Included within are diseases such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or chronic delusional disorder, formerly known as paranoia, among other conditions.
Although there are clear differences between all of them, they have something in common: the loss of contact with reality, either at specific moments, or more continuously throughout life.
Typical symptoms of schizophrenia are:
➣ auditory hallucinations or
➣ delusions, but also
➣ social isolation
➣ loss of interest in things or
➣ affective flattening
Unfortunately, there is still a great stigma towards people with a mental disorder of these characteristics.
Cinema, literature, and above all the fear of the unknown or unusual, have branded them as dangerous people.
The truth is that the vast majority are not violent or dangerous, much less with proper treatment. In fact, the reality is that these people and their families are the main sufferers, in a society that does not lend them a hand.