The question was submitted
20 November 2009
Subject: Can't communicate with friends properly, My grief
Dear Sir/Madam
I have been suffering from schizophrenia for some time. I am a student doing a BA in language. During my study when I'm stressed I often hear audible voices in my head which sometimes don't mean anything. Sometimes the voices are accompanied by music in the background which can be very irritating especially when I'm trying to study. I loose concentration as a result.
And thats not all. My main concern is that I find it extremely difficult to communicate with people verbally, even though English is my first language as a Singaporean. Before I had schizophrenia, I used to be an eloquent speaker and was able to entertain my friends without any problems at all. But things are now different, I can hardly say a word when I go for my cellgroup meetings.
After cellgroup when everyone busily chatting away, my concentration is so bad that I can hardly understand what they are saying. Everyone in my cellgroup are chinese so there is no language or cultural barrier. I feel very leftout as a result because I just don't have anything to say.
Eversince I had schizophrenia it has felt as if my entire brain has stopped working in a way that I can't communicate properly with all my friends, even with the lecturers at uni. If you ask me I would say that I'm very sway. Because of this I have been feeling extremely depressed, I feel that no one can understand me. Is there a way out of this horrible nightmare? Is there a cure for it? I would like to go back to those days when I could communicate normally again.
Please Help
Answer from DepNet
Dear “can’t communicate properly … grief”
It can cause a great deal of suffering when one feels as if the “entire brain has stopped working” in the way that we are used to. & in your case, constant comparison of the contrast between a previously eloquent entertainer & frustrated silent observer who’ve difficulty concentrating & participating adds to an already bad situation.
Certainly, there are ways out of this nightmare to something better. & as with all plans, let’s start by looking at what’s going for you. You’ve good awareness & know:
¨ name of the condition, ie. schizophrenia (Sz);
¨ that voices are symptoms of Sz;
¨ the symptoms become stronger when you feel stressed;
¨ difficulty in concentration when there’s too many people talking;
¨ pretty good written expression (you wrote this email. Yes?).
Since recovery takes time, the next useful thing to do would be to improve medical management (mgmt). It involves building an honest working relationship with your psychiatrist, taking meds as prescribed, feedback, listening, adjusting. All this means that your wellness can be carefully monitored & appropriate action taken to reduce relapses & maintain stability. Since verbalizing is difficult at this time, you might want to use written word.
While the medical mgmt address the biochemical imbalance in the brain, psycho-social mgmt address the mental, emotional, behavioural & social aspects of living. This involves arming ourselves with understanding & skills on illness, mood & stress mgmt, as well as persistent practice to achieve our goals. For instance, are you aware that difficulty in verbal communication is a common symptom of Sz?
Painful though they are, sway & grief could become personal triumphs through your professional contributions to studies of how persons with Sz restructure & rebuild their verbal language abilities. & help millions who are similarly affected.
The answer was published on DepNet
29 January 2010