Another look at schizophrenia: "The diagnosis is the beginning of a story of overcoming"

The mist descends slowly on a beautiful sunny day.

You hardly realize that it is enveloping you because the light is still intense.

Only when everything has become cold are you aware that the fog has settled around you.

You no longer know if you will be able to find your way home.

You feel fear.

The reality you perceive now, alone, is different, confusing and threatening.

Today we approach the lives of people who suffer from

, a serious mental disorder that makes a person lose contact with reality, which influences their way of thinking, feeling, behaving and relating.

It is one of the most stigmatized diseases and one that leads to greater social isolation.

In Spain it affects some 400,000 people.

We approach with experts, patients and family members how to face the disease from the understanding and the strength to regain control of their own lives.

The origin of schizophrenia is not clear.

It has a fundamentally genetic component, but the environment plays a "critical" role in its development, explains

, psychiatrist of the Hospitalization and Outpatient Unit of the Doce de Octubre in Madrid.

There is not a single trigger, but there are multiple risk factors, mainly that a person with a certain biological vulnerability faces traumatic situations, great stress or the consumption of toxins such as cannabis.

It is the combination of these that can end up producing the appearance of psychosis.

Various investigations also point to alterations in neurodevelopment as one of the possible causes.

And no one seems exempt.

"Probably we all have certain genetic variations with a certain vulnerability to the disease," says this expert.

"You are unable to perceive beauty, you feel a deep emptiness, the mind always gets the worst..."

Basilio Garcia Copin, 52 years old

The onset of the disease in

is between

of age and in

between 25 and 35 years of age, and later there is a second risk band in menopause.

In them, schizophrenia is less severe and appears a decade later.

The reason for this delay is not yet known, but the role of female hormones as a protective factor is not ruled out.

Those affected may be under a

-firmly believing that something is real despite evidence to the contrary-, of

,

of behavior and thought.

There are also cognitive problems at the level of memory, attention and problem solving.

The world becomes confused and painful.

A mental "fracture"

"You are incapable of perceiving beauty, you feel a deep emptiness, your mind always gets the worst..."

recalls Basilio García Copín, 52, about the onset of an illness that left him trapped for three years in an intense suffering.

It was in his youth that he suffered the first episode of psychosis after he realized that his life was a "lie".

Disorder and chaos took over him almost without realizing it.

Like the mist.

This gradual deterioration ended in a serious mental "fracture" with delusional ideas such as that he "did not deserve to live in society and should isolate himself as a" hermit monk ". The unreality "was gaining ground" and his own existence became an "impossible reading ".

He made the "mistake" of not sharing his condition with his family.

He lived this time in isolation, confined at home and 'tied' to a television.

"He had my music, my food and he didn't want to know anything" about the outside world, the one from which he only perceived "rejection", he explains with regret that "this is the day-to-day life of many people" with schizophrenia.

He then gave his life "for lost" and only "aspired not to suffer much".

In that state, he assures him, you have two options: "

". He chose the latter. "With the disgust of the diagnosis and the first medications, which are very invasive, you lose cognitive, social, communication skills.

But the mind works like a muscle, they can be trained and recovered.” He believes it with the firmness of one who has experienced his own inner transformation.

"We arrived late at the beginning of the disease"

, psychiatrist.

Basilio speaks about schizophrenia with clarity and profound serenity.

The fog for him has already cleared and the desire that his journey through the disease helps others is perceived in his words.

For him

People with this disorder can recover.

It is a complex process that requires a lot of support and effort, but it is possible to achieve a full life.

the first signs

Sánchez Morla has been treating patients with schizophrenia, most of them young, in his practice for 20 years.

And there is something that unfortunately he continues to perceive in his day to day:

.

The family usually blames themselves for not realizing it, but it is not easy to realize that they are beginning to suffer from a mental disorder at a time such as adolescence in which the child experiences affective, character, and behavioral changes and emotional instability is so common. .

The first warning signs of schizophrenia are highly variable and must be kept in mind because they can appear before the delusions and hallucinations that characterize the disease in a more advanced stage: they tend to be

( excess or deficiency),

.

Carlos Garcia Well

A red line that you should be aware of is that this adolescent

,

himself , stops going out with his friends, suffers academic decline, feels sad and enjoys things less.

It should also warn him to

to eat at odd hours or stop eating with the family, to

to believe that others are speaking ill of him, to get

, not to concentrate, to have

, that he has a very restricted interest that he did not have before or that he looks at people a lot.

You may be thinking that many of these behaviors can be acts of rebellion, of self-affirmation in adolescence and it is true that they can be habitual, but they can also be indicative of a mental illness and it is extremely important to consult your primary care doctor to rule out or make the appropriate follow-up to treat as soon as possible a disease that without control can reduce the quality of life of the minor and condition his future.

In the development of the disease there is a clear risk factor that cannot be ignored in adolescence: cannabis.

