Know All About Schizophrenia
Oct 12
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a type of psychiatric illness or a mental disorder which affects many people worldwide. It is estimated that about 1% of the total human population is affected by this disorder. The word schizophrenia has been derived from Greek
word which indicates split mind. Split personality is totally different from schizophrenia. A person affected by this disease will not be able to understand the difference between real and unreal things. The person will not be able to think properly and will not have normal emotions. They will show difficulty in behaving normally in social situations. This is a very complex disease which affects both men and women. This disease commonly appears in people in the adolescent years. The symptoms appear earlier in males and is more severe in males than in females. A person suffering from this disease has delusions and hallucinations. They may hear imaginary voices and may see things which are not real.
The causes
Though schizophrenia is complex disease, mental health experts are not been able to understand what causes the condition. It is believed that the genes play a major role in this disease. It is believed that a number of factors trigger the condition like genetic factors, neurobiology of the person, early growing environment of the person, physiological factors and social factors. In some people the condition is triggered by the use of certain drugs. Patients who suffer from depression and anxiety disorders are also prone to this disease.
The Symptoms
It takes months or years to develop the symptoms of this disease. Sometimes only a few symptoms appear but at times there are many symptoms. The preliminary symptoms of this disease include irritable or tense feeling, problems in sleeping, trouble in concentrating etc. As the disease becomes severe the person may have problems with behavior, emotions, thinking etc. The person starts to show bizarre behavior, start seeing and hearing things that are not existing (hallucinations). The person prefers isolation and will not show any emotions and lacks paying attention. The person develops strong beliefs which are not real (delusions). The symptoms of schizophrenia vary according to the type of the disease a person is sufferin
g from. A schizophrenic person will believe that their actions are controlled by other person or aliens. They may experience auditory hallucinations in which some voices will command them to do things.
Types Of Schizophrenia
According to the particular symptoms showed by people, five different types of schizophrenia have been identified. The five types are paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, residual and undifferentiated. Each of these types are characterized by different symptoms. The undifferentiated schizophrenia has the symptoms of more than one type of schizophrenia. At present there are no medical tests to diagnose the disease. A psychiatrist should examine the person to identify the
disease. The psychiatrist will consider the development background, the genetic and family history of the person, how long the symptoms are there, to diagnose schizophrenia. If you feel that voices are telling you to hurt yourself or others and if you feel that you are hopeless and overwhelmed, then it is better to get help from a health provider.
Treatment Of Schizophrenia
The most effective treatment or this complex disease is the antipsychotic medications. These medicines work by changing the balance of the chemicals in the brain. This will control the symptoms of the disease. Though these medications are highly useful in treating Schizophrenia they can cause some side effects. The usefulness of these medications is far more than the side effects. Schizophrenia is a life-long illness and hence it is necessary to continue the medication lifelong. It is difficult to make the schizophrenic person to take medicines continuously. It is necessary that the person with schizophrenia take medications correctly and manage any side effects. It is important that the patient identifies the relapse signs and take necessary steps to control the symptoms. Family members and care givers should help the people with schizophrenia to take the treatment continuously.
There are supportive therapies available for these patients to improve behavioral techniques and to improve social and work skills. The community support services help the patients without family and social support. Your doctor will be able to give more information about the treatments and the potential side effects of medications.
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