Behind the Storyline: What is Schizophrenia?

When Isaac revealed to Lola that he had schizophrenia, the young mum was initially taken aback but after researching the condition herself, their relationship flourished, despite warnings from Isaac's mother.

When the primary school teacher made the assumption he must have been misdiagnosed with the condition, he decided to stop taking his medication and the result of this is part of Stevie Basaula's big storyline on the soap. 

So what is schizophrenia? Years ago many people believed schizophrenia meant the person had a split personality, violent behaviour and never being able to hold onto a job.

The truth is it doesn't make someone dangerous or violent. People with schizophrenia are much more likely to harm themselves than to harm someone else.

According to the NHS, doctors often describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis. This means the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.

Symptoms of schizophrenia include: hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that do not exist outside of the mind) - delusions (unusual beliefs not based on reality) - muddled thoughts - losing interest in everyday activities and wanting to avoid people, including friends.

Schizophrenia does not cause someone to be violent and people with schizophrenia do not have a split personality.

There was also a time when people believed schizophrenia was caused by bad parenting. According to PSYCOM, while there is a genetic susceptibility (when a disorder runs in the family) there is absolutely no evidence that it is caused by how a person is parented.

So what does cause the condition? Rather than a single gene for schizophrenia, it’s likely that various genes, as well as environmental factors, are responsible.

It's thought that some people are more vulnerable to developing schizophrenia, and certain situations can trigger the condition such as a stressful life event or drug misuse.

There isn't a blanket approach to the treatment of schizophrenia, it's usually treated with a combination of medicine and therapy tailored to each individual.

Like many mental health conditions, most people with schizophrenia find it comforting talking to others with a similar condition.

Schizophrenia is actually much more common than you may think, with approximately one in every 100 people diagnosed.

According to Mind charity, black people in the UK are far more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than people of other ethnicities.

But there's no evidence that being black makes you biologically more vulnerable. The explanation for this is thought to be because black people are more likely to experience things like discrimination, racism, social deprivation, and these kinds of highly stressful life experiences may trigger schizophrenia.

Everyone’s experience of schizophrenia is different. Not everyone with schizophrenia will experience all of the symptoms. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms explained in this article, it's important to speak to your GP.

For more information on causes, self-care, treatment, and what others can do to help, please click here to visit Mind.