In Spain, the starting age of consumption of this substance, the easiest illegal drug for minors to acquire, is 14 years old.

on drug use in Secondary Education (2021), it shows that 22.2% have smoked 'joints' in the last year and that cases of problematic use are increasing despite the fact that awareness of the danger is increasing for the health it entails': not only does it cause difficulties in studying, by reducing attention and memory, but it can cause acute anxiety reactions and, in vulnerable people, it can cause the appearance of mental disorders or aggravate those that already suffer.

When the disease has already been established,

this expert assures, because the symptoms are clear, although they can vary in each patient.

They suffer episodes of

sustained over time where they lose contact with reality and which usually manifest with

(beliefs that they consider irrefutable but that lack logic for others) and

(it is an alteration in the perception of the senses, such as the 'voices' with which the disease is often associated) .

These experiences generate great confusion both in the patient and in his environment.

symptoms .

' because it adds something to people's behavior that didn't exist before.

The '

' ones are those in which something is 'lost': motivation, interest in relating, in carrying out activities and the ability to show emotions or cognition.

Fear of being watched, 'voices' and other symptoms of schizophrenia

dropdown

Amafe Association.

delusions

It is a distortion in thought.

An example would be reaching the conclusion that he is being

, because of the way he is looked at on the street, or that the radio or television announcer is specifically addressing him in a message.

Others would be

or

thought

In the first case the person is convinced that his ideas are being stolen and in the second that someone external is introducing them into his mind.

Some patients firmly believe that others influence their body and act like drones.

hallucinations

It occurs when a person experiences a sensation, without anything external having produced it.

He sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that are not real.

There are different types of hallucinations depending on the different senses.

Thus, there are auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations.

Many people with this disorder hear voices.

With experience, the person is able to better differentiate hallucinations and some psychoactive drugs can also reduce their presence or intensity.

thought disorganization

It is a group of symptoms that refer to alterations in the thought process, this disorganization is also reflected in the language and the way in which one expresses oneself.

Thus, it may happen that the person quickly changes from one topic to another without much relationship, incoherencies in the speech or great distractibility.

These alterations can greatly hinder the ability to communicate of those who are suffering from them and even lead to blockage.

behavioral disturbance

They take place when the person shows strange behaviors, often affected by hallucinations and delusions.

For example, when faced with the sensation of being persecuted by a group of criminals, the behavior of barricading themselves at home and not going out into the street.

associability

It implies a reduction in interest in relating to other people, decreases contact with family, friends or colleagues and poses a great risk of social isolation

Anhedonia

It occurs when there are difficulties in carrying out pleasurable activities, the ability to enjoy the interests or hobbies that a person has is diminished.

avolition

It supposes a loss of will.

The person finds great difficulties in starting activities and persisting in them.

It can get to the point of negatively affecting self-care.

affective flattening

Lack of affective reactions, an apparent indifference to things that happen around.

Alogia

It occurs when the spontaneity and fluency in the conversation decreases, with brief retorts and a reduction in the amount of speech of the person.

The types of schizophrenia are defined by the symptoms they show:

-Paranoid schizophrenia: Presence of clear delusional ideas and auditory hallucinations without obvious alterations in affectivity, in language and without showing associated catatonic behavior.

-Disorganized schizophrenia: There may be delusions and hallucinations, but they are not usually organized around a coherent theme.

There are marked alterations in emotions and they usually make faces.

-Catatonic schizophrenia: Marked psychomotor disturbance that may include immobility or excessive motor activity that is not influenced by external stimuli.

-Residual schizophrenia: when there has been at least one episode of schizophrenia, but the existence of delusions and hallucinations is not pronounced and the negative symptoms stand out (isolation, poverty of language, lack of interest...).

How to approach a person suffering from schizophrenia in crisis?

"The suffering and anguish that they have is very high," emphasizes Eva María

and from there, from that feeling of pain, there may be a connection even if you do not fully understand the reality that that person lives in a state of psychosis.

His anguish can be understood.

--Family, partner and good friends play a fundamental role in supporting that person, they can help identify any problem that the medication is causing and

.

Accompany him to consultation or to the Emergency Room if necessary and explain to the professionals the magnitude of the problem.

If they communicate it in time, an income can be avoided.

--Approach them with

, sometimes they don't want to talk about "medication or disease"

-- Always

to the patient, be tolerant, not cruel.

Avoid being aggressive or authoritarian.

--Establish some

of behavior in aggressiveness towards oneself, objects or third parties or when verbalizing a clear idea of ​​self-harm.

--There are extreme situations in which it is difficult to negotiate.

Pay more attention to the feeling and

.

Be empathic because that idea and feeling for him is real.

He has lost contact with reality and his perception of it is distorted but he has an absolute conviction of what he lives.

--The world has changed and they also feel changed.

At certain times they can misunderstand what others say, their actions or intentions.

