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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, January 20, 2012 · 10 Face of schizophrenia is a lively teen who develops symptoms O akville has always been a special place for the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario (SSO). It all began here when local residents Bill and Dorothy Jefferies decided to get fellow parents with ill children together to share their experiences. We have come a long way from that first meeting in 1979 in a church basement, but we still have plenty of work to do. One in every 100 Ontarians is living with, or will develop, schizophrenia. When you include family, friends and work colleagues, well over 500,000 people in the province are affected by the illness. Think about it. That means at least one or two people on your block are likely to have had their lives changed by schizophrenia. This is an illness that impacts communities, and those very communities are essential in helping individuals and families affected by schizophrenia live fulfilling lives. Part of the SSO's mandate is to end the stigma associated with schizophrenia, a word most often associ- ated with tragic incidents involving people whom the system failed to help. High profile coverage in the media, including television shows, puts a scary face on this illness, but the truth is, the typical face of schizophrenia is a bright, energetic teenager who starts developing symptoms where reality and delusions blend together. Psychosis typically starts surfacing at are 15 or 16, just when the world is supposed to be full of wonder and promise. The person starts acting differently, often retreating into a shell. Family and friends don't know what to do or where to turn, and the emotional strain can See Peace page 14 CONGRATULATIONS! Winners of the Front Row Centre 2011 Christmas Raffle, Drawn Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts were: European Engineering Combined With Traditional Workmanship 905.849.0266 THIS WINTER LEAVE THE COLD WARM UP TO A THE OUTSIDE AND EXPERIENCE MODERN FIREPLACE WARMTH OF A MODERN FIREPLACE. "Building on the Brightest Ideas Around Glass" "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" www.cobblestonembers.ca ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE 905-337-2066