Schizophrenia- Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Lifestyles, genes or environmental factors can lead depression and many mental issues in a person. A happy-go-funny person can sometimes go into depression and feel not worthy any more. Sometimes, our society cut-off these people and sometimes we laugh at them.

These people with disorders can feel depressed and talk to themselves many times. They hear those voices which a normal person does not. This medical condition is called ‘Schizophrenia’.

Schizophrenia is one of the mostly commonly found psychiatric disorder in people. It comes in the category of one of the most serious mental disease which can effect people of all age group. It hampers the thinking power of our brain directly and is vary hazardous.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Different terms are used while talking about symptoms of Schizophrenia. Some are called positive, some are negative and others as cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms involves Dilusion which means a person starts suspect others. Not only himself, the patient starts forcing others also to doubt or suspect others and think in the similar manner. This is explained in details below:

• Dilusion
  1. Dilusion of persecution: Patient starts thinking someone is against him. For example he can think his family is against him or the friends or neighbour are against him to harm him can be termed as beliefs inside themind of the patient. He has full trust in them and not read to change them. Common beliefes are like a patient starts thinking someone is against him. He can see his famil, friends neighbouts as suspect. He has a beleife someone conspiracy his
  2. Dilusion of reference: In this person feels that others are referring to him. If someone is talking or laughing, the patient feels they are doing at him.Sometimes a patient loses trust on his partner and feel betrayed by him or her. He loses trust on his closed or loved ones also sometimes. There is a loss of trust factor in the relationship.
• Hallucinations
  There could be audio or visual hallucinations both. Sometimes, patient hears those voices which a normal person is not able to hear; those noises could be of a very old family member or any friend. This is surprising that a person who is with the patient is not able to hear those noises.In visual hallucinations, the patient can even see the picture of people which a normal person is not able to see.Visual hallucinations normally are rare and more serious while audio hallucinations are more common in Schizophrenia.Sometimes self thoughts also start echoing and feels someone else is taking to them. As a result the patient starts smiling, talking with himself or feels someone is touching or hurting him. They also claim a sensation in the front or back part of their body.

  We see many people who are talking to them and we make fun of them but you know they are not talking with themselves, actually they are able to hear the voices which we are not able to see. This is the impact of hallucinations.

• Other Negative symptom/Cognitive Schizophrenia
  Other than the above two factors, sometimes a patient gets bored of doing those stuff which he used to enjoy earlier, for example watching moves, or playing some games etc. Most of the time he just sits idle and not pay attention to the things lying nearby to him. He moreover avoids the company of people. Brain is not able to judge the situations or thoughts. For example, sometimes there is an occasion of happiness but the patient starts crying or vice-versa. They can give different response from the questions asked. We see many people on road in tattered clothes sitting in particular position for many hours.

If any such symptoms is seen in a person which is not common, it it most important to take him immediately to a nearby doctor. Any delay can affect the cure and treatment of him.

Side Effects of Schizophrenia

• Lack of sleep
• tension and  stress
• Taking narcotic drugs
• Loose temper and become aggressive etc.
• Stops interacting people
• Do not go outside to interact with people. Their emotional response worsens with time.
• They talk minimum or give no response. People would think them as arrogant but do not understand that he is suffering with depression.
• Patient cut-offs from his friend circle.

How is Schizophrenia caused?

Schizophrenia is a psychic disorder which is found in about 1% of the people. Environmental and genetic influences both have impact to cause it.  The role of genes in causing Schizophrenia is insignificant. It is believed that if both the parents have this disorder in genes the chances of their child getting this disorder is about 40%. And, if any of the parents have this disorder in their genes, the chances of their child suffering with this is 12%.

Initially when a child has Schizophrenia in the genes, he/she is very silent kind of kid in the childhood and chances are that the symptoms are not shown until after 15-25 years of time.

Any stress or problem in the future can give a kick to the disorder and these kids can get affected to Schizophrenia. Any stress like financial, family loss, study problem or any other influence can be a reason behind this.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder which can be the result in the imbalance of two chemicals found in the brain which are : Dopamine and Serotonin.

Is there any Treatment for Schizophrenia ?

Treatment of Schizophrenia depends how soon we take the patient to the doctor, as any delay to this can have further negative impact on the treatment. A doctor provides counseling along with medical treatment too. There are few medicines like Anti-pyshcotics which are used to cure Schizophrenia by creating a balance between the chemicals in the brain that cause this problem.

These medicines work slowly and can sometimes take more time to show any results, sometimes even 1-2 years. So patience is required during the treatment. Sometimes, in lack of patience a patient stops taking medicines or reduces the dosage himself without consulting with the doctor, as a result of which the symptoms come back again.

There are few vaccinations also have come into the market which is good for those who do not prefer medicines. During treatment it is important to visit your doctor regularly for all the counseling sessions and take medicines on time for the recommended duration.

Side effects of Antipsychotics drugs for Schizophrenia

Few of the side effects of Antipsychotics drugs are:

1. Shivering in hands
2. Feeling sleepy
3. More saliva in mouth