--We can return to him that we perceive that he suffers, that he feels helpless.

There is always a friend or family member with whom he feels calmer.

--Patients with schizophrenia often have low self-esteem.

and take the opportunity to show them affection and that they are valuable.

Don't let them give up.

Trust and make them trust.

Remind them of their dreams.

--During psychotic episodes, send short and clear messages, with a safe and friendly voice to get them out of the chaos without startling (Get up, follow me, sit down).

--They do not forget their crises.

There is no amnesia, they remember it perfectly, but many times they don't want to talk about it.

Testimonials

family and affected.

"People with schizophrenia cannot settle for being second-class citizens"

• Drafting: YAIZA PERERAMadrid

"People with schizophrenia cannot settle for being second-class citizens"

In cases of schizophrenia it is essential to work with families and offer them support.

"

says psychologist Carlos Cuevas, who has coordinated the Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville for 30 years.

They need to have a deep understanding of the disorder and to know what to do and what to avoid in everyday life situations.

For example, do not try to convince a person who has a delusional vision that he is wrong, but be close in times of distress.

Professionals offer guidelines for a good coexistence by working on skills to

.

"A relative lives by and for the diagnosed relative. It is humanly understandable but less recommendable because it is in the interest of that person to recover their independence as soon as possible."

"

, many of them with a feeling of guilt, think they have done something wrong and are even ashamed to have a family member in these conditions," explains Eduardo, a member of the Valencian association ASIEM, which has been serving people with mental health problems and their families for 22 years.

He currently assists over 4,000 people.

Victoria Aguilar

acts as president and guides other families from the sensitivity of having lived that same experience in the first person.

Her son

had a psychotic break at the age of 15 after he was wrongly diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed amphetamines as part of his treatment.

You think that his head has gone a little but not the seriousness, "he recalls. The outbreak of the disease impacts the entire environment. "These are terrifying experiences for them and whoever is close does not have a good time either." There is fear and anguish At first the parents "sink", explains Victoria, but little by little, through the psychoeducation sessions they receive, they begin to understand what it means to live with this disorder, its symptoms, risk and protection factors, how to move forward to have a life as normal as possible and a more hopeful horizon.

"The needs depend a lot on each moment and each person. Family members who have just received the diagnosis

for the process of assimilation or mourning, which does not happen only when there is a death but also when there is a loss of health or role of that person. In the case of the patient, it depends on the discomfort they have, it can be working on delirium and hallucinations or on the sense of identity, how they see themselves, what it means for them to have schizophrenia. We want to remind them that they are something beyond a diagnosis", explains psychologist Martín Valdez, from ACFAMES, in Barcelona.

This association offers a space for psychological support with therapists and support groups but also a

and intellectual stimulation with activities such as music therapy, movie sessions or a reading club to prevent them from becoming isolated and encourage their autonomy and to see "beyond themselves, their worries and their discomfort".

Where to find help.

associations

dropdown

MADRID

UMASAM

Madrid Union of Associations for Mental Health

Phone: 91 513 02 43 / Fax: 91 371 72 35

info@umasam.org

FEMASAM (Community of Madrid)

Phone: 91 472 98 14

femasam@femasam.org

AFAEP

Association of Family and Friends of the Mentally Ill

Tel: 91 416 84 75

mailto:afaepmadrid@gmail.com

ASAM

Health and Mutual Aid Association (ASAM)

Phone: 91 717 97 29

asam.gerencia@gmail.com

ASAV

Health and Life Alternatives Association (ASAV)

Phone: 696 42 86 87

asv7@hotmail.com.

APISEP

Association for the Social Integration of the Mentally Ill

Phone: 91 883 29 70

apisep@gmail.com

APASEV

Association for Help Health, Hope and Life (APASEV)

Phone: 91 610 07 93

apasev@hotmail.com

ALUSAMEN

Association in Struggle for Mental Health and Social Changes (ALUSAMEN)

Phone: 91 477 18 66

alusamen1990@yahoo.es

PSYCHIATRY AND LIFE ASSOCIATION

Phone: 91 355 36 08

psiquiatriayvida@yahoo.es

MIND AND SOCIETY

Phone: 650 96 98 97

menteysociedad@hotmail.com

HEALTHY MEN

Association of users of Mental Health Centers, Family and Associates (MENS SANA)

Phone: 699 84 35 83 // 91 405 58 67

menssanaasociacion@yahoo.es

ANDALUSIA

FEAFES Andalusia

Tel: 954 23 87 81

feafesandalucia@feafesandalucia.org

THE RUDDER

Association of relatives and relatives with mental illness

Tel: 950 48 94 90

asociacioneltimon@yahoo.es

AFEMEN

Asociación de familiares de enfermos mentales (AFEMEN)

Tel: 956 33 30 68

afemen@terra.es

ASAENEC

Asociación de allegados y personas con enfermedad mental de Córdoba (ASAENEC)

