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Stuff from Johannesburg

Romance and schizophrenia: An odd couple

MyPR: Romance and schizophrenia: An odd couple:

Schizophrenzia 24×7 Photo: Schizophrenzia 24×7

Dating in an era of social media can be daunting. Dating for people living with schizophrenia? Double daunting. This is why many people living with schizophrenia avoid relationships of any kind.1

The symptoms of schizophrenia vary from person to person, which is why it’s important to have an open, honest conversation about what someone living with schizophrenia faces.1 Some of the symptoms include,2

Delusional behaviour2
False ideas that are often far from reality.

Hallucinations2
Visual or auditory hallucinations that are extremely real to the person experiencing it.

Disorganised thinking and speech2
Effective communication is often impaired as a person living with schizophrenia, may be unable to have coherent thoughts, let alone a conversation.

Lack of emotions and expression2
Commonly known as ‘flat-affect’, a person living with schizophrenia may be unable to express their true feelings through speech or actions. This may result in emotional distance between a couple.

These symptoms impact a person’s ability to maintain meaningful relationships, especially romantic relationships. However, with medical progress in treating and managing the symptoms of schizophrenia, it has become possible to date and maintain long-term, meaningful relationships.

Here are some tips to make it easier for people living with schizophrenia, or interested in dating someone with schizophrenia.

1. Keep expectations in check1
Even if a person’s schizophrenia is well-managed and they feel healthy, dating may result in social anxiety. From the beginning, it’s important to make your expectations known to your partner and possibly engage in therapy to better discuss these expectations.

2. Take it slow1
Stress is one of the triggers of schizophrenia and makes it difficult to manage the symptoms. Taking it slow is smart when easing into a relationship. Start with low-key activities such as coffee dates, picnics or going for a walk in nature. These activities reduce expectations and give you time to ease into a relationship.

3. Go easy on sexual activities1
Many schizophrenia treatment options impact the libido. If your medication results in the inability to get aroused or experience an orgasm, speak to your doctor about other treatment options.

4. Teamwork makes the dream work1
For many people living with schizophrenia, dating can be just a dream. But with the right person and open, honest communication, it’s possible. Go to therapy together. It will help your partner learn about your symptoms from the person that knows you best, your doctor. It also empowers your partner with the knowledge to help should a psychotic episode occur.

Dating with schizophrenia is possible, especially with the right treatment such as long-acting monthly injectables to manage your symptoms. After all, a partner’s support can be one more way to live better with schizophrenia.

To learn more about schizophrenia, visit schizophrenia24x7.co.za for helpful resources and tips on living with schizophrenia, or join the Our Mental Health Facebook group for a like-minded community of people sharing their experience of living, dating and coping with schizophrenia.

References:
1. https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/dating-schizophrenia#1
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354443

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Did you know this about Johannesburg? Johannesburg is more than 130 years old: The city was founded on the 4th of October 1886. It’s one of the youngest world cities though.

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Ponte City: Transformation

As the “white flight” of the 1980s and 90s drained the inner city of capital, Ponte City underwent a dramatic and terrifying transformation. By the late 1990s, the building had become a “vertical slum” and a symbol of urban decay. It was famously “hijacked” by gangs; the retail levels were stripped, and the building became a fortress for drug dealing and human trafficking. The most haunting image from this era was the central core. Originally designed to be a light-filled courtyard, it became a literal trash heap. Residents on the upper floors would throw their refuse into the center of the building rather than taking it down. At its worst point, the trash in the core reached five stories high—a mountain of rotting debris, discarded furniture, and even, legend has it, the remains of those who had fallen or jumped.

During this period, the reputation of Ponte was so toxic that there was a serious proposal in 1998 to turn the entire skyscraper into a vertical prison. The plan was eventually scrapped, but the building remained a “no-go zone” for nearly a decade. The turnaround began in the mid-2000s when developers New Metro Property Group and later Dlala Nje began a massive, painstaking refurbishment. They cleared out the tons of trash from the core, restored the lifts (which had often been out of order, forcing residents to climb 50 flights of stairs), and implemented strict security protocols.