Schizophrenia is a serious disorder which affects how a person
thinks, feels and acts. Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty
distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary; may
be unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal
emotions in social situations.
Schizophrenia is not split personality or multiple personality. Most people with schizophrenia are not violent and do not pose a danger to others. Schizophrenia is not caused by childhood experiences, poor parenting or lack of willpower. The symptoms are not identical for each person.
Causes Schizophrenia
The cause is still unclear. Some theories about the
cause of this disease include: genetics (heredity), biology (the
imbalance in the brain’s chemistry); and/or possible viral infections
and immune disorders.
Genetics (Heredity). Scientists recognize that the
disorder tends to run in families and that a person inherits a tendency
to develop the disease. Schizophrenia may also be triggered by
environmental events, such as viral infections or highly stressful
situations or a combination of both.
Similar to some other genetically-related illnesses, schizophrenia
appears when the body undergoes hormonal and physical changes, like
those that occur during puberty in the teen and young adult years.
Chemistry. Genetics help to determine how the brain
uses certain chemicals. People with schizophrenia have a chemical
imbalance of brain chemicals (serotonin and dopamine) which are
neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters allow nerve cells in the
brain to send messages to each other. The imbalance of these chemicals
affects the way a person’s brain reacts to stimuli--which explains why a
person with schizophrenia may be overwhelmed by sensory information
(loud music or bright lights) which other people can easily handle. This
problem in processing different sounds, sights, smells and tastes can
also lead to hallucinations or delusions.
What are the Early Warning Signs of Schizophrenia?
The signs of schizophrenia are different for everyone. Symptoms may
develop slowly over months or years, or may appear very abruptly. The
disease may come and go in cycles of relapse and remission.
Behaviors that are early warning signs of schizophrenia include:
- Hearing or seeing something that isn’t there
- A constant feeling of being watched
- Peculiar or nonsensical way of speaking or writing
- Strange body positioning
- Feeling indifferent to very important situations
- Deterioration of academic or work performance
- A change in personal hygiene and appearance
- A change in personality
- Increasing withdrawal from social situations
- Irrational, angry or fearful response to loved ones
- Inability to sleep or concentrate
- Inappropriate or bizarre behavior
- Extreme preoccupation with religion or the occult
Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the world population. It knows no racial, cultural or economic boundaries. Symptoms
usually appear between the ages of 13 and 25, but often appear earlier
in males than females.
If you or a loved one experience several of these symptoms for more than two weeks, seek help immediately.
What are the Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
A medical or mental health professional may use the following terms when discussing the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Positive symptoms are disturbances that are “added” to the person’s personality.
- Delusions -- false ideas--individuals may believe that someone is spying on him or her, or that they are someone famous.
- Hallucinations –seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing
or smelling something that doesn’t really exist. The most common
experience is hearing imaginary voices that give commands or comments to
the individual.
- Disordered thinking and speech -- moving from one topic to another, in a nonsensical fashion. Individuals may make up their own words or sounds.
Negative symptoms are capabilities that are “lost” from the person’s personality.
- Social withdrawal
- Extreme apathy
- Lack of drive or initiative
- Emotional unresponsiveness
What are the Different Types of Schizophrenia?
- Paranoid schizophrenia -- a person feels extremely suspicious, persecuted, or grandiose, or experiences a combination of these emotions.
- Disorganized schizophrenia -- a person is often incoherent in speech and thought, but may not have delusions.
- Catatonic schizophrenia -- a person is withdrawn, mute, negative and often assumes very unusual body positions.
- Residual schizophrenia -- a person is no longer experiencing delusions or hallucinations, but has no motivation or interest in life.
- Schizoaffective disorder--a person has symptoms of both schizophrenia and a major mood disorder such as depression.
No cure for schizophrenia has been discovered, but with proper
treatment, many people with this illness can lead productive and
fulfilling lives.
Treatment
If you suspect someone you know is experiencing symptoms of
schizophrenia, encourage them to see a medical or mental health
professional immediately. Early treatment--even as early as the first
episode--can mean a better long-term outcome.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
While no cure for schizophrenia exists, many people with this illness
can lead productive and fulfilling lives with the proper treatment.
Recovery is possible through a variety of services, including medication
and rehabilitation programs. Rehabilitation can help a person recover
the confidence and skills needed to live a productive and independent
life in the community.
Types of services that help a person with
schizophrenia include:
- Case management helps people access services, financial assistance, treatment and other resources.
- Psychosocial Rehabilitation Programs are programs
that help people regain skills such as: employment, cooking, cleaning,
budgeting, shopping, socializing, problem solving, and stress
management.
- Self-help groups provide on-going support and
information to persons with serious mental illness by individuals who
experience mental illness themselves.
- Drop-in centers are places where individuals with
mental illness can socialize and/or receive informal support and
services on an as-needed basis.
- Housing programs offer a range of support and supervision from 24 hour supervised living to drop-in support as needed.
- Employment programs assist individuals in finding employment and/or gaining the skills necessary to re-enter the workforce.
- Therapy/Counseling includes different forms of
“talk”therapy, both individual and group, that can help both the patient
and family members to better understand the illness and share their
concerns.
- Crisis Services include 24 hour hotlines, after hours counseling, residential placement and in-patient hospitalization.
Medication
The
new generation of anti-psychotic medications can help people with
schizophrenia to live fulfilling lives. They help to reduce the
biochemical imbalances that cause schizophrenia and decrease the
likelihood of relapse. Like all medications, however, anti-psychotic
medications should be taken only under the supervision of a mental
health professional.
There are two major types of anti-psychotic medication:
Conventional anti-psychotics effectively control the “positive”symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and confusion of schizophrenia.
- New Generation (also called atypical) anti-psychotics treat both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, often with fewer side effects.
Side effects are common with anti-psychotic drugs.
They range from mild side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision,
constipation, drowsiness and dizziness which usually disappear after a
few weeks to more serious side effects such as trouble with muscle
control, pacing, tremors and facial ticks. The newer generation of drugs
have fewer side effects. However, it is important to talk with your
mental health professional before making any changes in medication since
many side effects can be controlled.
this is only for your
information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines,
exercises and so on.
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Labels: anti-psychotic drug, delusions, disordered thinking and speech, fearful response, feeling watched, genetic, hallucinations, hearing, irrational, personality changes, Schizophrenia