Tel: 957 42 07 41

asaenec@asaenec.org

AFEMVAP

Asociación de familiares y enfermos mentales del Valle de los Pedroches (AFEMVAP)

Tel: 957 77 11 74

afemvapfeafes@hotmail.com

ASOCIACIÓN SEMILLAS DE FUTURO

Tel: 957 16 24 86

semillasdefuturo@hotmail.com

AGRAFEM

Asociación Granadina de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental (AGRAFEM)

Tel: 958 27 91 55

agrafem@gmail.com

APAEM

Asociación provincial de allegados y enfermos mentales (APAEM)

Tel: 953 67 34 57

apaembailen@apaem.e.telefonica.net

AFENES

Asociación de familiares con enfermos de esquizofrenia

Tel: 952 21 77 79

afenes@hotmail.com

AFESOL

Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental de la Costa del Sol (AFESOL)

Tel: 952 44 06 64

afesol@feafes-afesol.org

AFENEAX

Asociación de familiares de enfermos mentales de al Axarquía

Tel: 952 50 01 63

afeneax@gmail.com

ASAENES

Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental grave (ASAENES)

Tel: 954 93 25 84

asaenes@asaenes.org

ADACEM

Asociación de Ayamonte y Costa Occidental de Huelva con la Enfermedad Mental (ADACEM)

Tel: 959 32 05 14

ADACEN1

@telefonica.net

Asociación MALVA

Tel: 957 54 36 76

malvapriego@gmail.com

FEAFES HUELVA

Asociación de familiares y allegados de personas con enfermedad mental (FEAFES HUELVA)

Tel: 959 24 74 10

feafes-huelva@hotmail.com

ARAGÓN

FEAFES Aragón

Tel: (976) 53 24 99

feafesaragon@hotmail.com

Asociación Aragonesa pro salud mental (ASAPME ZARAGOZA)

Tel: 976 53 24 99

asapme@asapme.org

AFAR. Ilusión por el futuro.

Tel: 976 40 21 57

afar.ilusionporelfuturo@hotmail.com

CANARIAS

FEAFES Canarias

Tel: 928 31 33 98

feafescanarias@yahoo.es

Asociación Tinerfeña en lucha salud mental (ATELSAM)

Tel: 922 20 52 15

atelsam@teide.net

Asociación canaria de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental (AFES)

Tel: 922 63 08 56

afes@afescanarias.org

Asociación Majorera por la salud mental (ASOMASAMEN)

Tel: 626 50 31 19

asomasamen@yahoo.es

Agrupación para la defensa del paciente psíquico "EL CRIBO"

Tel: 928 80 45 45

info@elcribo.com

Asociación de familias y personas con problemas de salud mental de La Palma (AFEM- LA PALMA)

Tel: 922 46 43 75

afem-lapalma@hotmail.com

Asociación de familias y usuarios para el apoyo de personas con enfermedad mental (AFAES)

Tel: 928 31 33 98

afaes@afaes.es

CANTABRIA

Asociación Cántabra pro salud mental (ASCASAM)

Tel: 942 36 41 15

sede@ascasam.org

CASTILLA Y LEÓN

FEAFES Castilla y León

Tel: 983 30 15 09

feafescyl@feafescyl.org

Asociación Segoviana de personas con enfermedad mental, familiares y amigos "AMANECER-FEAFES"

Tel: 921 43 16 08

segovia@feafescyl.org

CATALUÑA

Federació Salut Mental Catalunya (Cataluña-Catalunya)

Tel: 93 272 14 51

federacio@salutmental.org

Associació de familiars de Malalts Mentals de Barcelona Nord

Tel: 93 383 58 39

assoc@afammeban.org

Associació Salut Mental La Noguera (ASM LA NOGUERA)

Tel: 97 34 49 488

asm.lanoguera@gmail.com

ACFAMES

Associació Catalana de Familiars i Malalts desquizofrenia

Tel: 93 217 46 61

acfames@hotmail.com

Associació de Familiars de malalts mentals de Catalunya (AFAMMCA)

Tel: 93 435 17 12

afammca@gmail.com

Associació de Familiars de Malalts Mentals de Nou Barris

Tel: 654 15 43 82

afemnoubarris@gmail.com

Aixec Societat Cooperativa Catalana Limitada (Aixec S.C.C.L)

Tel: 685 87 94 19

aixec@aixec.cat

Associació Per a la Rehabilitació de les persones con Malaltia Mental (AREP)

Tel: 93 352 13 39

Fundació Privada Vía-Guasp per a la tutela del Malalt Mental (FUNDACIÓ VÍA GUASP)

Tel: 93 498 80 31

mvillagrasa@via-guasp.com

Associació de Familiars i amics de persones afectades de malaltia mental (RESSORGIR)

Tel: 93 272 50 55

info@ressorgir.org

Salut Mental. Associació de Familiarsi Amics Berguedá. (ASFAM)

