Difference Between Schizophrenia and Multiple Personality Disorder
Schizophrenia has been often mistaken as similar to another form of brain disorder, which is multiple personality disorder (also known as split personality). However, there is a huge difference between these two, which is why it is important to establish that difference to gain an understanding of what make each one different.
Aside from the difference in characteristics, each one have a varying set of symptoms and require a unique treatment approach. It is not advised to interchange one another since it does not guarantee effective results.
First off, schizophrenia is a form of chronic brain disorder that results in a distortion of one's view of reality. The patient could also manifest various symptoms including hallucinations, delusional thoughts, illogical thinking, and disorganized behavior or speech. There are several frightening thoughts that an individual develops as a result of schizophrenia, which causes them to suffer from severe agitation, social withdrawal, or fearfulness.
Three Categories of Schizophrenia Symptoms
Another method of distinguishing schizophrenia from multiple personality disorder is to identify the various symptoms that an individual experiences. These three categories of symptoms are as follows:
• Positive – These symptoms include delusions, disordered thoughts, and unusual perceptions.
• Negative – These symptoms include inability or loss of the capacity to express themselves, exhibit emotions, or function normally.
• Cognitive – These symptoms affect basic brain function such as memory, sustaining attention, or logic.
What is Multiple Personality Disorder?
This mental disorder is also referred to as Dissociative Identify Disorder (DID), which is a form of psychogenic amnesia. An individual suffering from this condition has the ability to repress memories of a tragic event for a given period of time. This results in fragmentation of the self and experiences until it alters a person's core personality.
Multiple personality disorder typically develops early on at the childhood years, especially for children suffering from severe abuse or trauma. This disorder comes as a result of an elaborate coping mechanism causing that split behavior.
Common Characteristics and Symptoms of MPD Patients
There are two basic characteristics for individuals suffering from multiple personality disorder: derealization and depersonalization. When a patient suffers from derealization, their perception of others become distorted and it is difficult to identify what is real in their world and what is not. On the other hand, depersonalization is the distortion of one's actual view of reality until s/he becomes detached from the self.
There are several common symptoms for multiple personality disorder that includes any of the following: phobias, depression, amnesia, panic attacks, eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, flashbacks, suicide attempts, and physical symptoms such as body pains or severe headaches, etc.
Treatment for Multiple Personality Disorder
Multiple personality disorder is treated using various techniques or treatment approach that distinguish it from schizophrenia, although there are some similarities to some of the approaches. For example, psychotherapy is also used to treat multiple personality disorder wherein it aims to encourage proper communication with the patient to recognize and provide deeper insight into the source of problem.
Meanwhile, a patient also undergoes cognitive therapy that aims to correct dysfunctional behaviors and enable a patient to cope with the stress of their condition more effectively. In terms of medication, patients with MPD can intake the same medications as patients of schizophrenia do such as anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants.
Rabu, 15 Desember 2010
Selasa, 14 Desember 2010
Reviewing The Various Types And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a form of psychosis that shifts sufferers from reality to an often terrifying world of delusions, confusion, danger and hallucination. Often the symptoms of schizophrenia are described as "positive" or "negative." Positive symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, thought disorders and involuntary movements may come and go.
Negative symptoms refer to reductions in normal behavior, such as a monotonous voice, emotionless facial expression, a lack of pleasure, infrequent speech, poor hygiene and the inability to execute a plan. Sometimes, symptoms occur constantly, while at other times patients suffer from schizophreniform disorder.
There are five different types of schizophrenia, according to schizophrenia research, and the symptoms vary. The first type and the most common is paranoid schizophrenia. The paranoid schizophrenic suffers bizarre delusions and sometimes auditory hallucinations.
For instance, the patient may believe that the government is spying on them, that people on television or animals are talking to them, or that someone is trying to deliberately hurt them. Often, paranoid schizophrenics also suffer an accompanying anxiety disorder that causes heightened fear, nervous twitches and displeasure. Other patients have delusions of grandeur, and believe they are a great inventor or a celebrity.
Strange emotional responses characterize the second type, which is called disorganized schizophrenia. Symptoms of schizophrenia for this type may include emotionless facial display, a monotone voice, or the inability to laugh, cry and show any emotion. Sufferers may exhibit signs of "psychomotor poverty," disrupted speech patterns, a lack of spontaneous movement or motivation, derailment, thought disturbances and reality distortion.
The third type is called catatonic schizophrenia, which is the stereotypical view of a person rocking back and forth in a strait jacket, staring vapidly -- sometimes rambling incessantly, or at other times being completely mute. The symptoms of this type may include making jerky, bizarre movements, with arms and legs flailing about for no reason. The catatonic schizophrenic is incapable of caring for him or herself and is characterized as having a very severe mental illness.
The fourth type is referred to as undifferentiated schizophrenia, meaning that the symptoms cannot definitively classify the disorder as one type or another. Some patients show all the different symptoms or a few from each category. These patients sometimes lack catatonia, paranoia and disorganized speech, but may instead exhibit symptoms of a neurological disorder.
Lastly, the residual schizophrenic is someone who may have a past history, but currently exhibits no positive symptoms -- like delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or bizarre behavior. Sometimes residual schizophrenia occurs during a transition from diagnosed schizophrenia to remission, and other times no psychotic episodes occur for years.
Roughly, one out of every one thousand people develops a schizophreniform disorder - meaning that they exhibit a short term form of schizophrenia. Two thirds of the people with the disorder go on to develop a life-long mental illness.
These symptoms of schizophrenia can be caused by genetics, brain chemistry or environmental factors. Some people are literally pushed to the brink of insanity due to stress from social interactions. Others have an imbalance of neurotransmitters that may lead to disorganization in the brain.
To treat schizophrenia of any type, the good news is that taking an anti-psychotic schizophrenia drug is usually very effective in treating the symptoms, and allows most sufferers to live a relatively normal life.
Negative symptoms refer to reductions in normal behavior, such as a monotonous voice, emotionless facial expression, a lack of pleasure, infrequent speech, poor hygiene and the inability to execute a plan. Sometimes, symptoms occur constantly, while at other times patients suffer from schizophreniform disorder.
There are five different types of schizophrenia, according to schizophrenia research, and the symptoms vary. The first type and the most common is paranoid schizophrenia. The paranoid schizophrenic suffers bizarre delusions and sometimes auditory hallucinations.
For instance, the patient may believe that the government is spying on them, that people on television or animals are talking to them, or that someone is trying to deliberately hurt them. Often, paranoid schizophrenics also suffer an accompanying anxiety disorder that causes heightened fear, nervous twitches and displeasure. Other patients have delusions of grandeur, and believe they are a great inventor or a celebrity.
Strange emotional responses characterize the second type, which is called disorganized schizophrenia. Symptoms of schizophrenia for this type may include emotionless facial display, a monotone voice, or the inability to laugh, cry and show any emotion. Sufferers may exhibit signs of "psychomotor poverty," disrupted speech patterns, a lack of spontaneous movement or motivation, derailment, thought disturbances and reality distortion.
The third type is called catatonic schizophrenia, which is the stereotypical view of a person rocking back and forth in a strait jacket, staring vapidly -- sometimes rambling incessantly, or at other times being completely mute. The symptoms of this type may include making jerky, bizarre movements, with arms and legs flailing about for no reason. The catatonic schizophrenic is incapable of caring for him or herself and is characterized as having a very severe mental illness.
The fourth type is referred to as undifferentiated schizophrenia, meaning that the symptoms cannot definitively classify the disorder as one type or another. Some patients show all the different symptoms or a few from each category. These patients sometimes lack catatonia, paranoia and disorganized speech, but may instead exhibit symptoms of a neurological disorder.
Lastly, the residual schizophrenic is someone who may have a past history, but currently exhibits no positive symptoms -- like delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or bizarre behavior. Sometimes residual schizophrenia occurs during a transition from diagnosed schizophrenia to remission, and other times no psychotic episodes occur for years.
Roughly, one out of every one thousand people develops a schizophreniform disorder - meaning that they exhibit a short term form of schizophrenia. Two thirds of the people with the disorder go on to develop a life-long mental illness.
These symptoms of schizophrenia can be caused by genetics, brain chemistry or environmental factors. Some people are literally pushed to the brink of insanity due to stress from social interactions. Others have an imbalance of neurotransmitters that may lead to disorganization in the brain.
To treat schizophrenia of any type, the good news is that taking an anti-psychotic schizophrenia drug is usually very effective in treating the symptoms, and allows most sufferers to live a relatively normal life.
Senin, 13 Desember 2010
A Guide for the Care and Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a biologic brain disorder that seriously impairs a person's ability to think clearly and relate to others. People with schizophrenia have trouble distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary and may become withdrawn or have difficulty in everyday situations.
Schizophrenia typically develops in adolescence or early adulthood, although it may occur later in life. Schizophrenia usually progresses slowly and varies among patients in its severity.
