Schizophrenia is a Chronic and Severe Mental Disorder – What Are The Early Warning Signs?
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects a person’s perception of themselves and their world. Sufferers exhibit a range of psychological disturbances and symptoms and are unable to distinguish between reality and their imagination.
The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown, but it is one of the most common metal illnesses and affects one in 100 adults, affecting men and women equally. Men experience symptoms earlier, usually aged between 15 and 30, whilst women have symptoms between 25 and 30. The use of cannabis is said to increase the risk of schizophrenia.
Genetic abnormalities have been found in those with Parkinson’s, and environmental and social factors have also been cited as reasons why some people develop the disease.
Early symptoms of schizophrenia can be noted when sufferers become increasingly suspicious of others, develop strange and irrational ideas or experience variable mood swings. As schizophrenia develops, sufferers begin to have psychotic episodes where they hallucinate or have delusions, experience problems with movement, become insular and unresponsive or display signs of disjointed thinking and usual speech and voices. They may also find less pleasure or become less interested in hobbies, family or friends and show little emotional response and reduced facial expressions. Patients may experience a relapse in symptoms which can come and go with varying intensity.
A popular misconception is that people with schizophrenia have a split personality, and that their moods and behaviors can change in seconds from one extreme to another. Another misconception is that patients are prone to violent outbursts, however this is not true in every case.
Diagnosis of the illness can be difficult but physical examinations, lab and blood tests, brain scans, psychosocial evaluations and patient reports are used to confirm the illness.
There is no cure for schizophrenia, but early detection and treatment can reduce symptoms so that normal life is not drastically affected. Psychosocial therapy is recommended along with medication to improve the patient’s general social interactions.
A wide range of antipsychotic drugs like Haldol, which come in tablet, pill or syrup form is available to patients and can help to calm anxiety and improve cognitive problems. These drugs have variable doses according to each person’s symptoms, but some also come with side-effects like stiffness, tremors or slowed movement. Injections that gradually release medication into the blood stream over a period of time, called long-acting injectables (LAI) may also be recommended in cases where patients may not be able to take medications regularly on their own.
September 6th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
I suspect that people develops schizophrenia based on their own forming individual views of the society as they struggle to establish their own identities. Some of them are rejected by the society and left alone and forgotten. The question is whether the patients have rights to keep their views or not. Maybe what some of the patients are good is at “thinking outside the boxes” while the rest dares not.. Yes, we live in an open society and how open can we get any further is another question to address. I am certain there is many more patients who chose to repress their own schizophrenias and go along with the flow of the sheep in the herd, so to speak.. Who is listening?