Tel: 630 18 98 41

asfam.berga@gmail.com

SALUT MENTAL BAIX LLOBREGAT

Tel: 659 96 10 16

espai3cornella@hotmail.com

EL FAR

Tel: 679 67 24 52

associacioelfar@gmail.com

FAMILIA I SALUT MENTAL GIRONA

Tel: 972 20 04 63

ass_smental_girona@hotmail.com

ESQUIMA

Tel: 93 540 43 38

esquima@esquima.org

Associació per la Salut Mental Pla dUrgell (ASMPU)

Tel: 97 360 60 76

asm.pladurgell@gmail.com

Associació de Familiars de Malalts Mentals Cemoriba (CEMORIBA)

Tel: 618 75 50 47

cemoriba@hotmail.com

Associació de Families amb Malalts Mentals de les comarques de Tarragona (AURORA)

Tel: 97 752 02 05

administracio@associacioaurora.org

Associació Ment i Salut la Muralla (AMSLM)

Tel: 97 722 76 56

info@clubsociallamuralla.com

ASOCIACIÓ ALBA

Tel: 97 331 22 21

info@aalba.cat

Associació de Familiars de malalts mentals de Terrasa (ASFAMMT)

Tel: 93 780 93 29

asfammt@gmail.com

Porta Oberta Personas Amb Malaltia Mental i Familiars

Tel: 977 60 96 75

portaoberta@yahoo.es

FUNDACIÓ PRIVADA FUNAMMENT

fundacio@funamment.org

Associació per a la cura del cuidador i familiar en salut mental

Tel: 654 169 338

acfem@hotmail.com

CEUTA

ACEFEP

Asociación Ceutí de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental (ACEFEP).

Tel: 956 52 53 18

acefep@hotmail.com

NAVARRA

ANASAPS (Comunidad Foral de Navarra)

Tel: 948 24 86 30

anasaps@anasaps.org

COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA

FEAFES Comunidad Valenciana-Comunitat Valenciana

Tel: 96 353 50 65

feafescv@gmail.com

ISPEM

Inserción laboral para Personas con Enfermedad Mental

ispem.sai@hotmail.com

Familiares Asociados de Enfermos Mentales (FADEM)

Tel: 692 11 15 55

fademvall@hotmail.com

Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental del Altó Vinalopó (AFEPVI)

Tel: 965 81 74 38

Asociación de ayuda a personas con enfermedad mental de la Comunidad Valenciana (ACOVA)

Tel: 963 81 28 60

acova@asociacionacova.org

Entidad: Asociación de La Safor de Ayuda a Enfermos Mentales (ASAEM)

Tel: 962 87 08 23

asaem@hotmail.com

Asociación de familiares y allegados de la Ribera Alta para los derechos del enfermo mental (AFARADEM)

Tel: 639 50 28 78

Asociación de familiares de enfermos mentales lAlt Maestrat (AFEM LALT MAESTRAT)

Tel: 964 42 82 59

afemlaltmaestrat@gmail.es

Asociación para la integración de enfermos mentales de Alicante (AIEM)

Tel: 966 59 29 51

aiem.alicante@gmail.com

Associació damics de la Marina Alta dajuda als malalts mentals (AMADEM)

Tel: 966 46 91 20

amadem1@hotmail.com

Asociación Familiares de Enfermos Mentales del Alto Palancia

Tel: 620 735 489

afemap@gmail.com

EXTREMADURA

FEAFES Extremadura

Tel: 924 80 50 77

feafesextremadura@yahoo.es

Asociación para la integración de las personas con enfermedad mental (PROINES)

Tel: 924 80 50 77

proines@proines.es

Asociación de personas con enfermedad mental para la integración social (FEAFES AEMIS)

Tel: 924 24 14 17

aemis@badajoz.org

GALICIA

FEAFES Galicia

Tel: 981 55 43 95

feafesgalicia@feafesgalicia.org

Asociación "Fonte da Virxe" de familiares e amigos dos enfermos mentais de Galicia (FONTE DA VIRXE)

Tel: 981 88 42 39

Asociación de axuda a enfermos psíquicos Alba (ALBA)

Tel: 986 85 93 68

asociacion@albapontevedra.org

Asociación de axuda ó enfermo mental Avelaiña (AVELAIÑA)

Tel: 986 61 00 21

asociacion@avelaina.org.es

Asociación pro saude mental LAR (LAR)

Tel: 986 51 06 99

fundacion@lar.org.es

Asociación de axuda ó enfermo psíquico LENDA (LENDA)

Tel: 986 40 42 00

asoclenda@gmail.com

Asociación Monfortina de apoio ós enfermos mentais (ALBORES)

Tel: 982 40 49 68

albores@albores.org

Asociación de axuda ó enfermo mental A MARIÑA (A MARIÑA)

