People from across the world are scheduled to run the Istanbul marathon to raise awareness about schizophrenia on Nov. 16.

The aim of the initiative, organized by documentary photographer Delizia Flaccavento and filmmaker Aysegul Selenga Taskent, both from the Communication Faculty at Bahcesehir University, is to fight the stigma against schizophrenia and to raise funds for Mavi At Kafe in Ankara, the only cafe in Turkey run by schizophrenic patients. The slogan of the marathon is “Schizophrenia: No Stigma, Big Gain.”

Schizophrenia has a long history of neglect, demonization and concealment. Even today, the illness does not receive the public attention and research funding the number of individuals and families it affects would require, according to the Schizophrenia Research Institute.

The aim of Mavi At Kafe is to provide work opportunities for schizophrenic patients, strengthen their self-esteem, make them more active in society and fight prejudice by putting the general public in direct contact with the patients. However, this rare, groundbreaking social project is at risk of closing down, says Flaccavento. The café doesn’t receive any public funding and is not recognized as a social project. It is considered a normal café instead, thus paying more taxes and a higher rent than it can sustain.

Since its opening in 2009, Mavi At Kafe has given work to over 30 schizophrenic patients. Schizophrenics often tend to have relapses, yet no patients in the café have had a relapse since they started working.

“Many people think that schizophrenia is a split personality and makes people violent. This is the exception, not the rule. People with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of violence by others,” the Royal College of Psychiatrists says. If given the chance, people with schizophrenia can live a stable life, work and have relationships.

The café in Ankara is a therapeutic place where patients feel useful, keep busy and have daily exchanges with customers and people passing by. In addition to helping patients socialize, the interactions with the public also help contribute to the reduction of prejudice against people with schizophrenia. The importance of a project like Mavi At Kafe cannot be underestimated, especially if one considers that isolation has very negative effects on the patients and, in the treatment of schizophrenia, social inclusion is as important as medication.

Schizophrenia is the most persistent and disabling of the major mental illnesses, according to the World Fellowship for Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders. In Turkey, over 700,000 people suffer from schizophrenia.

 



 

Source Hurrıyet

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