"It can be a scary illness but it doesn't make the people who have it scary people."
Schizophrenia Awareness Week 21 – 27 May
Hannah aspires to finish her Master's degree in mental health but a bigger goal is to live a happy and fulfilling life. She wants to tackle the stereotypes that currently exist around schizophrenia and smash the social stigma of a condition that affects 20 million people worldwide.
Diagnosed a decade ago, the 30 year old says she remembers hearing the word 'schizophrenia' for the first time. "I knew all the stereotypes surrounding it, like horror movies. I was thinking what does that mean? Am I dangerous? Does it mean they're going to lock me away? I didn't really know what it meant."
Schizophrenia impacts a person's thoughts, perceptions, emotions, and behaviour. It can cause those affected to lose touch with reality and psychosis that may include periods of false beliefs and hallucinations.
Rachel Green CEO of SANE, the national organisation representing Australians living with complex or severe mental ill health, says treatment and support for schizophrenia has come a long way but community awareness of how it can be managed hasn't and harmful stigma remains.
