Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness. Most schizophrenics are unable to function properly in normal society and have severe difficulty performing even the basic tasks of daily life. Friends and relatives of a schizophrenic patient also suffer as the disease damages their loved one’s life. Early treatment is vital in minimizing the long-term consequences of schizophrenia.
General Characteristics
The disease course of schizophrenia can evolve differently depending on the patient, treatment given, and the specific type of schizophrenia. All schizophrenic patients are usually unable to differentiate between what is real and what is imaginary. They commonly reference people or places that do not exist.
Schizophrenia also makes it difficult to think logically and perform even basic problem-solving tasks.
In rare cases, schizophrenics retain cognitive function but are still unable to reason and organize their thoughts. One of the most obvious characteristics of schizophrenia is the inability to have normal emotional responses. Commonly, schizophrenics do not respond to social stimuli. At other times, patients will overreact to their environment and go into fits of rage and mania. This makes it very difficult for schizophrenics to behave typically in social situations, The New York Times reports.
Causes and Risk Factors
There is no definitive conclusion on the direct cause of schizophrenia. Most experts agree that there is a constellation of interrelated factors, such as genetics and environment, linked to the development of the disease.
Genetic factors seem to play a large role in determining the risk of suffering from schizophrenia. Most schizophrenics have at least one family member who has or had the disease. In genetically susceptible individuals, certain environmental factors can trigger the onset of schizophrenia.
Both men and women are equally affected by schizophrenia. The disease typically manifests in the teenage or young adult years but can also manifest later in life. Women tend to develop the disease later and have less severe symptoms. In rare cases, schizophrenia can develop in children. Unfortunately, schizophrenia is difficult to diagnose in this young age group because it mimics other childhood developmental disorders like autism.
Warning Signs
Some cases of schizophrenia appear swiftly but most patients develop the disease slowly over time. In most cases, there are subtle warning signs prior to the onset of a full-blown schizophrenic episode. Often, friends and family members are aware of the functional decline of their loved one but do not know the reason for it. They often describe that the schizophrenic has become more eccentric, emotionless, and reclusive. The early stages of schizophrenia also cause patients to appear unmotivated and indifferent. They may abandon once pleasurable hobbies and social activities, while their school and work performance falters. They may neglect their appearance and speak bizarrely.
- Depression and social withdrawal
- Inappropriate expression of emotion, such as the inability to cry or be happy, or improper laughter or tears
- Hostility or paranoia, especially when criticized
- Deterioration of personal hygiene
- Speaking strangely and making irrational statements
- Sleep cycle changes (either too much sleep or not enough)
These warning signs are not solely linked to schizophrenia; however, they do point to a possible mental illness or substance abuse problem that requires treatment. In either case, if your loved one is exhibiting one or more of these warning signs, consult a healthcare professional.
Statistics
Schizophrenia is not a rare disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), schizophrenia affects 24 million people worldwide. Seven out of every 1,000 people within the age group of 15 to 35 suffer from schizophrenia. The incidence of schizophrenia is low (around three in 10,000), but the prevalence remains high because of the chronicity of the disease.
This means that there are not many new cases of the disease, but the number of people affected by schizophrenia is rising, because most schizophrenics do not receive proper treatment.
Less than 50 percent of all schizophrenics are receiving treatment for their disease.
Ninety percent of these untreated schizophrenics live in developing countries that often do not have the proper facilities to deal with the disease. To overcome this problem, treatment for schizophrenia has been modified so it can be provided at the community level.
Classifications
Schizophrenic patients are often classified into three main subtypes. Each subtype is named after the most prominent symptom exhibited.
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Paranoid Schizophrenia
Paranoid schizophrenics have suspicious and absurd ideas and beliefs. These paranoid beliefs center around a central story or theme that remains constant throughout the patient’s life. Often, patients complain of persecution or being pursued by a secret organization.
