Every year, hundreds of people lose their lives to one of the most callous of reasons; this is not murder, nor genocide, but suicide. More than a thousand people a year give in their lives to escape the bitter tenacity of the world itself—or in most cases. Many people are surprised to learn, however, that at least 50% of the world’s suicides are done under the pressure of mental illness, or some form of mental disease. These mental diseases only magnify the fitful bouts of life that are just too much for many, and can push the afflicted right up to—and then right over—the edge. Schizophrenia is just one of the many fatal mental diseases that can turn what is fantasy for the uninflected into reality for those who are inflicted. It is very important to learn about the symptoms and the effect of schizophrenia so one may know and understand what they can do in order to prevent suicides and lower the death rate of the world.
It is always important to know what to look for in dealing with schizophrenia, or any other form of mental disease, so that one may be truly knowledgeable in how to take preventative action that may end up saving a life. Often, schizophrenics may appear to be disorganized and discombobulated; they are often quite hard to follow, as their thought process is disorganized and they may present their ideas in strange orders (Landau 18). Perhaps the most exaggerated concept of schizophrenia is the idea of “hearing voices”—this idea is often depicted in movies as an evil foe who commands the schizophrenic to kill people; in reality, however, many schizophrenics report the “voices” recommending the wisest choices, and they are very much like a secondary conscience (Roberta 27). The most famous example of a schizophrenic is that of Robert Schumann, a romantic period composer. His “voices” came out in his beautiful piano music that is perhaps the most complicated of the world, only because he commands the hands to do many melodies—or voices—at...