Deviant Behavior Study - Schizophrenia

Deviant Behavior Study - Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is usually described as part of a large group of psychotic disorders characterized by distortions of reality, language and communication problems, withdrawal from ordinary society and a disorganization and fragmenting of thoughts, perceptions and emotions, especially regarding reactions to normal circumstances. Other characteristics include apathy and confusion, delusions and hallucinations, rambling and mumbling to oneself, and regressive and bizarre behavior in public.

Since schizophrenia is such a debilitating disorder, the person affected by it is usually confined to some type of institution, where he/she can be observed and treated with a wide range of medications. However, in some instances, the person affected with the disorder may not fully understand that he/she is suffering from schizophrenia. In public places, a person with the disorder may be seen as very odd and bizarre, especially when the person talks to himself, a reaction to hearing voices in one's head that appear to come from outside the mind. The reaction of the person with the disorder to those around him/her would be very disruptive, due to not being able to act "normally" in a public place, like a restaurant, movie theater or a shopping mall.

For example, in a restaurant, a person with schizophrenia would be thinking that people are his/her enemies and would react to comments about his/her behavior in several ways. First, the person might cower by himself and try to avoid interacting with others in the restaurant. Of course, this would make the person with schizophrenia feel very isolated, a stranger among strangers in a world that he/she does not understand. In the mind of such a person, thoughts would run rampant and could result in violent outbursts in the restaurant which would probably result in the person being thrown out or even arrested by the police. From the schizophrenic's viewpoint, everyone would be against him/her and would react with surprise or even fear because of his behavior.

As to the problems, issues and prejudices a person with schizophrenia would face in real life, the afflicted individual would find it almost impossible to interact with "normal" people in various situations, such as at a place of employment or during those times when the person is part of a group, such as in school and college. Most people would obviously have some prejudice against a person with this disorder, due to not understanding the reasons why the person acts as he/she does. For example, in an educational setting, the afflicted person would be unable to communicate with fellow classmates in a normal fashion and would not be able to participate in any classroom activities, due to the constant hearing of voices within his/her head. But most importantly, the issue of having to live in a "normal" society would be the greatest problem, for the afflicted person would find it impossible to deal with everyday problems related to interacting with family members, friends and others in his/her life.

To be stigmatized by society for a disorder such as schizophrenia is truly unfair, due to the disorder not being the fault of the person afflicted with it. In all social situations, to be stigmatized would make the person an outcast, meaning that the person would be ostracized from all social activities that make up a "normal" lifestyle. In public places, the stigmatized individual would be shunned by everyone which would create much self-doubt and internal conflicts. For the schizophrenic, this would make his/her disorder even worse, for they would feel like social pariahs with some kind of horrible social disease that could inflict other persons, such as having tuberculosis or possibly AIDS.

For those persons who hold prejudices against mentally-ill individuals, the basis of their prejudice is mainly because of ignorance and being misinformed about various mental illnesses. Personally, I would tell these persons to place themselves in the shoes of those afflicted with mental illness which would give them a very good idea what it is like to be afflicted with a life-altering mental condition. Also, I would tell them to educate themselves by reading books about mental illness and perhaps visit a mental hospital to see for themselves what it is like to live with a mental condition that often makes it unfeasible to live a "normal" life in society.

The reason why people have stigmas against those with mental illness is quite clear -- they simply do not understand the true nature of mental illness or perhaps have no desire to understand it and simply shrug it off as something that is not their problem. But mental illness can affect almost anyone, especially if it runs in families. Basically, the lack of knowledge on mental illness seems to be the main culprit when it comes to the on-going stigmatization against those with mental problems.