People who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia may have beliefs that are not shared by other people. They may hear, see or perceive things that other people do not sense. These are referred to as delusions (beliefs that are unusual or not true) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there).
People can also have difficulty in thinking clearly, making decisions and plans, understanding other people’s emotions and motives.
There are lots of myths and misunderstandings about what schizophrenia is. Some incorrect views are that people become violent, have multiple personalities and/or have an intellectual disability.
People with lived experience see the experiences associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia very, very differently to clinicians.
- A person with lived experience of a mental health condition
SANE Australia SANE Australia is a national mental health charity working to support people affected by complex mental illness and provides a range of relevant resources. Schizophrenia This fact sheet provides an overview of the causes, symptoms and treatment options for schizophrenia. The site also provides a guide to support people experiencing schizophrenia, their family, friends and carers. Type: Fact sheets Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Produced by: SANE Australia
What is schizophrenia? This article is an overview of what schizophrenia is, signs and symptoms, causes, treatments and how to get help. Type: Web page Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Produced by: ReachOut
Strategies for Coping with Distressing Voices This handy fact sheet provides practical strategies to cope with distressing voices. Type: Fact sheet Length: 1 page Produced by: Hearing Voices Network Australia
A Practical Guide to Coping with Voices This guide is an introduction to a different way of thinking about hearing voices. Type: Web page Estimated reading time: 30 minutes Produced by: The International Hearing Voices Network
What is schizophrenia? (Translated Fact Sheet) This brochure covers schizophrenia, its symptoms and causes, treatment options and where to go for help. This fact sheet is available in a number of translated languages. Type: Fact sheet Length: 6 pages Produced by: Mental Health in Multicultural Australia Translations: Yes
Types of mental health conditions
