The Symptoms, Causes And Treatment Of Paranoid Schizophrenia
The Symptoms, Causes And Treatment Of Paranoid Schizophrenia
Oct 12
What is paranoid schizophrenia?
This is a type of Schizophrenia in which the person has false beliefs or delusions that somebody or some people are watching them and trying to hurt them or their family members. They may spend large amount of time thinking about ways to protect themselves from their offenders. People with paranoid schizophrenia may also have auditory hallucinations – they hear things that are not real. The person may also have delusions or false belief that they are more powerful and significant than they really are. A person suffering from paranoid schizophrenia will not have problems with memory, emotions and concentration compared to people having other types of Schizophrenia. They will be able to think and perform better than other schizophrenic patients. This is a long term or lifelong condition which may lead to further complications like suicidal tendency.
The Signs And Symptoms
The patient will have frequent paranoid delusions, which may or may not be accompanied by auditory hallucinations (hearing things that are not there) and perceptual disturbances. The patients will have auditory hallucinations and visual hallucinations are rare in paranoid schizophrenia. They may have false beliefs or delusions that somebody is plotting to kill them.
The person suffering from this disease will show signs of high anxiety. They get easily irritated and emotional state varies from mild irritation to fury and rage. Some people may show detachment or aloofness, they will be very reserved in their behavior. Aggression may reach violent outbursts. In extreme cases they may have suicidal thoughts and behavior. The person may make negative statements about being alive. The person may try to accumulate weapons or other means to kill themselves. Some patients show the suicidal behavior clearly where as some of them will be secretive. The warning signs are not noticeable in some cases.
Causes Of Schizophrenia
The causes of paranoid schizophrenia are not known like other schizophrenia. According to the Researches conducted about schizophrenia most forms of schizophrenia are caused by dysfunction of brain. The cause of brain dysfunction is not yet identified. It is believed that the brain dysfunction is caused
by a combination of genetics and environmental triggers. Individuals with a family history of paranoid schizophrenia are at high risk of developing the disease. Viral infections during the fetal stage may later lead to schizophrenia. If the fetus happens to suffer malnutrition in the developing stages there is higher chances of developing paranoid schizophrenia. Stressful experiences in the early stages of life are another cause for this disease. Any childhood abuse or trauma can lead to the development of this disease. The age of the parents at the time the baby was born also affects the chances of developing schizophrenia. Children of older parents are more prone to the problem. The use of drugs which affects the mental processes also increases the chances of paranoid schizophrenia.
Treatment Options
People suffering from paranoid schizophrenia require treatment on a permanent basis. The symptoms may recede for some time and they will recur if the medicines are not used. The Treatment available for paranoid schizophrenia is similar to other forms of schizophrenia. Te treatment may change according to the severity of the disease, the symptoms, the health of the patient, his/her age etc. Treatment options include drugs (medications), psychotherapy, hospitalization (or partial hospitalization), ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), and vocational skills training. Your health provider may use any of these or a combination of treatments to control paranoid schizophrenia.
Complications of Paranoid Schizophrenia
If left untreated paranoid schizophrenia can cause severe mental health problems. There are other risks such as behavioral, financial, physical health and legal problems which will have impact on the person’s life. The complications associated with paranoid schizophrenia includes depression, suicidal thoughts, mal nutrition, hygiene problems, drug and alcohol abuse, inability to study and work, homelessness, being a victim of crime, prison stay and illnesses related to smoking. Smoking affects the schizophrenic people very much they clash with the medications used for treating schizophrenia. A combined effort of the psychologists, medications and family members is necessary to help the person to come out of the problem. It is necessary to take the medication throughout the life to prevent recurrence of the diseases.
