Schizophrenia Simulation Video Reveals How Frightening The Condition Can Be

Warning: This article discusses topics related to self-harm, which some readers may find disturbing.

It’s challenging enough to understand our own mental health, but truly empathizing with what someone else is going through can be even harder.

According to the Worldwide Mental Health Foundation, an estimated 950 million people worldwide are affected by some form of mental illness.

While mental health issues like depression and anxiety are now talked about more openly, schizophrenia is one condition that still doesn’t receive as much attention or understanding.

With this in mind, a simulation video was created to allow people to experience what it might be like to live with schizophrenia, hoping to shed light on this often misunderstood condition.

Watch the video here:

The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that schizophrenia "causes psychosis and is associated with considerable disability and may affect all areas of life including personal, family, social, educational, and occupational functioning." Globally, about one in 300 people are affected by the condition.

The simulation video, set in a first-person point of view, starts with a man approaching a supermarket.

As he enters, he begins to experience what professionals call "positive symptoms" associated with schizophrenia, such as hearing voices.

Almost immediately, voices start to echo around him, saying things like "this is pointless", "even that kid knows you're stupid", and "don't go in there" as he heads into the store.

Once inside, more voices begin, repeating phrases like "don't go in there", "nobody cares about you", and even "the wine bottles are listening to you".

A mix of harsh insults, paranoid thoughts, intrusive ideas, and sudden commands from a range of voices continue to intensify as he moves through the store.

The simulation continues with the man leaving the supermarket as the voices grow louder, urging him to harm himself with phrases like "run" and "die".

When he finally reaches home, the voices are still there, with one warning "you think you're safe but you're not" while others laugh and echo phrases like "you're not alone" and "you can't hide" in unsettling tones.

Scissus Animus/YouTube

Since its release, the video has been praised for being an "accurate representation" of the challenges schizophrenics face, and it has gathered over a million views online.

One viewer shared their experience in the comments, saying: "I'm a diagnosed schizophrenic and this is a pretty accurate representation of what leaving the house looks like for me, when I stay at home I usually experience less symptoms,"

They went on to add: "It's important to note that this is just one of the symptoms schizophrenics may experience during an episode. It's different for everybody but for me, also adding visual hallucinations to it would make it more realistic,"

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Another user, also with schizophrenia, expressed agreement, saying: "Schizophrenic here! this is pretty accurate for when I'm having really bad days," They added a heartfelt message: "It's not always this bad, but sometimes its worse. my heart goes out to anyone else suffering with this."

Someone else wrote: "This is the most realistic so far.I've had schizoaffective disorder from about 5 years and this is like when it's severe. You can't control it, you can't run away from it. The only thing that you can do is let them pass but sometimes it's hard not to get angry at yourself for all this stuff."