It is a mental illness that can affect anyone, man or woman, of any origin and without social distinction. Schizophrenia affects more than 85,000 people in Switzerland. Schizophrenia Days, which begin this Saturday, March 18, are an opportunity to destigmatize a disorder that is still and always the target of discriminatory clichés. Jules Brischoux, a young Provost father, was diagnosed at the gates of the adult world. Today stable, he insists on the importance of talking regarding the disease, of attacking prejudices while distilling hope and benevolence. The same benevolence which he nourished throughout his career.
From laziness to paranoia
For Jules, it all started with a form of laziness, trouble concentrating. Unclear symptoms at first, but which gradually gave way to bouts of paranoia. “I thought people around me, and even those on the street, were talking regarding me behind my back. And to speak ill. You feel locked up, and it’s fear that begins to govern, ”he explains. An extremely complicated period, especially since the disease had not yet been detected at this stage. “I just didn’t have the tools to move forward. »
Today, Jules Brischoux is stable. A state that he was able to achieve thanks to drug treatments and therapeutic monitoring on the one hand, also thanks to the unwavering support of his family and loved ones. A combination of essential actions and tools that completely changed his perception of schizophrenia. “The disease is manageable. The hope of recovery exists, the road is sometimes long, one can feel lost, but it is possible to overcome these difficult moments. I am stable today, I live in an apartment, with my girlfriend and our son Robin. »
If schizophrenia is still and always the victim of clichés – no, the disease is not a split personality! -, Jules Brischoux believes that communication is improving. Evidenced by the organization of these days of schizophrenia. All over the world, patients, relatives or caregivers are working to testify, explain, restore truths. An essential work to help understand what schizophrenia is. “We are on the right track, but there is still a lot to do. »
“Thanks to the disease”. This strong and terribly symbolic sentence comes today from the mouth of Jules Brischoux. Because schizophrenia, as harsh and trying as it is at times, also allowed the young father to get to know himself, to rediscover himself. If he got lost sometimes, Jules Brischoux now speaks of a second birth.
