Schizophrenia treatable, stigma delays treatment: Psychiatrist

Srinagar, May 22: Schizophrenia is a serious but treatable mental illness, yet thousands of patients continue to suffer silently due to stigma, fear and delayed medical intervention, psychiatrist Dr Abrar Guroo said on Friday.
Stressing the urgent need for awareness and compassionate care, he said misconceptions surrounding mental illness often prevent families from seeking timely psychiatric treatment, leading to worsening symptoms, disrupted lives and avoidable long-term consequences.
Dr Guroo said that schizophrenia, though a serious mental illness, is treatable and manageable with timely psychiatric care, family support, and social understanding. However, he said, stigma surrounding mental illness in society continues to delay treatment and worsen outcomes for many patients.
The psychiatrist explained, “Schizophrenia affects a person’s thoughts, emotions, behaviour, and perception of reality. Patients commonly experience symptoms such as hearing voices, suspiciousness, false beliefs, disturbed sleep, social withdrawal, poor self-care, and reduced emotional expression.”
“One of the major difficulties in schizophrenia is poor insight. Many patients are unable to recognise that they are unwell, which further delays treatment and medical intervention,” he added.
Highlighting the social challenges associated with the illness, Dr Guroo said stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to recovery in India. According to him, many families choose to hide symptoms due to fear of judgment, social shame, and discrimination.
“Instead of seeking psychiatric care early, many patients are taken to faith healers or kept isolated at home. By the time professional medical help is sought, valuable years may already have been lost,” he said.
He warned that delayed treatment can have long-term consequences, including interrupted education, unemployment, strained family relationships, worsening psychiatric symptoms, and emotional stress within families.
“Research across the world consistently shows that early treatment leads to better recovery, improved functioning, and a better quality of life for patients,” Dr Guroo added.
The psychiatrist stressed that schizophrenia continues to be widely misunderstood in society, with many patients being unfairly labelled as dangerous or incapable of living independently.
“In reality, many people living with schizophrenia can study, work, maintain relationships, and lead independent lives when they receive proper treatment, medication, rehabilitation, and strong family support,” he said.
The initiatives, such as Tele-MANAS, help bridge gaps in mental healthcare access by providing confidential counselling and psychiatric support services to people in need, he said.
Calling for greater awareness and compassion, Dr Guroo said mental illness should never be hidden in silence. “Schizophrenia is not a character flaw, personal weakness, or social disgrace. It is a medical condition that deserves timely care, understanding, dignity, and compassion,” he said. (KNO)