What Are the Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
Symptoms of schizophrenia generally are categorized as 1 of 3 types:
Positive symptoms: abnormal or exaggerated behaviors or patterns of thought that are "added" to an individual's way of interacting with the world. These include visual, auditory, and/or tactile hallucinations (seeing, hearing, and feeling things that don't exist), persistent delusions (false beliefs that aren't changed by reason or evidence), paranoid delusions, and disorganized or unusual thought processes and speech. Side effects or symptoms of medications also include movement disorders, including clumsiness, uncoordinated or involuntary movements, and rarely, catatonia.
Negative symptoms: the absence, loss, or reduction of normal behaviors, emotions, and patterns of thought. Examples include blunted emotions, inability to begin and follow through with activities, social withdrawal, negligent hygiene, and displeasure or disinterest in life.
Cognitive symptoms: difficulties with attention, memory, and executive functioning that interfere with normal daily activities.
As the illness progresses, these symptoms often become more intense. Schizophrenia often works in cycles, meaning the disease may get better and then reoccur at a later date.
What is the History of Schizophrenia?
While the word "schizophrenia" is less than 100 years old, the illness itself is generally believed to have been present in humans since the beginning of mankind. It was not until 1887, however, that it was first recognized as a discrete mental disorder by German physician Emile Kraepelin. He used the term "dementia praecox" (meaning "early dementia") for patients who had symptoms that are now associated with schizophrenia. In 1911, Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, coined the term "schizophrenia," (derived from the Greek words "schizo," meaning "split," and phrene, meaning "mind").
He was also the first to characterize the symptoms as either "positive" or "negative." Bleuler thought dementia praecox was misleading because the illness was not a form of dementia and could occur late as well as early in life. He therefore believed that schizophrenia was a more appropriate name and conveyed the fragmented thought processes of people who suffer from the disease.
How Many People Have Schizophrenia?
Worldwide, it is estimated that 1 person in every 100 develops schizophrenia. There are currently more than 2 million Americans who have schizophrenia, with men and women affected equally. Because of the typically early age of onset and the lifelong burden of the disease on patients' emotional and physical well-being, schizophrenia can be considered one of the most debilitating medical conditions.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, patients with schizophrenia occupy more hospital beds than do patients with almost any other illness. Federal costs of the disease total between $30 billion and $48 billion per year, when direct medical costs, lost productivity, and Social Security payments are considered.vi It is estimated that 50% to 80% of patients with schizophrenia live with or have routine contact with family members who are their caregivers. There is a corresponding huge burden placed on caregivers. Schizophrenia imposes significant personal, financial, social, and emotional demands on caregivers. Other estimates therefore place the overall cost of schizophrenia at nearly $63 billion, when direct healthcare, societal, and family and caregiver costs are totaled.
How Is Schizophrenia Treated?
Although the cause of schizophrenia remains unknown, antipsychotic medications can help people with this illness function better and more appropriately. In conjunction with counseling programs designed to help people manage and cope with their behavioral symptoms, these medications have been proven to significantly alleviate psychotic symptoms and reduce the chances that symptoms will return. Two classes of antipsychotic medications--conventional (or typical) and atypical--are used to treat schizophrenia.
Conventional, or typical, antipsychotic medications, such as haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and fluphenazine, are effective in treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. These older medications, while effective in treating the symptoms of schizophrenia, have been in existence since the 1950s. Newer atypical antipsychotic medications, such as paliperidone ER, risperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, and ziprasidone, are the most commonly prescribed treatments for schizophrenia. Available in both oral and long and short-acting injectable forms, atypical antipsychotics relieve the positive symptoms and improve the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
What Is the Role of Continuity of Therapy in People With Schizophrenia?
For the millions of Americans who experience schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses and their family members, one of the most critical periods in an individual's recovery is the transition from intense inpatient (hospital) care settings to community-based services. This "continuity of therapy" is a process involving the orderly, uninterrupted movement of patients among the diverse elements of the service delivery system. Specifically:
When taking into account the complex nature of mental illnesses and the multiplicity of treatments and services that are needed by people in search of recovery, continuity of care and the coordination of treatment and services are important factors in assuring quality mental healthcare.
Given the important role that medications play in allowing for symptom reduction or alleviation, continuity of medication therapy must receive highest priority.
A Vision to Address Continuity of Care and Treatment
In certain environments, systems designed to serve mental health patients and their caregivers experience serious shortcomings when it comes to the level and depth of communication, cooperation, and coordination of treatment and services necessary to avoid service fragmentation and discontinuity.
To address this, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare released recommended new approaches to provide seamless continuity of treatment for people with schizophrenia and other serious mental illness. The National Council consensus statement was prepared by a 24-member panel composed of leading accrediting organizations, hospital and community treatment organizations, patients, family members, researchers, state authorities, and psychiatric leaders. The findings, presented at the 37th Annual National Conference of the organization, focus on breaking down barriers between systems of care. The expert panel developed recommendations that address administrative, professional, and human elements required to ensure complete continuity of care.
Specific recommendations are as follows:
- Encourage collaboration between hospitals and community-based organizations
- Use a quality improvement approach to enhance continuity of therapy by benchmarking a performance and outcomes standards at the organizational level
- Ensure that all patients have a level of care management for the transition from inpatient to community, including reimbursable care management services by all payers
- Focus on the "Pull Model" of transition from inpatient to outpatient care by involving community providers in the transition before patients get discharged
- Align accreditation standards that address and improve continuity of therapy
- Educate patients and their families on the importance of maintaining a personal healthcare history
- Promote more thoughtful use of inpatient services to reduce emergency room use and an eventually decrease the number of hospitalizations
- Share data about mental health services with appropriate organizations in usable and timely ways
- Involve patients and their advocates in all levels of system delivery and evaluation
Schizophrenia is a biologic brain disorder that seriously impairs a person's ability to think clearly and relate to others. People with schizophrenia have trouble distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary and may become withdrawn or have difficulty in everyday situations.
Schizophrenia typically develops in adolescence or early adulthood, although it may occur later in life. Schizophrenia usually progresses slowly and varies among patients in its severity.
What Are the Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
Symptoms of schizophrenia generally are categorized as 1 of 3 types:
Positive symptoms: abnormal or exaggerated behaviors or patterns of thought that are "added" to an individual's way of interacting with the world. These include visual, auditory, and/or tactile hallucinations (seeing, hearing, and feeling things that don't exist), persistent delusions (false beliefs that aren't changed by reason or evidence), paranoid delusions, and disorganized or unusual thought processes and speech. Side effects or symptoms of medications also include movement disorders, including clumsiness, uncoordinated or involuntary movements, and rarely, catatonia.
Negative symptoms: the absence, loss, or reduction of normal behaviors, emotions, and patterns of thought. Examples include blunted emotions, inability to begin and follow through with activities, social withdrawal, negligent hygiene, and displeasure or disinterest in life.
Cognitive symptoms: difficulties with attention, memory, and executive functioning that interfere with normal daily activities.
As the illness progresses, these symptoms often become more intense. Schizophrenia often works in cycles, meaning the disease may get better and then reoccur at a later date.
What is the History of Schizophrenia?
While the word "schizophrenia" is less than 100 years old, the illness itself is generally believed to have been present in humans since the beginning of mankind. It was not until 1887, however, that it was first recognized as a discrete mental disorder by German physician Emile Kraepelin. He used the term "dementia praecox" (meaning "early dementia") for patients who had symptoms that are now associated with schizophrenia. In 1911, Eugen Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, coined the term "schizophrenia," (derived from the Greek words "schizo," meaning "split," and phrene, meaning "mind").
He was also the first to characterize the symptoms as either "positive" or "negative." Bleuler thought dementia praecox was misleading because the illness was not a form of dementia and could occur late as well as early in life. He therefore believed that schizophrenia was a more appropriate name and conveyed the fragmented thought processes of people who suffer from the disease.
How Many People Have Schizophrenia?
Worldwide, it is estimated that 1 person in every 100 develops schizophrenia. There are currently more than 2 million Americans who have schizophrenia, with men and women affected equally. Because of the typically early age of onset and the lifelong burden of the disease on patients' emotional and physical well-being, schizophrenia can be considered one of the most debilitating medical conditions.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, patients with schizophrenia occupy more hospital beds than do patients with almost any other illness. Federal costs of the disease total between $30 billion and $48 billion per year, when direct medical costs, lost productivity, and Social Security payments are considered.vi It is estimated that 50% to 80% of patients with schizophrenia live with or have routine contact with family members who are their caregivers. There is a corresponding huge burden placed on caregivers. Schizophrenia imposes significant personal, financial, social, and emotional demands on caregivers. Other estimates therefore place the overall cost of schizophrenia at nearly $63 billion, when direct healthcare, societal, and family and caregiver costs are totaled.
How Is Schizophrenia Treated?
Although the cause of schizophrenia remains unknown, antipsychotic medications can help people with this illness function better and more appropriately. In conjunction with counseling programs designed to help people manage and cope with their behavioral symptoms, these medications have been proven to significantly alleviate psychotic symptoms and reduce the chances that symptoms will return. Two classes of antipsychotic medications--conventional (or typical) and atypical--are used to treat schizophrenia.
