People with Schizophrenia may hear voices not heard by others surrounding them or may see things that are not really there. These symptoms are termed ‘€œhallucinations’€.

‘€œI used to hear all kinds of voices! It could be a male voice on the left ear and I could hear a female voice on the right ear. One would say something and the other would add on to that. They tended to agree that I would not amount to anything in life’€, says Mpumelelo (not his real name) of his own experience of living with the condition.

Mpumelelo felt threatened by the voices in his head. He became fearful and withdrawn, as a result.

‘€œSchizophrenia presented itself to me with negative thoughts. I changed suddenly, I felt like I had not achieved any of my dreams. I then became depressed, only to find out that it is Schizophrenia. I was on the verge of committing suicide thinking others were out to kill me’€, he says.

But what causes Schizophrenia? That’€™s the question we posed to Dr Bonga Chiliza, a lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Stellenbosch.

‘€œPeople with Schizophrenia tend to have abnormal levels of a neuro-transmitter called Dopamine. Its over-secretion is linked to the over-stimulation of structures in the brain that control vision and the sense of hearing, which is why patients see or hear things that are not really there. Under-secretion of Dopamine may lead to memory loss’€, he explains.

Take Carol Kulati for instance, a newly-wed from Cape Town. Her condition was so severe that at times she could not even recognise her husband.

‘€œI’€™ve had symptoms of Schizophrenia since high school but I just ignored them. However, now that I’€™m married they are coming back. Voices often tell me to go home and pack my things and go away. Sometimes, I even act funny at home. And that is something that gets me into arguments with my husband’€, she says to me.        

Carol has realised that the illness can be taxing on both the patient and their families.

‘€œTo people who have the condition, I hope they get treatment as soon as possible. This is because Schizophrenia can be dangerous. Once you ignore it, it gets more severe and it messes up your relationship with your family’€, says Carol.