Schizophrenia

One out of every 33 people in the United States loses touch with reality some time in their life, often during a serious depression. Most of these people recover, but some have a life-long genetic disorder that causes them to believe paranoid or grandiose delusions and to hear voices that aren’t there. Often a schizophrenic person will spiritualize their delusions and voices. When a person becomes schizophrenic (which usually occurs between the ages of 13 and 30) they will most likely never fully recover. People with schizophrenia are important to God just like anyone else and need to love and be loved in spite of their strange behaviors and thinking patterns. It is important to note, however, that they can also be dangerous. Up to 10% of those diagnosed with schizophrenia (and those who haven’t been diagnosed yet) kill themselves and occasionally, in their delusional state, may harm or kill others.

If they become dependent upon you, you will most likely become involved in their delusional system, i.e., that God is talking to them out loud and telling them to harm you.

• It is important to quickly refer these counselees to a psychiatrist who has experience working with schizophrenia and knows how to handle the risks.
• Medication is always needed for any kind of psychosis, even though psychotic people are often very resistant to taking medications because of their paranoia. The longer a person goes into their psychosis without medication, the more permanently ingrained their psychosis becomes.
• Always refer psychotic (thoughts are disturbed to the point of being out of touch with reality) patients first to a psychiatrist or a local hospital that has a psychiatric unit, not a family doctor or a psychologist. After medication has been regulated, then therapy, support groups, and even working with the counselee to find a job can greatly increase their enjoyment of life.