Conventional, or typical, antipsychotic medications, such as haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and fluphenazine, are effective in treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. These older medications, while effective in treating the symptoms of schizophrenia, have been in existence since the 1950s. Newer atypical antipsychotic medications, such as paliperidone ER, risperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, and ziprasidone, are the most commonly prescribed treatments for schizophrenia. Available in both oral and long and short-acting injectable forms, atypical antipsychotics relieve the positive symptoms and improve the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
What Is the Role of Continuity of Therapy in People With Schizophrenia?
For the millions of Americans who experience schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses and their family members, one of the most critical periods in an individual's recovery is the transition from intense inpatient (hospital) care settings to community-based services. This "continuity of therapy" is a process involving the orderly, uninterrupted movement of patients among the diverse elements of the service delivery system. Specifically:
When taking into account the complex nature of mental illnesses and the multiplicity of treatments and services that are needed by people in search of recovery, continuity of care and the coordination of treatment and services are important factors in assuring quality mental healthcare.
Given the important role that medications play in allowing for symptom reduction or alleviation, continuity of medication therapy must receive highest priority.
A Vision to Address Continuity of Care and Treatment
In certain environments, systems designed to serve mental health patients and their caregivers experience serious shortcomings when it comes to the level and depth of communication, cooperation, and coordination of treatment and services necessary to avoid service fragmentation and discontinuity.
To address this, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare released recommended new approaches to provide seamless continuity of treatment for people with schizophrenia and other serious mental illness. The National Council consensus statement was prepared by a 24-member panel composed of leading accrediting organizations, hospital and community treatment organizations, patients, family members, researchers, state authorities, and psychiatric leaders. The findings, presented at the 37th Annual National Conference of the organization, focus on breaking down barriers between systems of care. The expert panel developed recommendations that address administrative, professional, and human elements required to ensure complete continuity of care.
Specific recommendations are as follows:
- Encourage collaboration between hospitals and community-based organizations
- Use a quality improvement approach to enhance continuity of therapy by benchmarking a performance and outcomes standards at the organizational level
- Ensure that all patients have a level of care management for the transition from inpatient to community, including reimbursable care management services by all payers
- Focus on the "Pull Model" of transition from inpatient to outpatient care by involving community providers in the transition before patients get discharged
- Align accreditation standards that address and improve continuity of therapy
- Educate patients and their families on the importance of maintaining a personal healthcare history
- Promote more thoughtful use of inpatient services to reduce emergency room use and an eventually decrease the number of hospitalizations
- Share data about mental health services with appropriate organizations in usable and timely ways
- Involve patients and their advocates in all levels of system delivery and evaluation
Minggu, 12 Desember 2010
Symptoms of Schizophrenia in Children and Adolescents
According to an expert in the psychosocial human development theory, children are aged 13 and below, while adolescents are aged between 13 and 19. From the Schizophrenia prospective, it is rare for children and adolescents to suffer from this mental disorder. Having said that, children who display Schizophrenia symptoms are very hard to bring up as the disorder affect their ability to think and function like normal kids.
Symptoms of Children with Schizophrenia
Children and adolescents with Schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations, delusions and distorted thinking, similar symptoms to an adult Schizophrenic patient, except few small variations. There can be a gradual shift in the behavior pattern of a child or adolescent with Schizophrenia. From having predictable behaviors, the children can display unpredictably bad behaviors. Children with Schizophrenia tend to stick with their parents all the time, they do not enjoy playing and chatting with other kids, they lose interest in most of the activities, face difficulty in concentrating on studies and their school performance degrades. School teachers are often first to notice their aberrant behavior first.
Treatment
To treat children and adolescents with Schizophrenia, group therapy, family therapy and atypical antipsychotic drugs are commonly used. The common practice is for parents to bring their child to a pediatrician and ask him to refer a psychiatrist who is good in diagnosing, assessing and treating children with Schizophrenia. Parents should also encourage the child to take part in different school activities which aim to treat the mental disorder.
Understanding Schizophrenia in Children and Adolescents
For aptly understanding of childhood and adolescent Schizophrenia, parents must consult psychiatrist who has experience in dealing with children and adolescents. There are few instances when one might get confused whether a child has Schizophrenia or not:
1. Having imaginary friends and talking to unreal things - It is common for children to have imaginary friends that they play or talk with when they are around three years old; this is a fairly normal characteristic of children at this age. However, if such a characteristic is found in a 12 years old child or in a 15 years old adolescent, then parents need to be concerned, they must talk to the child and understand what he is feeling and must consult a pediatrician or a psychologist.
2. Grievance of losing a friend or family - An adolescent can feel sad over losing family member or a close friend, among other things. He might try to avoid going out and talk to anyone. At this time, it is common for people around the child to be unsure if he is suffering from Schizophrenia, especially if the family has history of the mental disorder. At this point of time, it is recommended to talk to the adolescent and bring him in to a psychiatrist for counseling. The symptoms displayed can be either due to temporary depression or early onset of Schizophrenia.
It is not an easy task to tell the difference between Schizophrenia symptoms or behaviors of a normal playful child by yourself. If you suspect your child displays Schizophrenia symptoms, always seek help from a professional or a psychologist to help in the diagnosis.
Symptoms of Children with Schizophrenia
Children and adolescents with Schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations, delusions and distorted thinking, similar symptoms to an adult Schizophrenic patient, except few small variations. There can be a gradual shift in the behavior pattern of a child or adolescent with Schizophrenia. From having predictable behaviors, the children can display unpredictably bad behaviors. Children with Schizophrenia tend to stick with their parents all the time, they do not enjoy playing and chatting with other kids, they lose interest in most of the activities, face difficulty in concentrating on studies and their school performance degrades. School teachers are often first to notice their aberrant behavior first.
Treatment
To treat children and adolescents with Schizophrenia, group therapy, family therapy and atypical antipsychotic drugs are commonly used. The common practice is for parents to bring their child to a pediatrician and ask him to refer a psychiatrist who is good in diagnosing, assessing and treating children with Schizophrenia. Parents should also encourage the child to take part in different school activities which aim to treat the mental disorder.
Understanding Schizophrenia in Children and Adolescents
For aptly understanding of childhood and adolescent Schizophrenia, parents must consult psychiatrist who has experience in dealing with children and adolescents. There are few instances when one might get confused whether a child has Schizophrenia or not:
1. Having imaginary friends and talking to unreal things - It is common for children to have imaginary friends that they play or talk with when they are around three years old; this is a fairly normal characteristic of children at this age. However, if such a characteristic is found in a 12 years old child or in a 15 years old adolescent, then parents need to be concerned, they must talk to the child and understand what he is feeling and must consult a pediatrician or a psychologist.
2. Grievance of losing a friend or family - An adolescent can feel sad over losing family member or a close friend, among other things. He might try to avoid going out and talk to anyone. At this time, it is common for people around the child to be unsure if he is suffering from Schizophrenia, especially if the family has history of the mental disorder. At this point of time, it is recommended to talk to the adolescent and bring him in to a psychiatrist for counseling. The symptoms displayed can be either due to temporary depression or early onset of Schizophrenia.
It is not an easy task to tell the difference between Schizophrenia symptoms or behaviors of a normal playful child by yourself. If you suspect your child displays Schizophrenia symptoms, always seek help from a professional or a psychologist to help in the diagnosis.
Sabtu, 11 Desember 2010
Good Things to Know About Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, witch in Greek mean split mind, is a brain illness that affects 1% people all over the world. The persons can be young or older, women or men, it doesn't matter. It's diagnosis can be more difficult than it might seem because the symptoms of schizophrenia can be similar at times to other major brain disorders such as bipolar disorder or even major depression.
Schizophrenia is characterized like a disruption in cognition and emotion, affecting the most fundamental human attributes: language, thought, perception, affect, and sense of self. If this human attributes are affected, can you imagine how it is like to be a schizophrenic person? Even not, it is sure that is not very pleasant.
Schizophrenia symptoms are divided into three categories, witch are: positive symptoms, disorganized symptoms, and negative symptoms.
Most commons symptoms are delusions - patients are thinking that are somebody but in fact they aren't, and hallucinations - hear voices, see something that isn't there, think that they are being watched, etc.
Disorganized thinking and disorganized speech are also present to the patients with schizophrenia. It is what we call "thought disorder" or " word salads". Other disorganized symptoms are: difficulty understanding, poor concentration, poor memory, difficulty expressing thoughts, difficulty integrating thoughts, feelings and behavior .
Catatonic behavior is a characterized by stupor/inactivity - patient can stand still for a long period of time, staring at something, and nothing can not disturb him.
From negative symptoms we remember: lack of emotion – the inability to enjoy activities as much as before, low energy – the person sits around and sleeps much more than normal, and lack of interest in life and low motivation.
And all this signs of schizophrenia appear because the brain doesn't work properly, dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitters are probably the cause.
In present, the scientists try to find a proper treatment regarded to dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitters, and it might work.
Schizophrenia is characterized like a disruption in cognition and emotion, affecting the most fundamental human attributes: language, thought, perception, affect, and sense of self. If this human attributes are affected, can you imagine how it is like to be a schizophrenic person? Even not, it is sure that is not very pleasant.
Schizophrenia symptoms are divided into three categories, witch are: positive symptoms, disorganized symptoms, and negative symptoms.
