Can people with schizophrenia love?

[DizzyPrincess]

This may sound offensive some but is not my intention. I know someone who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia which is managed with medication they have recently told me that they are in love and asked if this is possible as they had done research however had repeatedly came across statements that say someone with such a diagnosis will find it impossible to truely be in love. I am posting in the hope others with the same diagnosis could share some of their experiences???

[mellonheadgirl]

I think it depends on how severe the illness is for each individual. Even the most symptomatic schizophrenic wants to be loved. Love is something everyone wants and needs. Their behavior in response to those symptoms can make it look like they don't or can't give or receive love but looks can be decieving.

[OobieMoobie]

I'm not sure how anyone could say it's 'impossible to truly be in love' when we have no clear cut way of defining what it means to love in the first place.

Many mental health issues can make it difficult to form and maintain relationships, or express love and affection. However that does not mean the person can't love.

[DizzyPrincess]

Many mental health issues can make it difficult to form and maintain relationships, or express love and affection. However that does not mean the person can't love.

I have said this to them however they are now believing that they can't love :-(

[meercat]

a few years ago i was with somene who suffered this horrible illness! he was a very loving caring bloke and made me very happy and made sure i felt safe. i must say that he did struggle many if days with lack of connection with reality and it did effect us in communication with each other at times as he or he's imagination would suddenly change into some random topic. i found him so lovely though and feel that yes schizophrenic's CAN love ... but with difficulty to maby substain it for a permant time.

[DizzyPrincess]

Thanx for replies x

[ranger]

Josephine

Maybe your friend has not experienced anyone loving him, be it parents, siblings, partner or friends.

I have schizophrenia, but I haven't had any bizarre symptoms that you get with it for some twelve years. I have experienced people loving me and caring for me and even when I was seriously ill at the back of my mind I knew I was loved and this helped me to get better and show love myself.

Like anyone with a mental health condition, I have made mistakes in who I got involved with, but a lot of therapy has helped me make much better conditions concerning people.

Of course people with schizophrenia can love. It is just a condition that the person has, but it is not who the person is. Also you cannot bracket all people with the same condition all under one statement. Some will be able, some won't. Exactly like some people with bipolar will be able to love and some won't or indeed as with any member of society. It depends on their background or circumstances.

And also no one person no matter what their circumstances is not capable of love, particularly if they learn to react differently to things than they did in the past.

I hope this helps.

[calypso]

Of course they can love!! Who the hell came up with that belief that anyone can't love? Schizophrenia creates its own problems, but hell there are lots of people not diagnosed with anything out there who find love difficult. I fail to see why a diagnosis should affect anything! The only people I would be suspicious of saying they were in love, are psychopaths. But even then, how can I be sure of anything.....

[|||ME|||]

Yeah it's possible. It just is. We're still human beings, just with special powers. I don't know which recess of the internet your friend did his or her research, but it was a particularly backward corner (maybe a psychiatry or Big Pharma site?), and I say that as someone who's been deep into youtube, and read the comments.

Has Firemonkee posted this research yet?

[firemonkee]

Yeah it's possible. It just is. We're still human beings, just with special powers. I don't know which recess of the internet your friend did his or her research, but it was a particularly backward corner (maybe a psychiatry or Big Pharma site?), and I say that as someone who's been deep into youtube, and read the comments.

Has Firemonkee posted this research yet?

Having a dig? I don't know what the situation is like now but 30 years ago whilst in hospital together my wife to be was told i was incapable of love and a relationship. I carried a schizophrenia dx then. If male and female patients ,especially those with schizophrenia, got too friendly then warnings were issued.
I think social interaction difficulties, that are a part of sz and other problems,can make forming relationships difficult but that is different from saying those with sz are incapable of loving. The ability to love and difficulty with social interaction are not mutually exclusive.
I think the fact that there are married people with sz here disproves the notion that people with sz can't love.