Tel: 982 58 16 20

asociamaria@telefonica.net

Asociación de familiares e enfermos mentais MOREA (MOREA)

Tel: 988 23 74 54

ourense@morea.org

ANDAÍNA PRO SAUDE MENTAL

Tel: 650 27 08 24

andainapsm@gmail.com

ISLAS BALEARES

FEBAFEM (Islas Baleares-Illes Balears)

Tel: 971 39 26 94

info@febafem.com

Asociación de Familiares de enfermos mentales de Menorca (AFEM)

Tel: 639 67 69 01

asociacionafemmenorca@yahoo.es

Asociación de usuarios salud mental de Menorca (SOLIVERA)

Tel: 971 35 77 50

solivera_menorca@yahoo.es

Associació Estel de Llevant

Tel: 971 55 98 91

gerencia@esteldellevant.es

Asociación para el desarrollo e integración de personas con esquizofrenía (ADIPE)

Tel: 971 72 78 42

adipe@adipe.org

LA RIOJA

Asociación Riojana de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental (FEAFES-ARFES PRO SALUD MENTAL)

tel: 941 23 62 33

arfes@arfes.org

PAIS VASCO

FEDEAFES (País Vasco-Euskadi)

Tel: 94 406 94 30

fedeafes@fedeafes.org

Asociación Ayalesa de Familiares y Personas con enfermedad mental (ASASAM)

Tel: 94 403 46 90

junta@asasam.org

Asociación Guipuzkoana de Familiares y Enfermos Psíquicos (AGIFES)

Tel: 943 47 43 37

agifes@agifes.org

AVIFES

Asociación Vizcaínas de Familiares y Personas con Enfermedad Mental

Tel: 94 445 62 56

ASAFES

Asociación Alavesa de Familiares y Personas con Enfermedad Mental (ASAFES)

Tel: 945 28 86 48

asafes@asafes.org

ASTURIAS

AFESA-FEAFES-ASTURIAS

Tel: 985 11 51 42

afesasturias@gmail.com

REGIÓN DE MURCIA

FEAFES Región de Murcia

Tel: 968 23 29 19

info@feafesmurcia.com

Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental

Tel: 968 23 26 50

info@afesmurcia.org

Asociación para la integración comunitaria de enfermos psíquicos de Cartagena y Comarca (APICES)

Tel: 968 16 92 15

apices51@hotmail.com

Asociación de familiares y enfermos mentales de Lorca

Tel: 968 47 11 80

asofem2003@hotmail.com

Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental del Noroeste (AFEMNOR)

Tel: 968 70 09 66

afemnor2006@yahoo.es

Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental de Cieza y Comarca (AFEMCE)

afemce@afemce.com

Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental de Molina (AFESMO)

Tel: 968 64 53 87

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Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental de Yecla (AFEMY)

Tel: 968 79 15 51

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Asociación de familiares y personas con enfermedad mental de Águilas y Comarca (AFEMAC)

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La noruega Arnhild Lauveng relata en su libro 'El país de los bosques de hierro' su travesía por la esquizofrenia. Es ella quien describe el comienzo de la enfermedad como una bruma que te desorienta y asusta. Fue diagnosticada con 15 años y permaneció ingresada siete años de su vida, en algunas ocasiones durante meses. Tras su recuperación cumplió su sueño de estudiar psicología y ofrecer su experiencia vital a otras personas para que les sirva de luz en esa niebla gris.

Habla de ella con claridad y sencillez, desde sus primeros síntomas tras ser objeto de burla constante en la escuela ["mi identidad, la seguridad de que yo era un ser, comenzó a deshacerse; los sonidos se escuchaban raros. Mi visión empezó a cambiar"] hasta las alucinaciones que sufría [escuchaba los gritos del 'Capitán' que le daba órdenes, le insultaba y obligaba a golpearse ella misma y veía lobos repulsivos de ojos amarillos y dientes amenazantes]. Ofrece su visión como paciente y como profesional de salud mental dando claves de cómo surgen esos síntomas y por qué. Cada uno de ellos, asegura, se crea a partir de la propia vida de la persona y tiene un sentido determinado que hay que descubrir

.

Like a dream, a delusion or a hallucination it is a "metaphorical truth" and "important" that has an interpretation.

It is another language, another way of expressing the need or desire to be seen, recognized and loved.

Victoria Aguilar, together with her son Jorge. FAMILY ALBUM

"Years" without medication

La persona que sufre estos síntomas "sabe que algo está pasando", asegura Eva María, cuya tesis doctoral se centró en los trastornos de esquizofrenia y trastorno bipolar, y en un primer momento puede haber "rechazo y negación por el temor que alguien le diagnostique como loco" y eso demora la asistencia. Durante ese tiempo perdido hay una progresión y un deterioro por la enfermedad y puede haber el riesgo de que se cometan conductas autolesivas que lleguen al suicidio, especialmente el primer año tras el diagnóstico, o consumo de drogas como "automedicación" para calmar el malestar. "Vemos casos de muchísima evolución de la enfermedad", asegura, cuando "lo ideal es que los síntomas psicóticos no estuvieran presentes sin recibir tratamiento más de dos semanas".