Most commons symptoms are delusions - patients are thinking that are somebody but in fact they aren't, and hallucinations - hear voices, see something that isn't there, think that they are being watched, etc.
Disorganized thinking and disorganized speech are also present to the patients with schizophrenia. It is what we call "thought disorder" or " word salads". Other disorganized symptoms are: difficulty understanding, poor concentration, poor memory, difficulty expressing thoughts, difficulty integrating thoughts, feelings and behavior .
Catatonic behavior is a characterized by stupor/inactivity - patient can stand still for a long period of time, staring at something, and nothing can not disturb him.
From negative symptoms we remember: lack of emotion – the inability to enjoy activities as much as before, low energy – the person sits around and sleeps much more than normal, and lack of interest in life and low motivation.
And all this signs of schizophrenia appear because the brain doesn't work properly, dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitters are probably the cause.
In present, the scientists try to find a proper treatment regarded to dopamine and glutamate neurotransmitters, and it might work.
Jumat, 10 Desember 2010
How to Defeat the Negative Schizophrenia Symptoms
The question of how to defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms is one that those suffering from schizophrenia, along with those close to them need an answer to, since this disease is the one that affects an enormous number of people. The fact that daily tasks are difficult to complete or even start for that matter can make life seem frantic to them. They will often become discouraged at getting through the day due to the symptoms seeming to sneak up on them out of no where. There are things that can be done to live a fuller life and make those chaotic days a memory.
Defeating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia begins with education about the symptoms and illness itself. Personal hygiene and social interaction are affected by the negative schizophrenia symptoms. How to defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms that have an affect on your hygiene can be done by making them part of the list that you make yourself for the day so that you remember to do them.
Making a list of the things that you wish to accomplish during the day will make life easier since your thoughts will be organized in one place. Everything that you do during the day can be put into a schedule to help you remember to do them each day. The major tasks that you have to do during the day can be put onto the list and broken down into smaller tasks. When you completed a task on the list and mark it off it will make you feel a sense of accomplishment since you can easily see the progress that you are making during the day.
Defeating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia will require the help of those around you to increase your chances. Educating family and friends about the symptoms will enable them to help you will the symptoms. They can help you to recognize when you are starting to fall into the patterns of the negative schizophrenia symptoms and you can stop them before they occur. Only by recognizing the symptoms and their triggers can you defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms.
Journaling is another way that you can defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms. One of the negative symptoms is becoming angry for no feasible reason. Journaling can give you an outlet for those feelings and allow you to see the situations that lead up to the feelings that you are experiencing. When you have a place to put all of your feelings without fear of judgment you will be less likely to hold back.
When you have identified the triggers of the negative schizophrenia symptoms you will be able to avoid some of the situations and better handle some of those that you can not. There will be patterns, no matter how minor, that develop with the negative symptoms. When you notice that certain things in your home give you a negative reaction or being around certain people give you a negative reaction you can work on changing it.
Determining how to defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms is not going to be easy. It is going to require dedication and support to getting better. Joining a support group can help you to find others that are suffering from the same symptoms and allow you to witness how they have dealt with them. The feelings of being alone that develop when you withdraw from society can be helped by joining a support group as well.
When you defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms you will find that you are able to live a happier, fuller life and even enjoy some of the things that you did prior to your illness. Defeating the negative schizophrenia symptoms means that you will be able to do the simple things that you once found difficult again and your hygiene will no longer be the subject of conversation making you feel more confident about yourself.
Defeating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia begins with education about the symptoms and illness itself. Personal hygiene and social interaction are affected by the negative schizophrenia symptoms. How to defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms that have an affect on your hygiene can be done by making them part of the list that you make yourself for the day so that you remember to do them.
Making a list of the things that you wish to accomplish during the day will make life easier since your thoughts will be organized in one place. Everything that you do during the day can be put into a schedule to help you remember to do them each day. The major tasks that you have to do during the day can be put onto the list and broken down into smaller tasks. When you completed a task on the list and mark it off it will make you feel a sense of accomplishment since you can easily see the progress that you are making during the day.
Defeating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia will require the help of those around you to increase your chances. Educating family and friends about the symptoms will enable them to help you will the symptoms. They can help you to recognize when you are starting to fall into the patterns of the negative schizophrenia symptoms and you can stop them before they occur. Only by recognizing the symptoms and their triggers can you defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms.
Journaling is another way that you can defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms. One of the negative symptoms is becoming angry for no feasible reason. Journaling can give you an outlet for those feelings and allow you to see the situations that lead up to the feelings that you are experiencing. When you have a place to put all of your feelings without fear of judgment you will be less likely to hold back.
When you have identified the triggers of the negative schizophrenia symptoms you will be able to avoid some of the situations and better handle some of those that you can not. There will be patterns, no matter how minor, that develop with the negative symptoms. When you notice that certain things in your home give you a negative reaction or being around certain people give you a negative reaction you can work on changing it.
Determining how to defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms is not going to be easy. It is going to require dedication and support to getting better. Joining a support group can help you to find others that are suffering from the same symptoms and allow you to witness how they have dealt with them. The feelings of being alone that develop when you withdraw from society can be helped by joining a support group as well.
When you defeat the negative schizophrenia symptoms you will find that you are able to live a happier, fuller life and even enjoy some of the things that you did prior to your illness. Defeating the negative schizophrenia symptoms means that you will be able to do the simple things that you once found difficult again and your hygiene will no longer be the subject of conversation making you feel more confident about yourself.
What Are the Symptoms of Schizophrenia? 5 Symptoms of Schizophrenia You Need to Know
Do you know if you suffer from Schizophrenia? What are the symptoms of schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that interferes in the way a person acts, thinks and views the world around them. People that suffer from this chronic disorder have lost contact with reality. They are deluded in their thoughts. People with this disorder may see or hear things that are not in touch with reality.
The following points will determine whether a person has the symptoms of schizophrenia. It should be noted that a sufferer of this chronic disorder may not have all the symptoms present and can develop new symptoms over time.
Delusions: This is the most common symptom of schizophrenia where a person believes in something that is totally untrue. There is no logic to their thought. A sufferer can have different type of delusions for example, they feel someone is out to get them, or they are being controlled by aliens. They may feel that they are being persecuted, or someone is controlling them. Some delusions are related to grandeur, they are someone special in history or they can fly. As you can tell delusions are a broad subject matter but symptoms of schizophrenia are related.
Hallucinations: Sufferers seem to hear voices and noise that is in their mind. They may hear voices from people they know or noise that only they can hear. It seems to get worse when they are alone.
Disorganized Speech: People suffering from schizophrenia often have speech disorders. For example, a person will begin a sentence talking about one subject and then jump to another. Sufferers have a hard time concentrating and maintaining any thought process. In a two minute conversation a sufferer may speak about five different subject matters if not more.
Disorganized Behavior: There appears to be a decline in daily functioning. The person portrays a bizarre behavior with a lack of control. There is more unpredictable responses in their behavior. A person is unable to interact with people at work or in social surroundings because of their irrational behavior.
Negative Symptoms: People suffering from schizophrenia lack emotional expression, they suffer from less enthusiasm and are at times unaware of their surroundings. They will show a bizarre set of behaviors, and not have the sense of their consequences.
Are you or someone you know suffering from Schizophrenia? There are many resources available to help with this chronic disorder. You can now cope with schizophrenia symptoms by using self help methods and eradicating this disorder.
The following points will determine whether a person has the symptoms of schizophrenia. It should be noted that a sufferer of this chronic disorder may not have all the symptoms present and can develop new symptoms over time.
Delusions: This is the most common symptom of schizophrenia where a person believes in something that is totally untrue. There is no logic to their thought. A sufferer can have different type of delusions for example, they feel someone is out to get them, or they are being controlled by aliens. They may feel that they are being persecuted, or someone is controlling them. Some delusions are related to grandeur, they are someone special in history or they can fly. As you can tell delusions are a broad subject matter but symptoms of schizophrenia are related.
Hallucinations: Sufferers seem to hear voices and noise that is in their mind. They may hear voices from people they know or noise that only they can hear. It seems to get worse when they are alone.
Disorganized Speech: People suffering from schizophrenia often have speech disorders. For example, a person will begin a sentence talking about one subject and then jump to another. Sufferers have a hard time concentrating and maintaining any thought process. In a two minute conversation a sufferer may speak about five different subject matters if not more.
Disorganized Behavior: There appears to be a decline in daily functioning. The person portrays a bizarre behavior with a lack of control. There is more unpredictable responses in their behavior. A person is unable to interact with people at work or in social surroundings because of their irrational behavior.
Negative Symptoms: People suffering from schizophrenia lack emotional expression, they suffer from less enthusiasm and are at times unaware of their surroundings. They will show a bizarre set of behaviors, and not have the sense of their consequences.
Are you or someone you know suffering from Schizophrenia? There are many resources available to help with this chronic disorder. You can now cope with schizophrenia symptoms by using self help methods and eradicating this disorder.