They may also have delusions of grandeur. Without treatment, people with paranoid schizophrenia worsen over time and have difficulties maintaining relationships. However, the overall prognosis for paranoid schizophrenia is better when compared to other subtypes. -
Disorganized Schizophrenia
This subtype of schizophrenia often appears in younger patients. Disorganized schizophrenia develops gradually as the patient slowly becomes surrounded by his or her fantasy. These types of schizophrenics exhibit disorganized speech and behavior accompanied with blunted or improper emotions.
They are often unable to take care of themselves and forget to bathe or even feed themselves. Disorganized schizophrenics suffer from delusions but unlike paranoid schizophrenics, they are not consistent over time. -
Catatonic Schizophrenia
Catatonic schizophrenics display a marked disturbance in movement. Either they develop an increase in motor activity (excited state) or become less animated (stupourous state). Motor signs in the excited state include a quick transition from a stuporous state to an animated state. In a frenzied state, these patients shout, talk rapidly, walk around excitedly or act violently.
While in a stuporous state, patients cease all voluntary movement and speech. They resist changing positions and may stay in an uncomfortable position for hours. Catatonic schizophrenics are easily suggestible, often automatically obey verbal commands and mimic others.
Signs and Symptoms
Each subtype of schizophrenia has one predominate symptom but all of them share some common symptoms. Most symptoms of the disease develop slowly over months and years. Moreover, the symptoms come and go. Sometimes patients have a variety of symptoms while at other times they only exhibit one or two symptoms.
Initial symptoms of schizophrenia include an irritable or tense feeling, difficulty sleeping, concentration troubles and memory problems. Over time, these symptoms worsen. Without treatment, schizophrenia will progress, PubMedHealth warns.
As the illness evolves, patients will begin to experience abnormalities in thought, emotions, and behavior. They will begin to exhibit delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are strongly held beliefs that have no basis in reality (e.g., being pursued by aliens) while hallucinations are defined as hearing or seeing things that are not there (e.g., hearing voices of dead relatives).
Schizophrenics may also develop a lack of emotion, bizarre behaviors, the need for isolation, and irrational behavior. They will often jump from topic to topic without warning. Patients suffering from schizophrenia may have difficulty maintaining stable relationships. They often have a hard time working with others and gravitate towards jobs that let them work alone. Many schizophrenics suffer from anxiety and depression. This emotional turmoil often leads them to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Need for Treatment
Without the proper treatment, schizophrenia can cause permanent harm to the patient and the patient’s loved ones. Schizophrenics usually become withdrawn and depressed. They turn to substance abuse in an attempt to relieve or suppress their symptoms.
This drug abuse – coupled with the powerful effects of the disease – often leads schizophrenics to suicidal actions. Furthermore, untreated schizophrenics and any friends or family members caring for them may experience a significant disruption in their daily lives.
Oftentimes people affected by the disease are unable to attend social gatherings or perform even basic chores due to the burden placed upon them.
People with severe schizophrenia are typically unable to bathe or feed themselves, and therefore require 24-hour care. Early treatment, using medications and intense therapy, limits the long-term effects of schizophrenia and allows both the patient and his or her family to get back to living life. The symptoms of schizophrenia often remain throughout the patient’s life but as long as treatment remains steady, those symptoms will be mild and controllable.
Get Help
A concerned friend or relative of a schizophrenic will often use an intervention as a means to safely confront their loved one. People in the early stages of the disease are still receptive to the stories and emotions shared within an intervention but patients with advanced forms of schizophrenia are less likely to benefit from an intervention.
This is why early diagnosis and treatment are vital.
Interventions help schizophrenics realize their symptoms and allow them to see all of the present and future effects of untreated schizophrenia. By the end of the intervention, most schizophrenics will see the benefits of undergoing treatment. If you’d like help staging an intervention for your schizophrenic loved one, contact us today at 706-909-9811. We can connect you with a high-quality interventionist who can help.
