{"id":7458,"date":"2026-09-10T11:09:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T10:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/?page_id=7458"},"modified":"2026-09-11T06:42:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T05:42:59","slug":"candid-book-3-chapter-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/candid-book-3-chapter-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Candid book 3 – Chapter 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Chapter 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What intimacy means
in the lives of people
living with schizophrenia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chapter brings attention to the often-overlooked role of intimacy in schizophrenia, exploring how it may change during periods of illness, relapse, and recovery. It highlights the importance of preserving the couple\u2019s sense of partnership through mutuality, healthy boundaries, everyday moments of connection, and emotional presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download the chapter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Mini-Glossary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emotional availability:<\/mark><\/strong> The ability to be present with someone else\u2019s feelings without withdrawing or becoming
overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mutuality:<\/mark><\/strong> The sense that both partners contribute emotionally, even in uneven proportions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attachment security:<\/mark><\/strong> The sense of feeling valued and safe within a close relationship. This sense of security may
fluctuate during periods of illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relational boundaries:<\/mark><\/strong> Healthy distinctions between roles, such as partner vs caregiver, and between
illness-related needs vs personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social cognition:<\/mark><\/strong> The brain\u2019s ability to understand emotions, facial expressions, tone, and intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-regulation:<\/mark><\/strong> Two people helping each other calm down emotionally through presence, tone, and
predictable interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relational resilience:<\/mark><\/strong> A couple\u2019s ability to maintain connection through stress, misunderstanding, and recovery
periods<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to podcast #2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What intimacy means in the lives of people living with schizophrenia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with Elena Maurer<\/strong>, Health Journalist, and
Dr. Lukas Stein<\/strong>, Psychiatrist and Researcher<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elena:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome back to Living, Loving, Recovering.
Today\u2019s topic is at the heart of human life: intimacy. The quiet kind, the emotional kind, the kind that makes someone feel safe next to another person.

Many caregivers ask: \u201cIs intimacy even possible after a diagnosis like schizophrenia?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Dr. Stein:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very much so.

The desire for closeness, companionship, romantic connection, it all remains deeply present. People with schizophrenia continually describe love, closeness, and emotional warmth as key parts of a meaningful life.
Sometimes intimacy becomes more fragile, not less important. Understanding how it changes is essential for partners and families.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Subchapter 1.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is intimacy, really?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 2.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How symptoms can create
misunderstandings in relationships<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 3.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can couples rebuild closeness
after a relapse?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 4.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can partners balance support, boundaries, and emotional care?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subchapter 5.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does intimacy contribute to
recovery?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Clinical Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Budziszewska MD, Babiuch-Hall M, Wielebska K. Love and Romantic Relationships in the Voices of Patients Who Experience Psychosis: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 2020;11:570928<\/p>

Belluzzo M, Esposito C, De Alfieri E, Giaquinto V, Volpe D, Amodeo AL. Romantic relations, sexuality and intimacy among young adults and adolescents with severe mental illness: a review of the literature. BMC Psychiatry. 2025;25(1).<\/p>

Cloutier B, Francoeur A, Samson C, Ghostine A, Lecomte T. Romantic relationships, sexuality, and psychotic disorders: A systematic review of recent findings. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. 2021;44(1):22-42<\/p>

Lysaker PH, Gumley A, Luedtke B, et al. Social cognition and metacognition in schizophrenia: evidence of their independence and linkage with outcomes. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 2012;127(3):239-247.<\/p>

Lee CY, Ahmed N, Ikhtabi S, et al. The experience of loneliness among people with psychosis: Qualitative meta-synthesis. V. Plos One. 2024;19(12):e0315763.<\/p>

White R, Haddock G, Campodonico C, Haarmans M, Varese F. The influence of romantic relationships on mental wellbeing for people who experience psychosis: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review. 2021;86:102022.<\/p>

\u00d6zden SE, Tekindal M, Tekindal MA. Quality of Life of people with Schizophrenia: A meta analysis. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2023;69(6):1444-1452<\/p>

Rodolico A, Bighelli I, Avanzato C, et al. Family interventions for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2022;9(3):211-221.<\/p>

Montejo AL, Montejo L, Baldwin DS. The impact of severe mental disorders and psychotropic medications on sexual health and its implications for clinical management. World Psychiatry. 2018;17(1):3-11.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 2 What intimacy meansin the lives of peopleliving with schizophrenia This chapter brings attention to the often-overlooked role of intimacy in schizophrenia, exploring how it may change during periods of illness, relapse, and recovery. It highlights the importance of preserving the couple\u2019s sense of partnership through mutuality, healthy boundaries, everyday moments of connection, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-sod.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rea_page_title_signed_in_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_title_signed_out_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_description_signed_in_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_description_signed_out_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_id_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_date_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7458","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7458"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8091,"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7458\/revisions\/8091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schizophrenia.life\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}