Kamis, 09 Desember 2010
Schizophrenia Management - How to Live with Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is one of the few conditions in today's world of medical science that is without a cure. A highly difficult mental disorder to manage, Schizophrenia symptoms can be dormant at times and very serious at other times. Depending on the treatment and medication, Schizophrenia is a terrible disorder as it is common for friends, families who do not understand the condition to leave you. In many situations, Schizophrenia patients also can't hold on to their jobs. To live life again, it is vital for people suffering from Schizophrenia to learn how to cope with its symptoms.
Acceptance of the Reality
The patient must admit the fact that he is suffering from Schizophrenia. Usually, a Schizophrenic patient denies his suffering. He feels that people around him are lying; this is because of basic human tendency of refusal to things which prove one wrong. As the same time, Schizophrenia patient suffer from hallucinations which make it extremely challenging for him to differentiate between real life and illusion.
To tackle this situation, family members must provide the initial help with his medications and psychotherapy. The patient should also be sent for group therapy where he is made to realize that if he admits that he is suffering from the mental illness, it will make his life and others around him far easier. The patient who has admitted to reality is more likely to take his medications on time, discuss openly during psychotherapy sessions and gain the most out of all his treatments.
Knowledge about Schizophrenia
Knowledge about Schizophrenia is no doubt very important in order to cope with it. With better knowledge and understanding of the mental disorder, the patient will be in better capacity to cope and live with Schizophrenia. Family members will also be more understanding of the situation and response better to the patient. Hence, it is vastly important for the patient and family members to learn about the symptoms associated with Schizophrenia.
Living independently in a safe neighborhood
A Schizophrenic patient whose family members refuse to take care of him either due to lack of understanding or lack of funds can possibly live in an independent setting depending on the severity of his condition. However, it is vital for him to take his medication and visit his psychotherapist on time. Whenever possible, neighbors can also help to show some care and concern to make sure he takes his medications.
Living with Family or in a Hospital
It is advisable for a Schizophrenic patient to live with his family or in a hospital whenever possible. This is so that family members or medical professionals can keep track of the patient and make sure that he is taking his medications, attending group therapy sessions and meetings his psychotherapist on time. They can also keep track of the patient's behavior and see if it has improve over time.
A Schizophrenia patient is less susceptible to paranoid attack if he gets love, affection and support from various people around him; it definitely makes it easier for him to live and cope with Schizophrenia.
Acceptance of the Reality
The patient must admit the fact that he is suffering from Schizophrenia. Usually, a Schizophrenic patient denies his suffering. He feels that people around him are lying; this is because of basic human tendency of refusal to things which prove one wrong. As the same time, Schizophrenia patient suffer from hallucinations which make it extremely challenging for him to differentiate between real life and illusion.
To tackle this situation, family members must provide the initial help with his medications and psychotherapy. The patient should also be sent for group therapy where he is made to realize that if he admits that he is suffering from the mental illness, it will make his life and others around him far easier. The patient who has admitted to reality is more likely to take his medications on time, discuss openly during psychotherapy sessions and gain the most out of all his treatments.
Knowledge about Schizophrenia
Knowledge about Schizophrenia is no doubt very important in order to cope with it. With better knowledge and understanding of the mental disorder, the patient will be in better capacity to cope and live with Schizophrenia. Family members will also be more understanding of the situation and response better to the patient. Hence, it is vastly important for the patient and family members to learn about the symptoms associated with Schizophrenia.
Living independently in a safe neighborhood
A Schizophrenic patient whose family members refuse to take care of him either due to lack of understanding or lack of funds can possibly live in an independent setting depending on the severity of his condition. However, it is vital for him to take his medication and visit his psychotherapist on time. Whenever possible, neighbors can also help to show some care and concern to make sure he takes his medications.
Living with Family or in a Hospital
It is advisable for a Schizophrenic patient to live with his family or in a hospital whenever possible. This is so that family members or medical professionals can keep track of the patient and make sure that he is taking his medications, attending group therapy sessions and meetings his psychotherapist on time. They can also keep track of the patient's behavior and see if it has improve over time.
A Schizophrenia patient is less susceptible to paranoid attack if he gets love, affection and support from various people around him; it definitely makes it easier for him to live and cope with Schizophrenia.
Rabu, 08 Desember 2010
Schizophrenia Symptoms - The Feeling of Having a Huge Secret With Schizophrenia Disorder
Many times after a huge crisis such as psychosis disorder, people go through a process of collecting they're soul pieces. The new feeling of being with such a horrible secret and a terrible experience behind them, frequently cause them to feel not belonging to they're surroundings.
For example, when a sufferer sits behind a table in a coffee shop, he usually feels like not being a part of its surroundings. If he sits alone, then his feeling is being intensified. He sees people who read the paper, talking to they're friend, reading a book and he has nothing to occupy his mind beside of his recent disorder.
In order to remove that feeling, the sufferer should first cause himself to be busier with other occupations that would distract his mind from his disease. Things like hobbies, doing gymnastic, writing a journal, painting, crafting and other occupations, would get him to think of other things aside of his condition.
If you feel like not belonging when you are alone at the cafe, maybe it is a good idea to go there with a friend or a loved one, and to avoid attending they're all by your self. Try to keep yourself a company in such places. Don't be alone if you know that it would cause you to think of your disorder.
In time, you will see that this basic feeling of not being belonging to places and crowd would change due to your other interests in other life activity such as being previously mentioned.
For example, when a sufferer sits behind a table in a coffee shop, he usually feels like not being a part of its surroundings. If he sits alone, then his feeling is being intensified. He sees people who read the paper, talking to they're friend, reading a book and he has nothing to occupy his mind beside of his recent disorder.
In order to remove that feeling, the sufferer should first cause himself to be busier with other occupations that would distract his mind from his disease. Things like hobbies, doing gymnastic, writing a journal, painting, crafting and other occupations, would get him to think of other things aside of his condition.
If you feel like not belonging when you are alone at the cafe, maybe it is a good idea to go there with a friend or a loved one, and to avoid attending they're all by your self. Try to keep yourself a company in such places. Don't be alone if you know that it would cause you to think of your disorder.
In time, you will see that this basic feeling of not being belonging to places and crowd would change due to your other interests in other life activity such as being previously mentioned.
Selasa, 07 Desember 2010
Schizophrenia Prevention - Simple Measures to Prevent Schizophrenia
As per the popular saying "Prevention is better than cure", preventive measures can be adopted to prevent Schizophrenia. The preventive measures are suggested for everyone, especially for those who are more susceptible to developing the disorder. These include people who have family history of Schizophrenia, whose siblings or parents have Schizophrenia and occasionally experience some symptoms of Schizophrenia. Listed below are some of the preventive measures that can be adopted easily.
Taking care of your diet
"Watch what you eat!" One must take care to increase the amount of water intake and quantity of fresh fruits, vegetables and juices in their diet and at the same time, reduce the consumption of junk food which has low nutritional value. One must eliminate possible sources of toxins in their diet. Some toxins, as suggested by several studies are artificial sweeteners, certain food additives like quinoline yellow, alknet, amaranth and alkannin. It is always advisable to but reliable food product brands to be sure of the nutritional content within.
Maintaining proper hygiene and cleanliness
As the human body ages, several toxins and unwanted things get deposited inside our systems. Therefore, it is important to cleanse not just the outer body but the inner systems of our body as well. Some ways to maintain external hygiene are commonly known as taking regular baths, wearing clean clothes and etc. Some ways to perform internal cleansing are thorough bowel cleansing which can be done by taking coffee enama or yoghurt enema; kidney cleansing, for example, dissolve kidney stones which can be performed by eating watermelon and drinking sufficient water.
Getting involved in physical activities
One must get involved in some form of physical activity like swimming, brisk walking, skipping, jogging etc. Physical activity not only helps in keeping the body fit but also boasts the immune system. Exercising and playing sports also help in reducing stress; moreover if a person is playing certain games and is involved in team building, then his team spirit, ability to work with others, patience and cooperation also increase.
Proper care during pregnancy:
Proper care of diet and lifestyle in very important during pregnancy as complications during pregnancy is also a possible cause of Schizophrenia in the new born child. Apart from keeping a healthy diet, pregnant women should protect themselves from viral infections and avoid stress as much as possible.
Avoiding stress through meditation and spiritualism:
In the busy life of today, it is getting hard for people to spare time for themselves. There is a lot of stress and emotional disturbance which they have to undergo in their day to day life. Such constant high level of stresses can result in different mental disorders. Therefore, people should try to make a regular commitment to participate in activities such as meditation to release stress and stay happy in their lives. It is also advisable to read books on spiritualism and effective living as this would help people to connect well with others both at work and in personal lives.
Obviously, there are many stress reduction methods, depending on your lifestyle preferences. You should at least participate in one or two activities, whatever they are, to help you to reduce stress in your life.
Schizophrenia is a disabling mental condition that is extremely complicated and hard to understand. This disorder is affecting up to 2 million people in USA today
Taking care of your diet
"Watch what you eat!" One must take care to increase the amount of water intake and quantity of fresh fruits, vegetables and juices in their diet and at the same time, reduce the consumption of junk food which has low nutritional value. One must eliminate possible sources of toxins in their diet. Some toxins, as suggested by several studies are artificial sweeteners, certain food additives like quinoline yellow, alknet, amaranth and alkannin. It is always advisable to but reliable food product brands to be sure of the nutritional content within.
