Schizophrenia Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
Schizophrenia is a mental disease in which the person fails to distinguish between the real world and the imaginary one. People suffering form schizophrenia lose the ability to think logically and fail to have control over their emotions.
This is what basically schizophrenia is, but it is not as simple as it sounds. In reality it is a highly complex state of mind in which the person hears voices, have visions and thoughts that have nothing to do with the reality. They believe that others are their enemies and everyone is planning to harm them.
Apparently these people seem normal in the early stages but it’s their thinking that sets them apart. The fact that they are convinced on the thought that others are planning to harm makes them aggressive and violent. They become paranoid and their behavior goes out of control.
Schizophrenia is probably the most dangerous mental disorder and the sad thing is that it is now becoming common.
In the past schizophrenia was an untreatable illness, but now, this disease can be treated if detected in the early stages.
However, if the disease goes out of control, then no matter how much treatment applied, a 100% recovery can never be achieved.
Let’s look at some of the symptoms, causes and the treatment for this chronic mental disorder.
Symptoms Of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, as said, is a mental illness and the person suffering from it may appear perfectly normal initially. This disease builds up slowly over a time period of months or years. The very early symptoms of schizophrenia include:
- Sleeplessness
- Lack of concentration
- Becoming isolated and withdrawing from friends and family.
- Losing temper frequently and getting tensed quickly.
Depression And Its Treatment
- What Happens When A Person Is In Depression?
Depression is the feeling of inadequacy and utter hopelessness that leads to inactivity. Try imaging an athlete running on a track with hurdles. - Depression In Teenagers And Its Treatment
Depression is a very serious illness, which is sadly ignored by the people living in our society. Studies show that approximately four out of every 100 teenagers get seriously depressed each year.
Later as the illness continues more complex symptoms start to appear. These include:
- Flat effect: a behavior in which the person shows no emotions.
- Less reaction to the environment.
- Delusions.
- Hallucinations.
- Disordered thinking.
- Increased violent behavior.
- Ideas and thoughts that don’t make sense.
- Argumentativeness.
- Child like behavior.
- Loss of weight.
The above are the common symptoms of schizophrenia. Since it’s a mental disorder and every person has a different mind its symptoms might differ in different cases. The difference basically lies in the reaction of different people.
Most of the patients react more violently towards the people around them, who they think are their enemies, while the others are less. Every schizophrenic however has hallucinations i.e. seeing and hearing things that do not exist in reality. These patients have delusions and they believe in things that in reality do not exist.
These patients lose the ability to think logically, they can’t take care of their personal needs and they show decreased sensitivity to pain.
Causes Of Schizophrenia
There is not a single cause of schizophrenia. It has many causes few of which are given below:
Genetic Causes
Schizophrenia is also a heredity disease. Anyone who has family member suffering from schizophrenia is more likely to suffer from the disease as compared to some one who has a family clean of schizophrenia.
However, genetic basis can not only be a reason for schizophrenia, as it is also observed that many people who in spite of having the gene in them do not suffer from the disease. Therefore, to blame someone’s biology for schizophrenia is a totally wrong concept.
Sleeping Disorders
- Types Of Sleeping Disorders
Sleep is absolutely necessary for healthy and normal functions of the body. Many scientists and medical professionals even have much to study about this complex physiological phenomenon. - Sleep Deprivation
Deprivation means lacking of something. Sleep deprivation means sleeping disorder fallout as lack of sleep. - Sleeping Disorders: Sleep Insomnia
Every person has at least experienced this once in his life that he gets sleep disorders. You often lie in bed and than you are awakened for hours, unable to sleep.
Environmental Factors
Schizophrenia is caused by high levels stress that is usually caused by certain environmental factors. Many psychologists also believe the stress caused during pregnancy may also lead to schizophrenia.
Other factors such as separating of parents during an early age, death or loss of a loved one, environmental and social pressure, sexual and mental abuse are also responsible for schizophrenia, and most cases are due to these environmental factors.
Chemical Imbalance In Brain
Imbalance of certain chemicals released by brain is another factor causing schizophrenia. Imbalance of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and glutamate are responsible for causing schizophrenia. The excess of dopamine and under activity of glutamate leads to schizophrenia.
Treatment For Schizophrenia
Treatment usually involves the intake of oral medication and therapy. The cause plays a vital role in the treatment of this disease. The patients are usually hospitalized and are not released till their recovery is complete and the doctors are convinced that the patient has recovered.
Even after the treatment is complete, the patient must continue taking the medication as prescribed by the doctors to avoid it to trigger in the future. Anyone suffering from schizophrenia must be made to realize that he is suffering from a chronic illness as without it, any treatment is impossible.
In case of schizophrenia it’s the sooner the better. If the above symptoms are visible in any of your loved one, you should immediately contact a psychiatrist before it is too late.