La intervención temprana es crucial para una mejor evolución del paciente: responde de manera más adecuada al tratamiento, éste es más suave, con menos efectos secundarios y es menor su nivel de discapacidad. Uno de los principales objetivos para los profesionales que tratan a pacientes con esquizofrenia es lograr reducir el periodo de enfermedad no tratado. "Es muy llamativa la tolerancia de la familia, hay veces que pasan años sin medicación, sobre todo cuando no hay alteraciones de conducta como pasa en las mujeres en general. Algunas de ellas llevan décadas con la enfermedad pero han estado adaptadas y cumpliendo sus responsabilidades a un nivel más bajo del que hubiesen podido hacer con tratamiento".

En una crisis aguda, el paciente recibe un tratamiento con antipsicóticos para poner freno a los síntomas 'positivos' como delirios, alucinaciones, desorganización del pensamiento y de la conducta y la dosis se debe ir adecuando posteriormente a la fase de la enfermedad. Uno de los objetivos prioritarios para los profesionales que tratan pacientes con esquizofrenia es lograr que tomen la medicación, lo que no ocurre en ocasiones porque el paciente no reconoce la propia enfermedad o por el malestar que le genera los efectos secundarios. "Muchas veces la dejan porque durante el mantenimiento siguen con la misma dosis que en la fase aguda y eso es incompatible con llevar una vida normal", explica esta psiquiatra, que incide en la importancia de que el paciente acuda a las revisiones para realizar precisamente esa revisión del tratamiento, que termina en ocasiones en dosis "muy pequeñas". Hay algunos grupos de pacientes en los que se podría suspender incluso el tratamiento porque han sufrido un único episodio y no experimentan ninguno más.

Esta experta subraya la importancia de escuchar "muy bien" al enfermo para saber cómo se siente, lo que le preocupa y buscar el tratamiento que se ajuste mejor a sus necesidades, le "permita tener un funcionamiento psicosocial lo más normalizado posible" y alcanzar una "vida independiente". "Si la medicación le genera efectos adversos, le provoca mucho sueño, síntomas parkinsoniano, rigidez o inquietud interna es difícil que la persona vaya a mantener este tratamiento", reconoce incidiendo en la importancia de que la relación con el psiquiatra, psicólogo y enfermera tienen que ser de "protección y de apoyo".

La falta de adherencia genera recaídas, hasta el 80% de los pacientes las sufre entre los seis meses y los dos años tras dejar la medicación. Y en cada una de ellas tanto la función cerebral como sus relaciones se ven afectadas. Los últimos tratamientos aprobados van en la línea de evitar este retroceso para el paciente con la administración de un antipsicótico inyectable cada seis meses en adultos clínicamente estables.

"Schizophrenia patients have between 12 and 20 years less to live than the general population",

explains Eva María Sánchez Morla.

The leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease in a group that tends to have a less healthy lifestyle, with a more sedentary lifestyle and poorer nutrition.

In this regard, this psychiatrist highlights the essential role played by nurses in controlling the general health status of the patient: "There is no mental health without physical health."

Basilio García Copín, president of Ceuta Mental Health.

Entre un 5 y un 10% mueren por suicidio. Existe un mayor riesgo de que una persona se quite la vida en el primer año después de recibir el diagnóstico y la primera semana después de un ingreso hospitalario. También en pacientes jóvenes con un nivel educativo alto que tienen una "buena conciencia de la enfermedad" y saben el declive que puede suponer la enfermedad y las posibles repercusiones en su rendimiento laboral, datos que corroboran la importancia de una intervención temprana y eficaz. Entre un 15%-20% de los pacientes con esquizofrenia evolucionan favorablemente cuando hay una intervención rápida. Los primeros cinco años de la enfermedad son los más duros. Con el paso del tiempo los síntomas tienden a mitigarse.

"Reinterpretar la experiencia mental"

En la recuperación de un paciente con esquizofrenia conviven el tratamiento farmacológico con otras intervenciones terapéuticas como la psicoeducación, la intervención familiar y la terapia cognitivo-conductual y la readaptación psicosocial. Se trata de brindar información, apoyo, seguridad y confianza de que pueden y deben responsabilizarse de su propia vida, seguir marcándose metas y sueños. Pese a la bruma. El mensaje de Basilio a quien sufre este trastorno es claro: no te aísles, no te conformes con ir "una vez cada cuatro meses al psiquiatra para que te dé pastillas". Éstas, explica, te "quitan la ideas delirantes pero te quedas en un vacío existencial dolorosísimo". Las personas que sufren esta enfermedad son más vulnerables ante las situaciones de estrés por lo que necesitan dotarse de herramientas para poder hacerles frente sin desestabilizarse, aprender a manejar la ansiedad y la depresión.