Maintaining proper hygiene and cleanliness
As the human body ages, several toxins and unwanted things get deposited inside our systems. Therefore, it is important to cleanse not just the outer body but the inner systems of our body as well. Some ways to maintain external hygiene are commonly known as taking regular baths, wearing clean clothes and etc. Some ways to perform internal cleansing are thorough bowel cleansing which can be done by taking coffee enama or yoghurt enema; kidney cleansing, for example, dissolve kidney stones which can be performed by eating watermelon and drinking sufficient water.
Getting involved in physical activities
One must get involved in some form of physical activity like swimming, brisk walking, skipping, jogging etc. Physical activity not only helps in keeping the body fit but also boasts the immune system. Exercising and playing sports also help in reducing stress; moreover if a person is playing certain games and is involved in team building, then his team spirit, ability to work with others, patience and cooperation also increase.
Proper care during pregnancy:
Proper care of diet and lifestyle in very important during pregnancy as complications during pregnancy is also a possible cause of Schizophrenia in the new born child. Apart from keeping a healthy diet, pregnant women should protect themselves from viral infections and avoid stress as much as possible.
Avoiding stress through meditation and spiritualism:
In the busy life of today, it is getting hard for people to spare time for themselves. There is a lot of stress and emotional disturbance which they have to undergo in their day to day life. Such constant high level of stresses can result in different mental disorders. Therefore, people should try to make a regular commitment to participate in activities such as meditation to release stress and stay happy in their lives. It is also advisable to read books on spiritualism and effective living as this would help people to connect well with others both at work and in personal lives.
Obviously, there are many stress reduction methods, depending on your lifestyle preferences. You should at least participate in one or two activities, whatever they are, to help you to reduce stress in your life.
Schizophrenia is a disabling mental condition that is extremely complicated and hard to understand. This disorder is affecting up to 2 million people in USA today
Senin, 06 Desember 2010
Common Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenic
Schizophrenic patients can exhibit signs of reduced physical or mental activity by sitting at one place and doing nothing for hours. The patient can also stop all voluntary activities like talking, eating, moving etc. On the other hand, Schizophrenic patients can exhibit signs of high level of excitement by shouting, talking fast and acting in a violent manner. These are two extreme symptoms of Schizophrenia out of the many listed below.
Common Symptoms of Schizophrenia include:
Hallucinations - The person can touch, feel, hear, smell and see imaginary things, which do not exist in reality. Such symptoms are because of the deterioration in the brain's reception, as a result brain responds to fake sensory input.
Hallucinations can be further classified as:
Tactile Hallucination: A person experiencing this can feel imaginary hands touching him or can feel insects moving all over his body.
Auditory Hallucination: The person who suffer from such hallucination can hear and communicate with a person that is non-existent in real life. Sometimes, he can also hear someone constantly talking to him. He might even hear an inner voice to tell him about impending danger.
Olfactory Hallucination: The person can smell things that no one can.
Visual Hallucination: The person who experiences this type of hallucination can see objects and people that do not exist in real life. He is able to share thoughts with his imaginary friends and spend time with them.
Mood swings - A person experiencing mood swings can be extremely happy at one moment and extremely sad at other moment. Such a person is very unpredictable and experiences difficulty in maintaining a good rapport with people around him.
Nebulous thinking - A person who suffers from nebulous or distorted thinking is not able to process his thoughts in an orderly manner. Therefore, he is unable to express himself properly and speak in a manner whereby nobody understands. He is unable to process his thoughts, therefore making it hard for him to go about his daily activities.
Emotional Instability and Social withdrawal - The person who is emotionally unstable and socially withdrawn is scared and lacks confidence. He prefers to be alone than to go out and intermingle with people. His personal and professional lives are affected as a result of his behavior.
Illusions - A person who has illusions tends to have compromised perception. He perceives things that are inconsistent with the real world.
Perplexed - The person will feel frightened, confused and not confident about himself. This might occur in combination with hallucination where a person is instructed or warned by a voice about some kind of approaching danger.
Delusion - The most common symptom experienced by Schizophrenic patients. Close to 90% of all Schizophrenic patients suffer from delusions. When a person undergoes delusion, he holds to his belief whether or not it is true.
For example, if a person is not rich or famous and everybody around him knows that. This person might think otherwise and behaves like a famous movie star or like a person in an eminent position. Another type of delusion is in which the person might feel as if he is being observed and controlled by some unfamiliar forces.
Common Symptoms of Schizophrenia include:
Hallucinations - The person can touch, feel, hear, smell and see imaginary things, which do not exist in reality. Such symptoms are because of the deterioration in the brain's reception, as a result brain responds to fake sensory input.
Hallucinations can be further classified as:
Tactile Hallucination: A person experiencing this can feel imaginary hands touching him or can feel insects moving all over his body.
Auditory Hallucination: The person who suffer from such hallucination can hear and communicate with a person that is non-existent in real life. Sometimes, he can also hear someone constantly talking to him. He might even hear an inner voice to tell him about impending danger.
Olfactory Hallucination: The person can smell things that no one can.
Visual Hallucination: The person who experiences this type of hallucination can see objects and people that do not exist in real life. He is able to share thoughts with his imaginary friends and spend time with them.
Mood swings - A person experiencing mood swings can be extremely happy at one moment and extremely sad at other moment. Such a person is very unpredictable and experiences difficulty in maintaining a good rapport with people around him.
Nebulous thinking - A person who suffers from nebulous or distorted thinking is not able to process his thoughts in an orderly manner. Therefore, he is unable to express himself properly and speak in a manner whereby nobody understands. He is unable to process his thoughts, therefore making it hard for him to go about his daily activities.
Emotional Instability and Social withdrawal - The person who is emotionally unstable and socially withdrawn is scared and lacks confidence. He prefers to be alone than to go out and intermingle with people. His personal and professional lives are affected as a result of his behavior.
Illusions - A person who has illusions tends to have compromised perception. He perceives things that are inconsistent with the real world.
Perplexed - The person will feel frightened, confused and not confident about himself. This might occur in combination with hallucination where a person is instructed or warned by a voice about some kind of approaching danger.
Delusion - The most common symptom experienced by Schizophrenic patients. Close to 90% of all Schizophrenic patients suffer from delusions. When a person undergoes delusion, he holds to his belief whether or not it is true.
For example, if a person is not rich or famous and everybody around him knows that. This person might think otherwise and behaves like a famous movie star or like a person in an eminent position. Another type of delusion is in which the person might feel as if he is being observed and controlled by some unfamiliar forces.
How to Recognize the Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
The symptoms of schizophrenia are classified in two groups: positive and negative symptoms. The positive symptoms refer to those characters which come as a supplementary to the patient's personality and consist out of disordered thinking and psychotic symptoms. The negative symptoms refer to those characters which disappear due to schizophrenia, like loosing emotion and expression. These negative symptoms are the first to appear in a schizophrenic person.
Schizophrenia makes the affected people not to manifest any emotion any more; they do not enjoy the things that used to give them satisfaction like going out with friends, going swimming, golfing or playing tennis. Because they have a lack of motion and show little face expression they do not have many friends and do not make friends so easily.
They often have problems at school or at work because they can not focus any more, they have a lack of motivation and they process information with difficulty.
Many people who observe these changes in close persons think that this is due to other health problems, to depression or substance abuse and do not think about schizophrenia.
The category of positive symptoms contains hallucinations meaning that the affected person might hear voices, might see things which are not present, or might even smell something that is not there.
Some schizophrenic people might believe that they are sent by God and that they have a special mission which needs to be completed soon; others might think they are the US President and are not easy to convince that this is not true.
These people are confused, they can not answer properly to a question, and they have a strange way of speaking which makes them hardly understood by others. Sometimes they answer questions with one word, like yes or no, and they are not sociable people, avoiding new acquaintances and strangers.
They have a non-organized behavior, they are sometimes very nervous and agitated without a proper reason and they have disorganized body movements like rocking in the chair back and forth for a long time.
They do not take care of themselves any more, they get dirty but they do not take a bath for weeks, they do not wash their clothes and leave their house unclean until it makes that space impossible to live in.
People consider them mean and strange because they have inappropriate behaviors like smiling or laughing at a funeral, in an inappropriate moment or without a specific reason. In some cases, more rarely jerking eye movements can occur.
Schizophrenic symptoms appear depending on the type of schizophrenia a person has. In the case of paranoid schizophrenia, the patient might be constantly afraid due to the fact that a problem with interpreting the reality has occurred. Catatonic schizophrenic people stand in a strange uncomfortable position for a long time; the disorganized schizophrenic patients create a language that nobody understands or even create rhyming words continuously. A more rare form of schizophrenia is the Childhood schizophrenia which causes a lack of emotion, disorganized speech, and hallucinations.
Schizophrenia makes the affected people not to manifest any emotion any more; they do not enjoy the things that used to give them satisfaction like going out with friends, going swimming, golfing or playing tennis. Because they have a lack of motion and show little face expression they do not have many friends and do not make friends so easily.
They often have problems at school or at work because they can not focus any more, they have a lack of motivation and they process information with difficulty.
