Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Did you came across the people who has hallucination (hears voices which no one hears) , delusions (sees objects or people which others cannot) or paranoid behavior? If yes then they can be suffering from Schizophrenia. The term Schizophrenia means 'split mind' but remember these patients do not suffer from split personality disorder. Both these disorders are different. Schizophrenia means the imbalance and disordered normal emotions, behavior and thinking.
Schizophrenia is a disorder of brain but very poorly understood disease. The symptoms of this disease is very vague. It is a severe chronic mental disorder where the psychotic symptoms appear suddenly.
Causes and Risk factors
The cause of disease is not known. But it is considered as genetic disease. If either of parents suffer from Schizophrenia that means there is high chances of transmitting the same gene to their children. These people suffer from the disease due to certain events like stress or severe mental depression which triggers the genes.
Both women and men are equally affected.
Usually teenage or younger adults suffer from the disease .The childhood schizophrenia is rarely seen but the child may have some developmental or behavioral problems.
Clinical presentation of Schizophrenic patients
The symptoms may appear suddenly while sometimes it occurs gradually.
A) Initial Symptoms
1) Unable or difficult in concentration
2) Sleeplessness or difficulty in sleeping
3) Always irritable, anxious and tense.
B) Later Symptoms
1) Social withdrawal
2) Lack of emotions
3) Cannot concentrate or keep mind in one direction.
4) Hallucinations - The schizophrenic patients has strong sensation where they sees, hears, smells or touch the objects which seems to be so real but actually they are not.
5) Delusion - These patients has strong beliefs about something which are not true.
6) Cognitive symptoms - Difficult to understand or remember the simple daily tasks.
C) Types of Schizophrenia
1) Paranoid Schizophrenia - It is characterized by delusions with auditory hallucination but normal intelligence levels. The person gets very anxious and aggressive. Always has false belief in his mind with respect to his family. This type of patients shows anxiety, aggressiveness and aloofness.
2) Disorganized type schizophrenias - It is characterized by disorganized speech and behavior. This type of people has bizzare behavior like they will laugh at something that are not closely related to what they say or do.
3) Catatonic type schizophrenias - This is characterized by the lack of activity. The muscles get rigid and hence unable to do the body movements. They have odd expressions on their face.
4) Undifferentiated schizophrenias - It includes the symptoms of more than other mentioned type.
5) Residual type schizophrenia - It includes the past history of schizophrenia but n history of hallucination, delusion. There is not much severity of symptoms as compared to other types.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is based on the psychiatric examination and patients history as there is no medical diagnosis for schizophrenia
CT Scan and laboratory blood tests helps to rule out the other medical diagnosis or illnesses.
Medication and Home care for schizophrenias
1) Antipsychotic medications are required to control the patients behavior.
2) If the patient has homicidal or suicidal tendency then hospitalization is important.
3) Psychotherapy and Rehabilitation- The regular counseling and sessions helps these patients to improve the mental problems.
4) Family members must support these patients mentally and emotionally.
5) Homeopathy - If the condition is not very severe like if patients do not have suicidal or homicidal tendency then homeopathy medicines can be easily prescribed.
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