gregersen: time to talk about how we can better treat psychosis
though understanding is improving, the fact remains that in part due to suicide and drug use, people with schizophrenia are broadly estimated to lose 15 to 20 years of life expectancy.
3 minute read
three homeless men are seen sleeping on rideau street the week before christmas.
tony caldwell
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postmedia
like any normal day, i recently went downstairs in my three-story walkup to pick up a few items at the grocery store. it was a day off, so my mood was light, but it plunged when i saw that, once again, people had taken up residence between the two entry doors to the building. i went to open the door to ask them to clear a path for me and was met with: “hey man! what do you think you’re doing?”
“you guys can’t block the entrance,” i told them calmly. “someone is going to call the cops. i’m not going to call them, but someone will.”
“just give me a minute man!” the voice boomed back at me as he gathered his drug paraphernalia. i understand they need shelter, but it always bothers me when people see my home as a place to use drugs.
careful not to step on needles or pipes, i pushed the door open a little further and walked through the mess to the outside. one of the people in the vestibule thanked me and then as i left, the first one came out to scream at me. he threatened violence in graphic terms, and i simply kept walking. a half hour later when i returned, they were gone.
in canada, in 2021, there were 235,000 homeless people. drug overdose deaths from that population averaged between 2.7 and 4.7 deaths per day. no one knows how many died among the homeless population in total. what concerns me the most is that approximately 85 per cent of homeless people are either on the verge of, or full-on suffering from, mental illness. the drug use and addictions we see are in many cases due to people going through the hell of untreated mental illness and traumas in their past few can comprehend.
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several studies have shown the most prevalent mental illness among the homeless are psychosis-related disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar. the “schism” or “split” in schizophrenia is a split from reality due to psychosis, not a split personality. when someone experiences psychosis, they have delusional thoughts that can be religious, persecutory or grandiose. they often experience hallucinations, which are false sensory inputs affecting any of the five senses, which reinforce the false beliefs. people experiencing psychosis may act out and appear dangerous, but it is much more common that they are victims of violence than perpetrators.
a colleague of mine used to talk about how cancer was once a taboo subject not discussed in polite company. it was death, pain and suffering in most people’s eyes. when people began to talk more about cancer, more cancers were detected earlier, more funds were available for treatment and research. this could happen with psychosis.
it is hard for me to call the police or kick out people who seek warmth in my building. we are not against them. people in the building want to help them in any way possible. the building is a project of a local charity maintained for adults with a mental illness, me included.
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though treatment and understanding are improving, the fact remains that in part due to suicide and drug use, people with schizophrenia are estimated to lose 15 to 20 years of life expectancy due to the illness. consider volunteering or donating to an agency that makes a difference. the people you would help are among our most vulnerable.
leif gregersen is a writer, teacher, public speaker and author. three of his books are memoirs of his lived experience with mental illness.
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to get help, donate, volunteer, or to learn more about schizophrenia and psychosis, call the schizophrenia society of ontario at: 1-800-449-6367 during regular business hours, or email: asktheexpert@schizophrenia.on.ca
visit: https://www.connexontario.ca/search for a complete list of programs and services provided by the canadian mental health association branches in ontario. or call 1-866-531-2600 during working hours.
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