What is schizophrenia. Symptoms and treatment methods.

It is probably the most mysterious of all mental illnesses. Little is known about its causes, its treatment is still far from effective. Schizophrenia. The word sounds both like a tantalizing mystery and an unappealable verdict.

What should you do if this sentence is pronounced in your family? What to do? Accept it or fight it?

What is schizophrenia

In general, what do doctors hide under the strange word "schizophrenia"?

Literally from the Greek, "schizophrenia" translates as "split mind." It is an extremely diverse disease characterized by an abundance of symptoms. It manifests itself, as a rule, at a fairly young age, less often - in adolescence. Doctors do not know much about its causes.

Causes of schizophrenia

Heredity has a large impact on the likelihood of schizophrenia: If there is a family history of schizophrenia, the likelihood of schizophrenia increases for you and your loved ones..

But the genes responsible for the development of schizophrenia have not been discovered by scientists (at least not until now).

On the other hand, the environment has a strong influence on the development of the disease.

Psychiatrists have even coined their own term for such an environment: schizophrenogenic family. Essentially, it means that the attitudes and behavior of family members contribute to the development of schizophrenia in a person from an early age. The third cause of schizophrenia symptoms is often the following neurological disorders. Sometimes schizophrenia is the result of drug and alcohol abuse - these substances have a detrimental effect on brain activity.

How schizophrenia runs its course

The course of schizophrenia can vary. Some patients are tormented by periodic attacks, between which their life is quite normal. However, during the attacks themselves, a person may exhibit an incredibly rich list of symptoms: hallucinations, delusions, obsessions, paranoid states, and depression. This form of schizophrenia is called recurrent, or periodic.

Shoe-shaped schizophrenia is also characterized by periodic attacks, but its peculiarity is that after the attack has passed, one or more symptoms (e.g., obsessions) remain that make the person appear mentally unhealthy. Such schizophrenia is also called seizure-progressive schizophrenia.

The most complex form of schizophrenia is malignant, or continuous-progressive.

In this condition, the differences in symptoms and behavior during and between seizures are obliterated, and the person becomes disabled.

So how can we recognize that it is schizophrenia, and not some other illness, from all the various guises of this disease?

Only a professional psychiatrist or psychotherapist can diagnose schizophrenia, as well as determine its type.

However, it should be said that schizophrenia is mysterious not only because of the wealth of symptoms and varieties. Its main quality is a special, unique perception of the world by the sick person. Sometimes this feature helps not only to stay in the flow of life, but even become famous (Van Gogh, for example, suffered from schizophrenia). Many brilliant people have shown some signs of schizophrenia from time to time (it has even become a cause of controversy whether genius itself is not a form of mental disorder). In the surrounding reality, the schizophrenic singles out some objects and phenomena, omitting the rest, building his own world around the singled out. This is similar to the way the brain processes the information received during the day during sleep - in a strange way, without obeying any logic. For this reason, schizophrenia patients have very vivid, unbelievable dreams. However, another symptom of the disease is the blurring of the line between reality and dreams.

The special hobbies and character of a person with schizophrenia

The disease leaves an indelible imprint on a person's character - he or she becomes withdrawn, strange, and sometimes apathetic. Against this background, various mystical or esoteric interests are often awakened - that is why various secret teachings and religious sects attract many schizophrenics. Obsessions (often with a touch of paranoia) become a constant companion of the patient (for example, he may piously believe in the theory of the Masonic conspiracy). "Torn" consciousness manifests itself in speech (incoherence, strange associations, incomprehensible to others), and in everyday behavior (meaningless rituals).

Treating schizophrenia is a very difficult and time-consuming task.

In many cases, the progression of the illness can only be slowed down, not cured. However, it is not uncommon for a person to experience a schizophrenic episode only once in his or her life.

The main method of treatment is medication.

But its effectiveness is relative, the drugs can relieve symptoms (such as psychosis during an attack), but because the cause of schizophrenia remains unknown, it is only in very rare cases that the disease can be completely cured. Science is not standing still and there are now other very effective treatments for some types of schizophrenia.

Hope for a complete cure is real when the symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by neurological disorders. Therefore, it is vital to undergo diagnosis by a neurologist, psychotherapist. And if the cause of the disease is neurological (most often these are pathologies or dysfunctions of certain parts of the brain), working on it will help a person to become normal again.

If the schizophrenic is a close relative of yours?

What about those who live near the sick person?

Often the relatives of a schizophrenic sufferer are on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of the severe character of the patient and his quirks. It is known that a schizophrenic can weep over the suffering of the hero from the movie, but be completely indifferent to relatives. What to do. First, remember that his indifference is caused by the disease. Secondly, visit a psychologist, because you also need help and support.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is schizophrenia?
   Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder characterized by impaired thinking, perception, and emotional disturbances. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, apathy and cognitive impairment.
2. What are the main symptoms of schizophrenia?
   Symptoms are categorized into:
   • Positivehallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech.
   • Negativesapathy, decreased emotional expression.
   • Cognitive: memory, attention and thinking disorders.
3. What are the causes of the development of schizophrenia?
   Causes include genetic predisposition, neurochemical imbalances, stressful events, and substance use.
4. How is schizophrenia diagnosed?
   Diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical observation, analysis of symptoms and exclusion of other diseases. Instrumental methods such as MRI may be used to rule out other causes.
5. What treatments are available for schizophrenia?
   Treatment includes drug therapy (antipsychotics), psychotherapy, family support and social rehabilitation. Early intervention improves prognosis.