Coping with Schizophrenia

This is an experimental game based on cognitive behavioral therapy, that I am developing with the aim to help people who are coping with schizophrenia or psychosis. It is not finished yet, but you are welcome to download it for free and try it out. DISCLAMER: This app is not a therapeutic tool. It does not replace or act as psychotherapy.

You will play a cat called Whiskers who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. She will hear voices and have dellusions. You will have to decide which thinking approaches will help her the most. In this way you will be able to experiment with different beliefs and learn about coping strategies. This approach is based on the cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis. It includes normalising and cognitive restructuring.

Paranoid schizophrenia affects about 1% of population. Schizophrenia is a mental illness in which people interpret reality abnormally. Psychosis is a condition that affects the way your brain interprets reality. Psychosis can be caused by Schizophrenia, but it can also be caused by other health conditions like Bipolar I or Depression, as well as medications or drug use. Psychosis can also occur in Schizoaffective disorder, Schizophreniform disorder, Brief psychotic disorder, Delusional disorder, Substance-induced psychotic disorder, and more.

Psychosis symptoms are primarily delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear). Other symptoms include speech difficulties, inappropriate behavior, difficulty with daily functioning, lack of motivation, depression, and anxiety.