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Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental disorder that affects more than 1 in 100 adults. Its cause has not been identified and there are no known cures for it.
However, treatments addressing all three spheres (neurological-chemical substrates through medication or physical therapy; psychological approaches like group work with other patients as well as family members, focused psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy) have proven useful to reduce symptoms of the disease which can be debilitating when left untreated.
The problems that cause schizophrenia primarily occur at the most basic level of our brain. Special cells deep in this part, called neurons, use neurotransmitters to communicate with each other and interpret information from stimuli like sight or sound.
One such neurotransmitter is dopamine, which helps us process sensory input more quickly; another one responsible for psychosis is glutamate because it boosts neuron activity when activated by messages coming through dopamine receptors on cell membranes (known as D2). Get best treatment for schizophrenia and live a more fulfilling life!
What are the symptoms of Schizophrenia?
Scientists believe that schizophrenia is a collection of different diseases caused by both genetic defects and environmental stressors during fetal development. Unfortunately, there are no blood tests or brain scans to diagnose this disease; instead, doctors look for certain symptoms in the patient’s behaviors and functioning history.
- Hallucinations are the most common symptom of schizophrenia. Hallucination symptoms include believing something is there when it actually isn’t, seeing things that don’t exist, hearing nonexistent sounds and feeling imaginary sensations like bugs crawling under your skin. There are two types of hallucinations, olfactory and gustatory. Olfactory hallucination is smelling something that isn’t present while Gustatory Hallucination involves tasting something you’re not eating at all.
- A common delusion is the belief that someone can read your thoughts. Sometimes these are negative and others nonsensical, like believing you have special powers or understanding messages from normal everyday life situations. Another type of delusional belief is thinking people are trying to harm you with a false sense they may stalk or follow when in reality no one else but yourself exists on earth as we know it let alone anywhere near your home address, so this should not be something causing worry about anyone who isn’t paranoid by nature because delusions occur due to an existing mental disorder such as schizophrenia.
- Disorganized thinking or speech is the third category of psychoses. This condition occurs due to impaired brain cells that are not working efficiently, and thoughts being continuously interrupted or blocked. As a result, conversation and relationships become very difficult for those with disorganized thinking disorder.
The negative symptoms of schizophrenia are difficult to describe because they involve loss or diminished motivation, indecisiveness, facial expressions during social interactions and communication.
These difficulties with processing life can manifest as a lack of interest in everyday activities, which include reading newspapers for more than the headlines; not engaging in conversations that do not seem interesting at all times; disregard for health maintenance such as refraining from checking blood pressure levels regularly.
What are the challenges of Schizophrenia?
Living with schizophrenia is a difficult disorder, both for the person afflicted and their loved ones. People suffering from this disease often have trouble differentiating what’s real and what isn’t; struggle to trust themselves due to symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions; are unable to keep jobs because of these issues which can isolate them further from friends, family, society in general.
Others who don’t understand it might believe people living with schizophrenia are lazy/disrespectful/crazy or possessed by demons. People with schizophrenia experience anxiety, emotional distress, isolation, loneliness and depression due to the stigma surrounding their diagnosis.
People with schizophrenia often use drugs or alcohol as a method of escape from their intrusive and disruptive symptoms. This worsens the problem, because these substances only worsen the symptoms, making them last longer than they would have without substance abuse.
Some people develop signs of this mental disorder due to drug or alcohol abuse, but it is not true schizophrenia; psychoses may become permanent if there’s continued long term substance abuse though.
The social struggles and suicidal tendencies of those with schizophrenia make their lives especially difficult.
How to treat Schizophrenia?
Treatment for schizophrenia is complex and requires a great deal of trust, which can be challenging to gain. Because those with the disease often have delusions or hallucinations that make them question their family members, friends, treatment team and case managers it’s sometimes difficult to comply with the latest treatment plan.
Antipsychotic medications are the primary treatment for schizophrenia. They have been developed and improved over time, but still only work in most cases. There is both an outpatient and an inpatient plan available for those suffering from this disease.
Final Take
Some people with schizophrenia are reluctant to get treatment at first. They believe their perceptions are real and become afraid of giving up control by entering a hospital for the disorder, which might be an actual threat considering some have paranoia believing you’re kidnapping or intending them harm.
However, this is often the best way to help someone with this condition since family members would typically take their loved one into the hospital if psychosis becomes bad enough when they pose danger towards themselves and others, or can’t properly care for themselves anymore. Long term schizophrenia treatment facilities are the best option for most cases because they have specialized experience and expertise.