"La mente trabaja con las experiencias que vivimos, con la información que recogen tus sentidos. Si estás en el fondo de tu habitación, no puede haber una evolución. Si te quedas en casa los síntomas se reproducen en un círculo infinito", argumenta asegurando que "muchas veces" la persona que tiene una psicosis no sabe lo que está pasando ni nadie se lo explica. ¿Cómo desprenderse de esos pensamientos intrusivos? Para Basilio, una posibilidad es "alimentarse" con experiencias nuevas, positivas y también ser capaces de "reinterpretar la experiencia mental" siendo "consciente de lo que es un pensamiento voluntario y del que no es voluntario". Es decir, cambiar el foco de lo que se vive y de lo que se piensa y restarle "capacidad de expresión a la esquizofrenia".

Psychology

Schizophrenia.

'Voices' that reveal intense pain, delusions that make sense... how psychotherapy helps

• Drafting: YAIZA PERERAMadrid

'Voices' that reveal intense pain, delusions that make sense... how psychotherapy helps

Go out and participate in society

, asks Basilio, because that's the only way you discover "your abilities and potential."

He found an opportunity to do so when the Ceuta table tennis federation was born.

He started training four hours a day and became a child monitor.

He has been enjoying the pleasure of teaching for more than 13 years.

"How do you deal with schizophrenia?" They usually ask him.

"I don't have time to deal with schizophrenia," he replies.

For him that has been "his overcoming of him" of him.

"Somos algo más que un paciente psiquiátrico"

"Nosotros tenemos que intentar superarnos, tomar el control de nuestra vida convertirnos en observadores de nuestra experiencia mental y ser proactivos, pero el sistema tiene que promover el fin último de la inclusión porque solo cuando un individuo tiene un rol social podemos hablar de recuperación", asegura Basilio. Detrás de cada puerta que aleja a una persona con esquizofrenia de la sociedad se encuentra también la sombra del estigma. El desconocimiento y los prejuicios hacen que aún hoy se asocie esta enfermedad a episodios de violencia. Ese rechazo que se percibe en el entorno no solo puede arrastrar a una persona aún más a la soledad sino que puede llevarla incluso a no aceptar su enfermedad y no medicarse, con las consecuencias que ello conlleva en el agravamiento. En series actuales aún se alimentan esos estereotipos de la persona que sufre esquizofrenia como alguien bajo sospecha. Lo hace 'Rapa', que emite Netflix, con Samuel, un personaje atormentado por la soledad, el rechazo social y autor de un delito de violencia. En los medios de comunicación también es frecuente la vinculación de enfermedad mental y crimen.

Una persona con un trastorno puede cometer actos violentos, la mayoría contra sí mismos, pero ese es un "porcentaje muy pequeño de pacientes sin medicación, con mucha desorganización y en fase aguda" y no corresponde a la imagen de un paciente con diagnóstico, asegura esta experta.

"El estigma es una lectura instintiva que nos otorga una serie de características negativas y que impiden nuestra progresión social. Tenemos que superar una resistencia gigantesca para estar al nivel de los demás. Este ambiente de rechazo permea en la autopercepción de la persona afectada y termina creyendo sus propias limitaciones cuando son impuestas. Las limitaciones son como un espejismo, si te acercas a ellas desaparecen, pero tienes que tener el coraje de afrontarlas", subraya Basilio, que aboga por un lenguaje social inclusivo y comprensivo".

"Al cabo de 16 años de mi crisis, pude estudiar y aprobar una plaza como administrativo en Ceuta y conseguí un proyecto de vida independiente", explica en conversación telefónica consciente de la importancia de insistir en este aspecto y romper las barreras que los datos se empeñan en confirmar. Basilio, presidente de Salud Mental Ceuta e integrante del Comité Pro Salud Mental En Primera Persona, asegura que solo puede hablarse de recuperación cuando una persona logra integrarse plenamente y obtener un "rol" social, que se traduce en un puesto de trabajo. Actualmente, asegura, solo lo logra un 15%.

La soledad y el rechazo viene acompañada también del desamparo. El apoyo de la red estatal sociosanitaria a los pacientes y familiares resulta insuficiente. "Faltan medios, estructuras, profesionales, equipos especializados y capacitados", reconoce la psiquiatra Eva María Sánchez Morla.

According to the WHO, one in four people will suffer from a mental illness throughout their lives.

"No one is free from suffering a setback," warns Basilio, who calls for greater awareness: "The normalization of psychosocial disability is only understood from a profound humanity."

"We are more than just a psychiatric patient," he recalls, advocating that the emphasis be no longer on disabilities and capabilities be enhanced.

, asks Arnhild Lauveng.

And to reemerge, with more force, from the fog.

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