SCHIZOPHRENIA

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric illness not to be taken lightly. This brain disorder causes the victim to lose touch with reality, with the victim often unable to understand whether or not what they are hearing or seeing is real. Schizophrenia is a life-time disease is not to be confused with split personality disorder.

Three Categories of Schizophrenic Symptoms:

Negative symptoms of Schizophrenia

Negative Schizophrenic symptoms are defined as the symptoms that most people normally have, but not the person with schizophrenia. These might include:

• Flat affect: Lack of emotion, facial expression and reaction to others.
• Social isolation: Person spends most of their time alone.
• Poverty of speech: The person says very few, if any, words.
• Decreased energy and motivation: Activity level is low

 

Positive symptoms of Schizophrenia

Positive Schizophrenic symptoms are defined as the symptoms that only Schizophrenic people have. These might include:

• Hallucinations: Feeling, hearing, seeing, or smelling things that are not real.
• Delusions: These are false beliefs that no amount of reasoning or discussion of facts can change.
• Disordered thinking: Thoughts unorganized to the point that the person speaks in random sentences that show no relation to each other.
• Bizarre behavior: Very unusual behavior may occur, such as odd body movements or actions.

 

Cognitive symptoms of Schizpohrenia

Cognitive Schizophrenic symptoms are defined as the symptoms that are related to thinking, such as:

• Poor memory
• Poor concentration
• Lack of decision-making
• Lack of comprehension
• Lack of attention

 

Details About Schizophrenia

• Causes of Schizophrenia are not clearly known
• Schizophrenia tends to run in families
• Imbalance of brain chemistry is present in Schizophrenia
• High stress levels can influence Schizophrenia
• Nutrition problems can have influence in a person with Schizophrenia
• Viruses can have influence over Schizophrenia
• Depression is common with a higher risk of suicide in people with Schizophrenia

 

Diagnosis of Schizophrenia

Diagnosis of Schizophrenia is based upon the person’s symptoms

• No specific tests exist for schizophrenia
• No cure for Schizophrenia, but drug treatment can help control Schizophrenic symptoms
• Schizophrenia affects about 1 out of every 100 people 18 years of age and older.
• Age of onset for males is generally 18 - early 20’s
• Age of onset for females is generally late 20’s - early 30’s for females

 

Treatment for Schizophrenia

• Anti-psychotic medications are prescribed for Schizophrenia, often taken for a lifetime
• Psychotherapy and community support are also helpful to a person with Schizophrenia

As with any mental disorder in which medications are needed, relapse occurs when the medications are not taken regularly. For more information, read Schizophrenic Relapse: Shadow in the Closet.