears voices to kill someone and cannot take it anymore so they do as the voices say, most are harmeless. I know about the illness so I don't view it as most people do, they just think, "there goes another nutter, he can kill someone and get away with it"

[ILADVOCATE]

I appreciate your questions but I don't even think in that light. I live with schizoaffective disorder and tardive dyskanesia and I get on with life. If the media is ignorant I call them on it. I've been published in the New York Times letters section 16 times through my agency as well as much other advocacy. I don't censor their opinions. I put mine out there loud and clear and as the independent living movement and disability rights movement (which encourages people to stay in treatment for those concerned) we are having our say.