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The case of suspicious death of 33 year old woman Twisha from Noida remains in the news. Amidst the allegations of dowry harassment, a new twist came in this case when the woman’s mother-in-law and retired judge claimed that Twisha was suffering from mental illness like Schizophrenia. After this, this mental disease has once again become a topic of discussion among the people.

Schizophrenia is considered a serious mental illness, in which a person may experience symptoms like hearing voices, having hallucinations and feeling detached from reality. Many times the patient feels that someone wants to harm him or is controlling his mind.

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a chronic i.e. long lasting mental illness. In this, a person’s ability to think, understand and behave is affected. Many times the patient is unable to differentiate between the real world and his imagination. This disease usually starts during puberty or between the age of 20 to 30 years. In men its symptoms may appear a little sooner than in women.

What are its main symptoms?

• The patient may hear sounds that do not actually exist.
• Many people feel that someone is following them or wants to harm them.
• The patient’s conversation may sometimes seem scattered or meaningless.
• The person reduces his interaction with people and starts preferring to live alone.
• Some patients may feel extremely angry, scared or sad.

Is its treatment possible?

According to doctors, there is no completely permanent treatment for Schizophrenia at present, but if the treatment starts at the right time, the patient can live a normal life. Medicines, counselling, therapy and family support play an important role in treatment. Experts believe that there is a need to increase awareness about this disease in the society, because many people are not able to get timely treatment due to fear or shame.