By Susan Kreimer
Kody Green, 29, of Onalaska, Wis., creates content about schizophrenia on Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, Threads, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Photo courtesy of Johnson & Johnson and FleishmanHillard
NEW YORK, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- People with schizophrenia have been challenging the ongoing stigma tied to their mental disorder by posting on social media, trying to dispel the myth that they're prone to injuring themselves or others.
The social networks are a tool to promote mental health care for people with this chronic disorder, while disseminating information that helps reduce negative perceptions.
"People will treat me like I am dangerous just because of my illness, even though I have never been violent," said Kody Green, 29, of Onalaska, Wis., who creates content about schizophrenia on Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, Threads, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Yet, "studies show that people with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of violent crime than the perpetrators," Green said.
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NEW YORK, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- People with schizophrenia have been challenging the ongoing stigma tied to their mental disorder by posting on social media, trying to dispel the myth that they're prone to injuring themselves or others.
The social networks are a tool to promote mental health care for people with this chronic disorder, while disseminating information that helps reduce negative perceptions.
"People will treat me like I am dangerous just because of my illness, even though I have never been violent," said Kody Green, 29, of Onalaska, Wis., who creates content about schizophrenia on Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, Threads, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Yet, "studies show that people with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of violent crime than the perpetrators," Green said.
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In 2019, he began posting about his diagnosis and experiences, amassing more than 1.5 million followers.
"This has allowed me to become a full-time schizophrenia and mental health advocate and reach millions of people to help them better understand what schizophrenia really looks like, and not how it is portrayed in movies and the media," Green said.
He first experienced hallucinations at age 19 and was diagnosed with schizophrenia two years later.
Hallucinations -- a hallmark of schizophrenia -- are his main symptom. They're false perceptions of objects or events that involve a person's sight, sound, smell, touch and taste, according to the Cleveland Clinic. In short, hallucinations appear real, but are figments of the imagination.
While schizophrenia causes severe symptoms, it's not a death sentence. A person can maintain a full life with early intervention and appropriate treatment, Green said.
Michelle Hammer, 36, of Astoria, N.Y., said she finds it therapeutic to post on Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube when she's experiencing auditory hallucinations due to schizophrenia, diagnosed at age 22. They have plagued her since high school, when an internal voice told her she was dumb.
"It was telling me I was a bad person," said Hammer, who owns a mental health clothing and lifestyle brand called Schizophrenic.NYC and is a member of Fountain House, a New York City-based national mental health nonprofit.
For a few years, the mental health advocate has shared videos, sitting on her living room couch and talking to herself. The posts caused a stir on social media, Hammer said, explaining, "I get all kinds of responses -- everything you could possibly imagine."
While some people thanked Hammer for being open about her illness, others suggested that she seek God's help in delivering her from bondage.
"People, for some reason, think schizophrenia is extremely dangerous. What I try to do is change that perception," she said, adding, "I'm not hurting anyone at all. It's not what you think. There's no violence involved."
Clinicians have become more conscientious in recognizing symptoms earlier in the course of schizophrenia, said Dr. Richard Miller, a staff psychiatrist at Elwyn Adult Behavioral Health in Cranston, R.I.
"However, many cases still go undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or untreated for a variety of reasons, including stigma around the disease that can prevent people from asking for help, and psychosocial and economic factors that can prevent access to care," Miller said.
Connecting with others who experience psychosis can help people with schizophrenia feel less lonely by boosting their support system, which enables them to better manage their illness, said Craig Jones, a psychotherapist and program manager of the Odyssey Clinic, which provides outpatient specialty care at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Also, "social media can be a powerful tool for increasing awareness of psychosis as long as the information is accurate," Jones said.
"Personal testimonials about living with schizophrenia help others see that people with these experiences want the same things that everyone wants -- to be able to pursue their special relationships and projects as burden-free as possible."
The World Health Organization reports that schizophrenia affects roughly 24 million people globally, or 1 in 300 individuals.
In addition to hallucinations, sufferers can exhibit delusions, disorganized speech, difficulty thinking and lack of motivation, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
The intricate nature of schizophrenia may be at the heart of why people often harbor misconceptions, assuming that it leads to homelessness or living in hospitals, the association notes. In fact, most people with the illness reside with family, in group settings or alone.
Despite the origin of the word "schizophrenia," which means "split mind" in Latin, it doesn't imply split or multiple personality.
Commonly appearing in late adolescence or early adulthood, schizophrenia is slightly more prevalent in males, who tend to display symptoms toward their late teens. Diagnosis in females is likely to peak in the early to mid-20s, said Dr. Katherine Johnson, chair of psychiatry at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Ill.
"Schizophrenia is a complex illness that affects the way people perceive reality and can influence how they think, feel and act," Johnson said.
She added that the variety of reality disturbances may include auditory or visual hallucinations. Strong internal voices could compel someone to do something, or they may be less obvious, prompting someone to envision shadows that aren't there.
Other misperceptions of reality, such as paranoia, are also common, perhaps persuading someone to feel that another person can read their thoughts, Johnson said.
