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Faisal Khan, known for his role in Mela, has opened up about his strained relationship with brother Aamir Khan. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Faisal alleged that his family kept him confined at home for a year, claiming he had schizophrenia and unstable behaviour.
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“Mujhe qaid kar ke rakha tha ghar mein ek saal, (I was imprisoned at home for over a year) and they were saying I’ve got schizophrenia and I’m a mad person and I will harm the society. JJ Hospital mein mujhe 20 din rakha gaya, test kiya gaya, general ward mein, mental logon ke saath,” (I was at JJ Hospital for 20 days, was tested in general ward, with “mental” people), he told the host.
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness with a range of symptoms that vary among individuals and over the course of the illness. Akanksha Pandey, consultant clinical psychologist at Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru, listed some common signs:
- Remaining aloof, loss of interest, aimlessness and social withdrawal.
- Muttering and smiling to self.
- Disturbance in thinking and perception in the form of delusions, hallucinations and unusual bodily sensations.
- They may also have persistent delusions that are culturally inappropriate and implausible, such as religious or political identity or superhuman powers and abilities, or that they are being talked about, stalked and followed, spied by some agencies.
- They may hear voices or see images, which in reality may not exist.
- Irrelevant or incoherent speech.
- They may feel that their thoughts are being broadcasted on television and internet, their thoughts being withdrawn by some external power, or they may not recognise their thoughts as their own, as if being inserted from outside
- Inappropriate and blunted effect, disinhibited and disorganised behaviour and speech
- Inability to maintain activities of daily living, poor self-care and poor hygiene decreased sleep and disturbed appetite abusive and assaultive behaviour (mostly in response to commanding voices and suspiciousness)
However, she also said not every person with schizophrenia experiences all these symptoms. Pandey stressed that schizophrenia requires prompt psychiatric management, with diagnosis carried out through standardised interviews and screening tools.
Unlike infections such as malaria or typhoid, schizophrenia has no cure. “The goal of management is symptom resolution and preventing relapse. The earlier the intervention and the shorter the duration of untreated psychosis, the better the outcome,” she said.
Can schizophrenics lead a normal life?
According to Pandey, regular treatment and adherence to medication allow individuals with schizophrenia to live normal, fulfilling lives — including studying, working, building relationships, and even marrying.
“People afflicted with Schizophrenia exhibit aggression mostly secondary to hallucinations (hearing voices speaking about them, threatening them or commanding them), delusions (persecutory in nature) and distorted ego boundaries which impairs their judgment about reality,” Pandey said, adding that while such people are not dangerous to society, they could potentially harm themselves or others — both known and unknown as a consequence of their abnormal psychic experiences.
Due to widespread misconceptions, the public often perceives them as a threat because of socially inappropriate behaviour. Pandey cautioned against calling them “mad” or “mentally unstable” as it reinforces stigma. “It is preferable not to be aggressive towards them, call them names, or openly criticise them. An empathetic approach is far more effective,” she said.
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