Many people who observe these changes in close persons think that this is due to other health problems, to depression or substance abuse and do not think about schizophrenia.
The category of positive symptoms contains hallucinations meaning that the affected person might hear voices, might see things which are not present, or might even smell something that is not there.
Some schizophrenic people might believe that they are sent by God and that they have a special mission which needs to be completed soon; others might think they are the US President and are not easy to convince that this is not true.
These people are confused, they can not answer properly to a question, and they have a strange way of speaking which makes them hardly understood by others. Sometimes they answer questions with one word, like yes or no, and they are not sociable people, avoiding new acquaintances and strangers.
They have a non-organized behavior, they are sometimes very nervous and agitated without a proper reason and they have disorganized body movements like rocking in the chair back and forth for a long time.
They do not take care of themselves any more, they get dirty but they do not take a bath for weeks, they do not wash their clothes and leave their house unclean until it makes that space impossible to live in.
People consider them mean and strange because they have inappropriate behaviors like smiling or laughing at a funeral, in an inappropriate moment or without a specific reason. In some cases, more rarely jerking eye movements can occur.
Schizophrenic symptoms appear depending on the type of schizophrenia a person has. In the case of paranoid schizophrenia, the patient might be constantly afraid due to the fact that a problem with interpreting the reality has occurred. Catatonic schizophrenic people stand in a strange uncomfortable position for a long time; the disorganized schizophrenic patients create a language that nobody understands or even create rhyming words continuously. A more rare form of schizophrenia is the Childhood schizophrenia which causes a lack of emotion, disorganized speech, and hallucinations.
Minggu, 05 Desember 2010
Schizophrenia - Symptoms and Treatments!
Schizophrenia is actually a kind of mental sickness which generally comes up in early years of adulthood or occurs in late years of adolescence. Well it is important to understand that it can occur in any age of life. The fact is that the symptoms and marks of schizophrenia motley from one person to another but most of the people face either one or many of the described symptoms:
1. Hallucinations: It signifies that people feel that they hear some unknown voices along with this schizophrenic people also taste, smell and see things which are surely not present and true.
2. Delusions: Many people fall into delusions which are the notions which are not at all true like people feel that some one is attempting to injure them or they feel that they bear unique and special capabilities and strengths.
3. Bizarre behavior: People behave in different manners and indulge in different acts which appears strange and unsuitable to other individuals.
4. "Negative symptoms": This signifies that people have lesser interest, motive, reduced emotional locutions and decreased cognitive operations. Such people might feel reduced interests in assisting their hygiene, their conversation with other people and are not able to express their powerful feelings.
5. Disorganized speech: The people with schizophrenia speak in an uncomfortable way and their speech is not understood well to other people. For an example, the sentences or the topics for discussion do not make gumption or it appears as if there is no association between the schizophrenic patient conversation. It is for sure inexplicable to understand.
Moreover, schizophrenic people also endure with low level of other bodily functions, for an example, such people are not able to work at their offices because they have lower levels of focus and abilities, and they can not withstand the pressure of daily job work. Their home life is also suffered a lot. They have less attachment with their kids and also have reduced societal behavior.
What treatments are available?
As the symptoms may differ from one schizophrenic person to another so as the treatments differs. The treatment session may include one or the other of the following programs:
Medication: It is difficult to select a correct medication. A trail and error procedure might take place. The patient needs to be frank with the doctor and must report about all the signs along with side effects which are taking place. This way psychiatrist will be able to provide best medical treatment that the patient deserves to have. Moreover, one must know about the various reasons of the medications like impact of sunlight and alcohol on to the positive aspects of the medication.
Education-proper knowledge: Another best known treatment is to make the family members of the patient with schizophrenia aware of the benefits of understanding about the various signs of the disorder, and how to deal with it in order to reduce the conflict and stress that is going on in the mind of the patient. The dear ones must collect information about the various treatments available in the world for curing or controlling schizophrenia.
Individual, group, and family therapy: This can help in setting up the goals and declaring the strategies in order to reach the desired goals.
Hospitalization: The hospitalization is required when the schizophrenia reaches its ultimate level or sometimes to provide alterations into the prescript medication so that their behavior can be monitored well.
Support groups: The patients require complete support from their family members, friends and relatives so that they can be helped to overcome their conflicts and their stress level can be reduced. Vocational programs are also available for the schizophrenia patients.
1. Hallucinations: It signifies that people feel that they hear some unknown voices along with this schizophrenic people also taste, smell and see things which are surely not present and true.
2. Delusions: Many people fall into delusions which are the notions which are not at all true like people feel that some one is attempting to injure them or they feel that they bear unique and special capabilities and strengths.
3. Bizarre behavior: People behave in different manners and indulge in different acts which appears strange and unsuitable to other individuals.
4. "Negative symptoms": This signifies that people have lesser interest, motive, reduced emotional locutions and decreased cognitive operations. Such people might feel reduced interests in assisting their hygiene, their conversation with other people and are not able to express their powerful feelings.
5. Disorganized speech: The people with schizophrenia speak in an uncomfortable way and their speech is not understood well to other people. For an example, the sentences or the topics for discussion do not make gumption or it appears as if there is no association between the schizophrenic patient conversation. It is for sure inexplicable to understand.
Moreover, schizophrenic people also endure with low level of other bodily functions, for an example, such people are not able to work at their offices because they have lower levels of focus and abilities, and they can not withstand the pressure of daily job work. Their home life is also suffered a lot. They have less attachment with their kids and also have reduced societal behavior.
What treatments are available?
As the symptoms may differ from one schizophrenic person to another so as the treatments differs. The treatment session may include one or the other of the following programs:
Medication: It is difficult to select a correct medication. A trail and error procedure might take place. The patient needs to be frank with the doctor and must report about all the signs along with side effects which are taking place. This way psychiatrist will be able to provide best medical treatment that the patient deserves to have. Moreover, one must know about the various reasons of the medications like impact of sunlight and alcohol on to the positive aspects of the medication.
Education-proper knowledge: Another best known treatment is to make the family members of the patient with schizophrenia aware of the benefits of understanding about the various signs of the disorder, and how to deal with it in order to reduce the conflict and stress that is going on in the mind of the patient. The dear ones must collect information about the various treatments available in the world for curing or controlling schizophrenia.
Individual, group, and family therapy: This can help in setting up the goals and declaring the strategies in order to reach the desired goals.
Hospitalization: The hospitalization is required when the schizophrenia reaches its ultimate level or sometimes to provide alterations into the prescript medication so that their behavior can be monitored well.
Support groups: The patients require complete support from their family members, friends and relatives so that they can be helped to overcome their conflicts and their stress level can be reduced. Vocational programs are also available for the schizophrenia patients.
Sabtu, 04 Desember 2010
How To Best Cure Schizophrenia
This days the perception of schizophrenia has changed drastically If we were to compare to how it was looked at in the past. With the help of new treatments , support and constant surveillance from the family the chances of treating the patient are greatly increased. Regular follow ups are also needed if the illness is to be completely beaten.
Although all this are now available and possible it is not uncommon not to be able to find a proper doctor for schizophrenic patients, and sometimes if the doctor is found risks exist that interest is not there. But these minor setbacks can also be avoided by knowing where you can get some proper answers. Asking the right people, or even better families with patients suffering from the illness, can save you from a lot of trouble searching for the best doctor or treatment. This way you are quickly put in touch with the right people. There is even an organization , very well prepared and informed, that deals with a lot of schizophrenic related problems.
Best thing to do would be to follow a short but important list that helps you a lot in getting the right help; a doctor should always think of schizophrenia as a brain disease, take and keep a detailed log of the patient, prescribe and review medication regularly and maybe the most important thing yet: include the family in the treatment and of course properly instructing all the members what the best thing to do would be.
Treating schizophrenia is a very serious and important process. Certain parts should always be kept in mind.
Medication is very important in keeping the symptoms of the illness under control. Unfortunately it's not always known witch medicine have the best effects so regular adjustments are needed, and as always a few side effects are going to be present.
Accepting the illness and starting to know more about is also a fact not to be forgotten and something that should be taken very seriously. Patients must learn how to work with the family and the family also must give and support the patient ass best they can. The community also has a lot of activities and groups that can help in the treatment of the patient.
A good diet, physically exercises are also very much needed in a good recovery following the treatment and actually completing it. Observation of the patient is very important if the treatment is to reach its desired goal..
Although all this are now available and possible it is not uncommon not to be able to find a proper doctor for schizophrenic patients, and sometimes if the doctor is found risks exist that interest is not there. But these minor setbacks can also be avoided by knowing where you can get some proper answers. Asking the right people, or even better families with patients suffering from the illness, can save you from a lot of trouble searching for the best doctor or treatment. This way you are quickly put in touch with the right people. There is even an organization , very well prepared and informed, that deals with a lot of schizophrenic related problems.
Best thing to do would be to follow a short but important list that helps you a lot in getting the right help; a doctor should always think of schizophrenia as a brain disease, take and keep a detailed log of the patient, prescribe and review medication regularly and maybe the most important thing yet: include the family in the treatment and of course properly instructing all the members what the best thing to do would be.
