Do you guys think that schizophrenia is affected by the public’s perception or cultural factors?
For example, one person told me that they had a negative self perception that was exacerbated by how others perceive schizophrenia and schizophrenic people. They also believed that being brought up in a different culture would definitely affect their delusions but probably not hallucinations.
Any thoughts on the topic or related experiences?
I do not think that schizophrenia is affected by the public’s perception or cultural factors. All schizophrenics no matter the culture have a brain chemical imbalance that causes the person with schizophrenia to have symptoms. Whether schizophrenia is genetically inherited or caused by other influence such as smoking, using cannabis or other stressors is up for debate. Cranial neurotransmitters are highly active when schizophrenics hear voices or experience other symptoms. That is why antipsychotic medication inhibit these neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine & serotonin from firing in the brain.
Welcome to the forum. 
If I’m not mistaken I believe culture can have an impact on a schizophrenic’s delusions and positive symptoms.
For example schizophrenics in the East often struggle with paranoia about their kharma or what neighbors and family think of them.
While schizophrenics in the West tend to have delusions influenced by Judeo-Christian type beliefs.
Welcome to the forum btw.
Yes, I think culture matters
In my culture, there is an overlap between Schizophrenic symptoms and beliefs that you are posessed by a devil or evil spirit - or even worse that you are a victim of black magic
Many people in my culture simply have a mental illness like Schizophrenia, but they spend countless hours and money visiting spiritual healers because they think there are spiritually afflicted
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