Schizophrenia is a condition that involves a breakdown in normal thought processes, emotional responses, appropriate behavior, and the ability to interact in social situations. This condition results in faulty perceptions and beliefs, emotional reactions that are incompatible with the situation, withdrawal from reality and movement into a world of misconception, delusions and fragmentation of the self.
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental condition that makes it difficult for individuals to tell the difference between what is real and what is not. While some believe this disorder involves an individual who has created a fantasy world, this is not the case. Most of us create fantasies to escape reality for a little while. However, these fantasies are daydreams - we know they are not real.
The experiences of someone with schizophrenia seem to be just as real as the world of the individual who does not have schizophrenia.
Symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into categories: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms. Left untreated these symptoms make it almost impossible for someone with schizophrenia to live independently and support themselves financially. While the symptoms of schizophrenia can become quite severe and significantly impact an individual’s life, treatment with medication, therapy and support can largely alleviate symptoms, allowing the person to live a normal, happy life.
However, there are a number of medications that have proven extremely effective in alleviating symptoms in all three categories, and psychotherapy can help the individual learn new life skills and address negative feelings, views or judgments of the self, related to seeing schizophrenia as a character flaw or punishment for being a bad person.
At Abilene we have skilled staff to provide the treatment that can help you regain control over your life and re-establish functional capacity returning your independence, and occupational roles to provide an area of recognized competence and satisfaction in your life and repair interpersonal relationships. We will also help you to learn to restore connections with important others in your life and provide you with a larger social support network.
Statistics
The lifetime prevalence for schizophrenia is estimated to be 0.3%-0.7%.
Co-Occurring Disorders
Certain other disorders are frequently present in a man or woman with schizophrenia, including:
- Substance abuse
- Anxiety disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Depression
Causes
Research suggests that several causes are related to the development of schizophrenia.
Genetics: It has long been recognized that schizophrenia has a strong genetic component. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has schizophrenia have a higher incidence of developing the disorder. There is research suggesting that individuals with schizophrenia have a number of rare genetic mutations which may disrupt normal brain development.
Environmental: Environmental factors that have been linked to the development of schizophrenia include exposure to toxins, viruses, prenatal malnutrition, and brain trauma during delivery.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
The symptoms of schizophrenia are often divided into three categories: positive, negative and cognitive symptoms.
Positive Symptoms: Positive symptoms are symptoms not normally seen in individuals without schizophrenia. These symptoms involve losing touch with reality and may not always be present across the course of the disorder. Sometimes the symptoms may be severe while at other times they may be mild. With treatment they often disappear.
- Delusions, or false beliefs that are strongly held even when proof that they are inaccurate is offered.
- Hallucinations: sensory experiences in the absence of any stimuli. The most common hallucination is hearing voices but individuals with schizophrenia can experience hallucinations involving any of the senses.
- Thought disorders: unusual ways of thinking or linking thoughts together. They may experience disorganized thinking evidenced in garbled speech, thought blocking which is when the individual believes a thought has been removed from their mind by others, or make up meaningless words called neologisms.
- Movement disorders: individual with schizophrenia may display stereotypical movements, appear highly agitated, or exhibit catatonia. When an individual is catatonic they freeze, often in unusual postures and don’t respond to others or external stimuli.
Negative Symptoms: negative symptoms refer to disruptions in emotions and behaviors. These symptoms can be more difficult to detect but newer antipsychotic medications are also effective at alleviating these symptoms.
- Flat affect: The individual may be describing an emotional experience but doesn’t seem to actually be feeling anything.
- Loss of pleasure is almost all activities in their life
- Amotivational syndrome: the inability to initiate and sustain goal related tasks
- Poverty of speech: speaking infrequently even when spoken to and answering questions with a single word
Cognitive Symptoms: These symptoms are also difficult to detect especially when positive symptoms are present.
- The inability to understand information in a logical manner and use it to make decisions
- Trouble focusing and paying attention
- Memory problems: in particular working memory or the ability to use information for a practical purpose right after learning it
Effects of Schizophrenia
- Relationship problems: Many people in the lives of people with schizophrenia don’t understand the symptoms and become confused, eventually avoiding the person. The individual may withdraw or even hide from others when experiencing paranoia.
- Trouble completing normal daily activities: Social problems can impede the capacity of completing daily activities. As there are frequently few relationships remaining in the person’s life, they have no one to rely on for help. Everyday normal tasks become confusing to do, especially if hallucinations are prominent.
- Substance abuse: In an effort to self-medicate, people with schizophrenia may abuse substances
- Increased suicide risk: The risk of suicide attempts is high in individuals with schizophrenia. Any comments, threats, or gestures related to suicide should always be taken very seriously. The risk of suicide is particularly high during psychotic episodes, depressive episodes, and in the first six months following the beginning of treatment.
- Homelessness: Many individuals with schizophrenia live on the streets due to paranoia, lack of financial resources, or refusal of landlords to rent to them.
- Incarceration: a number of incarcerated individuals have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. This is often a result of crimes committed in compliance with psychotic voices telling them to engage in illegal behaviors.
- Violent episodes: sometimes those with paranoid symptoms become violent because they believe people are after them and mean to do them harm.
Our staff are understanding, supportive and caring. If you or a loved one have any of the symptoms above we are there to discuss the difficulties with you and help you decide the best course of action.
Call us for an appointment for an evaluation to determine how we can help you or your loved one. We have a complete range of inpatient and outpatient services to provide whatever level of assistance is needed.