"Many factors come together to create these symptoms, and it is likely a combination of genetics, biological abnormalities -- specifically around chemical messengers in the brain -- and environmental influences," she said.
However, she noted that hallucinations also can stem from severe depression, bipolar disorder, trauma, substance use, dementia, Parkinson's disease, brain injury or seizures. They're relatively common in children, particularly after traumatic events, and don't automatically signal schizophrenia or another psychotic illness.
With an early and accurate diagnosis, people with schizophrenia can get well on antipsychotic medications, available as pills or long-acting injectables that work steadily over weeks or months and lessen the likelihood of a missed dose, Miller said.
Jones added that stress management techniques, along with individual and group therapy, are also important in managing schizophrenia.
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In 2019, he began posting about his diagnosis and experiences, amassing more than 1.5 million followers.
"This has allowed me to become a full-time schizophrenia and mental health advocate and reach millions of people to help them better understand what schizophrenia really looks like, and not how it is portrayed in movies and the media," Green said.
He first experienced hallucinations at age 19 and was diagnosed with schizophrenia two years later.
Hallucinations -- a hallmark of schizophrenia -- are his main symptom. They're false perceptions of objects or events that involve a person's sight, sound, smell, touch and taste, according to the Cleveland Clinic. In short, hallucinations appear real, but are figments of the imagination.
While schizophrenia causes severe symptoms, it's not a death sentence. A person can maintain a full life with early intervention and appropriate treatment, Green said.
Michelle Hammer, 36, of Astoria, N.Y., said she finds it therapeutic to post on Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube when she's experiencing auditory hallucinations due to schizophrenia, diagnosed at age 22. They have plagued her since high school, when an internal voice told her she was dumb.
"It was telling me I was a bad person," said Hammer, who owns a mental health clothing and lifestyle brand called Schizophrenic.NYC and is a member of Fountain House, a New York City-based national mental health nonprofit.
For a few years, the mental health advocate has shared videos, sitting on her living room couch and talking to herself. The posts caused a stir on social media, Hammer said, explaining, "I get all kinds of responses -- everything you could possibly imagine."
While some people thanked Hammer for being open about her illness, others suggested that she seek God's help in delivering her from bondage.
"People, for some reason, think schizophrenia is extremely dangerous. What I try to do is change that perception," she said, adding, "I'm not hurting anyone at all. It's not what you think. There's no violence involved."
Clinicians have become more conscientious in recognizing symptoms earlier in the course of schizophrenia, said Dr. Richard Miller, a staff psychiatrist at Elwyn Adult Behavioral Health in Cranston, R.I.
"However, many cases still go undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or untreated for a variety of reasons, including stigma around the disease that can prevent people from asking for help, and psychosocial and economic factors that can prevent access to care," Miller said.
Connecting with others who experience psychosis can help people with schizophrenia feel less lonely by boosting their support system, which enables them to better manage their illness, said Craig Jones, a psychotherapist and program manager of the Odyssey Clinic, which provides outpatient specialty care at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Also, "social media can be a powerful tool for increasing awareness of psychosis as long as the information is accurate," Jones said.
"Personal testimonials about living with schizophrenia help others see that people with these experiences want the same things that everyone wants -- to be able to pursue their special relationships and projects as burden-free as possible."
The World Health Organization reports that schizophrenia affects roughly 24 million people globally, or 1 in 300 individuals.
In addition to hallucinations, sufferers can exhibit delusions, disorganized speech, difficulty thinking and lack of motivation, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
The intricate nature of schizophrenia may be at the heart of why people often harbor misconceptions, assuming that it leads to homelessness or living in hospitals, the association notes. In fact, most people with the illness reside with family, in group settings or alone.
Despite the origin of the word "schizophrenia," which means "split mind" in Latin, it doesn't imply split or multiple personality.
Commonly appearing in late adolescence or early adulthood, schizophrenia is slightly more prevalent in males, who tend to display symptoms toward their late teens. Diagnosis in females is likely to peak in the early to mid-20s, said Dr. Katherine Johnson, chair of psychiatry at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Ill.
"Schizophrenia is a complex illness that affects the way people perceive reality and can influence how they think, feel and act," Johnson said.
She added that the variety of reality disturbances may include auditory or visual hallucinations. Strong internal voices could compel someone to do something, or they may be less obvious, prompting someone to envision shadows that aren't there.
Other misperceptions of reality, such as paranoia, are also common, perhaps persuading someone to feel that another person can read their thoughts, Johnson said.
"Many factors come together to create these symptoms, and it is likely a combination of genetics, biological abnormalities -- specifically around chemical messengers in the brain -- and environmental influences," she said.
However, she noted that hallucinations also can stem from severe depression, bipolar disorder, trauma, substance use, dementia, Parkinson's disease, brain injury or seizures. They're relatively common in children, particularly after traumatic events, and don't automatically signal schizophrenia or another psychotic illness.
With an early and accurate diagnosis, people with schizophrenia can get well on antipsychotic medications, available as pills or long-acting injectables that work steadily over weeks or months and lessen the likelihood of a missed dose, Miller said.
Jones added that stress management techniques, along with individual and group therapy, are also important in managing schizophrenia.
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