do people with paranoid schizophrenia know that they are mentally ill?

Answer 1

I think for the most part, they only know on a cognitive level if a therapist has been working with them and the family is gently reminding in a consistent way. This is a little from an article I found:

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime – more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, than in women, who are generally affected in the twenties to early thirties. People with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These symptoms may leave them fearful and withdrawn. Their speech and behavior can be so disorganized that they may be incomprehensible or frightening to others. Available treatments can relieve many symptoms, but most people with schizophrenia continue to suffer some symptoms throughout their lives; it has been estimated that no more than one in five individuals recovers completely.

Often, a person with schizophrenia will resist treatment, believing that delusions or hallucinations are real and that psychiatric help is not required.

For the individual with schizophrenia, the bizarre beliefs or hallucinations seem quite real – they are not just "imaginary fantasies."

Answer 2

Yes and no. With any illness this can vary in degrees. Sometimes it can be so severe that no, unfortunately they are not aware of their mental illness or reality in and of itself. The hallucinations seem very real and are to them. However, there are also many patients who have been diagnosed with Schizophrenia that are on a regimen of medications and seeing a Dr. regularly and are able to not only live on their own but are able to hold down a job also. It is really just going to depend on the severity of the illness and how the patient responds to treatment. There is still so much that is unknown about this illness.

Answer 3

Generally not when they are in an active psychotic phase of the illness. They are completely convinced of the reality of their hallucinations and delusions. Many, when their illness goes into remission or partial remission or they respond positively to drugs, understand that they have a mental illness.

Answer 4

Peolple know when something's wrong with them. Schedule you're doctor for a check up. If that's not an option see your local mental health clinic.

Answer 5

absolutely not...untill they do something horrible, if left untreated and in extreme cases...very very sad