Treating schizophrenia is a very serious and important process. Certain parts should always be kept in mind.
Medication is very important in keeping the symptoms of the illness under control. Unfortunately it's not always known witch medicine have the best effects so regular adjustments are needed, and as always a few side effects are going to be present.
Accepting the illness and starting to know more about is also a fact not to be forgotten and something that should be taken very seriously. Patients must learn how to work with the family and the family also must give and support the patient ass best they can. The community also has a lot of activities and groups that can help in the treatment of the patient.
A good diet, physically exercises are also very much needed in a good recovery following the treatment and actually completing it. Observation of the patient is very important if the treatment is to reach its desired goal..
Schizophrenia Symptoms - 5 Facts That a Psychiatrist Doctor Won't Tell You About Your Schizophrenia
During the recent years since I had my first psychosis, I discovered that psychiatrist doctors in the mental health field, keeps a silent agreement between them - not to tell and share they're expensive information about the sufferer's state, and so long that you don't hire them to be your privet doctor, they will keep away from you a vital information concerning yours or your loved one's state.
Here are 5 facts that psychiatrist will probably keep away from you, letting you find out them by yourself in the hard way:
1) Their observation
Doctors will hide from you what is the exact disorder that you or your loved one suffers from, unless you ask them to conduct an expensive evaluation test, although they know exactly what it is.
2) The chances that your disorder would go away
Doctors will hide from you the truth about your disorder, that it won't go away, and that you have to take treatment for the rest of your life. Usually, a short period after stricken by a psychosis, they would try to make you go through another disorder in order to confront you with this fact.
3) Drugs side affects
Doctors usually would hide from you your list of drug's side affects, by letting you discover them by yourself. They won't even tell you that there is a difference between the various kinds of anti psychotic drugs and they're way of action.
4) Talking behind your back
Doctors would usually speak about your situation and sometimes all of the above, with your spouse, loved one or your mother and usually behind your back, by trying to hide from you vital information by the slim excuse that those facts can harm you.
5) Alternative and complementary treatments
Doctors will make you believe that drugs would solve the problem once and for all. They will conceal from you the fact that if you won't use other kinds of treatments such as therapy, support groups or a routine, then you probably won't get back to what you were before the crisis.
Here are 5 facts that psychiatrist will probably keep away from you, letting you find out them by yourself in the hard way:
1) Their observation
Doctors will hide from you what is the exact disorder that you or your loved one suffers from, unless you ask them to conduct an expensive evaluation test, although they know exactly what it is.
2) The chances that your disorder would go away
Doctors will hide from you the truth about your disorder, that it won't go away, and that you have to take treatment for the rest of your life. Usually, a short period after stricken by a psychosis, they would try to make you go through another disorder in order to confront you with this fact.
3) Drugs side affects
Doctors usually would hide from you your list of drug's side affects, by letting you discover them by yourself. They won't even tell you that there is a difference between the various kinds of anti psychotic drugs and they're way of action.
4) Talking behind your back
Doctors would usually speak about your situation and sometimes all of the above, with your spouse, loved one or your mother and usually behind your back, by trying to hide from you vital information by the slim excuse that those facts can harm you.
5) Alternative and complementary treatments
Doctors will make you believe that drugs would solve the problem once and for all. They will conceal from you the fact that if you won't use other kinds of treatments such as therapy, support groups or a routine, then you probably won't get back to what you were before the crisis.
Jumat, 03 Desember 2010
The Impact Schizophrenia Has On Families
It seems that the most affected of schizophrenia is the family and not the ill person. Families are seeking answers why their child has got ill, what might he have done do deserve the affection. Family members will try to stick together but eventually they will be torn apart by any crisis situations raised by the schizophrenic person.
Finding out that your child is schizophrenic is not easy to bearable. All kinds of feelings will appear from rage to sorrow, anxiety and guilt. People do not understand why that had to happen to them and will try to find an answer. Passing through all these feelings is a stage in accepting what had happened to the ill person.
Because they are in shock, some people might deny all they hear from the doctor and will refuse to accept the most obvious thing that their child is not well at all.
Some might be angry on the ill person and will refuse to pay any attention to the sick child. They can even end up wishing that the child would have never existed. Others will blame each other for the fact that their child is ill, they will think that they have not been good enough parents.
All these terrible feelings are just a part from the natural process of accommodation, from the stage that leads to soul healing and acceptance of the reality. But sometimes these manifestations continue to be present for a longer time than it should normally be and physical damage might install, like loss of weight, insomnia, even alcohol addiction.
Parents often ask themselves questions about how the future will be for the ill person, about who will take care of their child after they will no longer be able. These thoughts can bring on serious depressions and intense stress to the family.
Other children from the family might be terrified about the fact that they will have to continue their parents work with the ill person; they do not want to live their lives like their parents did, in a continuous search for answers and disillusions. They will eventually have to either sacrifice their lives in order to personally take care of their sister or brother or to live with a permanent feeling of guilt if they refuse to do that and give their relative in care to a hospital.
Having to take care of a schizophrenic person is not that easy as some might think and it needs a lot of time and most of all, patience, which not everybody has.
Finding out that your child is schizophrenic is not easy to bearable. All kinds of feelings will appear from rage to sorrow, anxiety and guilt. People do not understand why that had to happen to them and will try to find an answer. Passing through all these feelings is a stage in accepting what had happened to the ill person.
Because they are in shock, some people might deny all they hear from the doctor and will refuse to accept the most obvious thing that their child is not well at all.
Some might be angry on the ill person and will refuse to pay any attention to the sick child. They can even end up wishing that the child would have never existed. Others will blame each other for the fact that their child is ill, they will think that they have not been good enough parents.
All these terrible feelings are just a part from the natural process of accommodation, from the stage that leads to soul healing and acceptance of the reality. But sometimes these manifestations continue to be present for a longer time than it should normally be and physical damage might install, like loss of weight, insomnia, even alcohol addiction.
Parents often ask themselves questions about how the future will be for the ill person, about who will take care of their child after they will no longer be able. These thoughts can bring on serious depressions and intense stress to the family.
Other children from the family might be terrified about the fact that they will have to continue their parents work with the ill person; they do not want to live their lives like their parents did, in a continuous search for answers and disillusions. They will eventually have to either sacrifice their lives in order to personally take care of their sister or brother or to live with a permanent feeling of guilt if they refuse to do that and give their relative in care to a hospital.
Having to take care of a schizophrenic person is not that easy as some might think and it needs a lot of time and most of all, patience, which not everybody has.
A Mental Disorder Known As Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a disorder of the mind that is typified by irregularities in observation and expression of the real. It is a chronic and disabling brain sickness that affects thousands of people across the globe. It generally presents itself as if one is hearing things, weird suspicious thoughts, illusions or by disoriented thought and speech. It normally affects people within the age bracket of 15 to 30 years.
The good news is that schizophrenia is a disease that can be treated and that treatment is most effective when started in the initial stages of the illness. But this disease can terrify the patient, resulting in withdrawal and utter nervousness. People with this illness may not talk and sit quiet for many hours.
The symptoms are usually classified into positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. The people with positive symptoms are not in touch with the real world and these symptoms are fleeting and at times negligible.
The negative symptoms are related to break down of normal sentiments and actions. These are more difficult to figure out as related to the illness. Very often such indications are misunderstood for depressive behavior.
Similar to the negative signs even the cognitive symptoms are unrecognizable and can be distinguished only through tests. These are the actions that make living a normal life and earning a livelihood more difficult as they cause emotional strain on the patient.
Schizophrenic patients are not normally violent but there are certain cases where symptoms can be associated with violence. A person's genes and the environment can be some of the causes for this disease. Generally schizophrenic patients are treated with anti-psychotic drugs to alleviate the symptoms. Some of the medications used are Chlorpromazine, Haloperidol, Perphenazine, Risperdal etc. The medication should never be stopped suddenly. It has to be gradually reduced as there is every chance for a patient to experience withdrawal symptoms. People with this disease must be taught to take interest in managing their illness.
The good news is that schizophrenia is a disease that can be treated and that treatment is most effective when started in the initial stages of the illness. But this disease can terrify the patient, resulting in withdrawal and utter nervousness. People with this illness may not talk and sit quiet for many hours.
The symptoms are usually classified into positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. The people with positive symptoms are not in touch with the real world and these symptoms are fleeting and at times negligible.
The negative symptoms are related to break down of normal sentiments and actions. These are more difficult to figure out as related to the illness. Very often such indications are misunderstood for depressive behavior.
Similar to the negative signs even the cognitive symptoms are unrecognizable and can be distinguished only through tests. These are the actions that make living a normal life and earning a livelihood more difficult as they cause emotional strain on the patient.
Schizophrenic patients are not normally violent but there are certain cases where symptoms can be associated with violence. A person's genes and the environment can be some of the causes for this disease. Generally schizophrenic patients are treated with anti-psychotic drugs to alleviate the symptoms. Some of the medications used are Chlorpromazine, Haloperidol, Perphenazine, Risperdal etc. The medication should never be stopped suddenly. It has to be gradually reduced as there is every chance for a patient to experience withdrawal symptoms. People with this disease must be taught to take interest in managing their illness.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)