What Is Schizophrenia And How To Manage The Illness
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a disorder. It means ‘split’ from or losing contact with the reality experienced by people around them. Unusual thoughts, feelings and experiences become the person’s reality.
two ways in which newspaper and TV coverage may cause fear and misunderstanding concerning schizophrenia
- Portraying people with schizophrenia as predominantly violent – incidents where people with schizophrenia become violent towards others, are rare. Actually, they are more likely to be victims of crime rather than the perpetrator.
2. Representing schizophrenia as ‘split personality – Members of the general public believe that people with schizophrenia could suddenly flip and one of their other more sinister personalities take over.
In fact, multiple personality disorder is very rare and has nothing to do with schizophrenia.
HOW IS SCHIZOPHRENIA DIAGNOSED
Schizophrenia is diagnosed by a Psychiatrist after a full psychiatric assessment. They will probably need to see them a few times to see how often they are experiencing symptoms.
SCHIZOPHRENIA NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SYMPTOMS
POSITIVE symptoms of schizophrenia
The symptoms are positive in the sense that they add something to a person’s sense of reality. These include:
Delusions – Delusions are false and often quite bizarre personal beliefs that do not change, even when others people present proof that the beliefs are not true and logical. There are four types: control, reference, grandeur and persecution.
Hallucinations – These are something a person sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels that no one else can. Voices are the most common type of hallucination.
Thought disorders – These are unusual or disjointed ways of thinking. One form is disorganised thinking where a person has difficulty organising their thoughts or connecting them logically.
They may talk in a confusing way that is hard for others to follow and understand (known as disorganised speech). They may jump from one topic to another or make up their own words and phrases.
Movement disorders – These appear as agitated movements. They may repeat motions over and over again. At the other extreme, the person may become schizophrenia catatonic. This is a state where they do not move or respond to others.
negative symptoms of schizophrenia
These refer to a loss or a decrease in ability to initiate plans, speak or express emotion or find pleasure in everyday life. Negative symptoms include:
- Emotional flatness (fixed facial expression, monotonous voice)
- Lack of pleasure in everyday life
- Diminished ability to initiate and sustain planned activity
- Speaking infrequently, even when forced to interact.
- Problems with short-term memory
- Problems with self-care
schizophrenia and bipolar
Sometimes it might not be clear whether someone has schizophrenia. If you have other symptoms at the same time, a psychiatrist may have reason to believe you have a related mental illness, such as:
- bipolar disorder – people with bipolar disorder swing from periods of elevated moods and extremely active, excited behaviour (mania) to periods of deep depression; some people also hear voices or experience other kinds of hallucinations or may have delusions
- schizoaffective disorder – this is often described as a form of schizophrenia because its symptoms are similar to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but the schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness in its own right; it may occur just once in a person’s life, or come and go and be triggered by stress
ways schizophrenia may affect the individual and their life
They may affect relationships, employment or changes in personality
Relationships: Schizophrenia paranoid and delusional beliefs can make the person fearful and distrusting others and also to cause them to behave in unusual ways.
The person may believe others are spying on them. The negative symptoms can also make the person appear emotionally plat and difficult to communicate with. They lose self-confidence and withdraw from family and friends.
Employment – Having this illness can make it hard to hold down a job. Some employers may unlawfully discriminate against people with this illness. They may find it hard to cope with work when they are unwell.
Changes in personality – schizophrenia distorts a person’s senses and makes it difficult to tell what is real and what is not resulting in fear, confusion and paranoia.
For example, an outgoing and optimistic person may slowly become introverted, negative and suspicious of others.
how schizophrenia may affect the person’s friends or family
Loss of social networks – This can cause some people to distance themselves from a family where one of its members is known to be schizophrenic.
Family members feel so embarrassed and distressed by their loved one’s behaviour they may start to pull away from their communities and networks.
Feelings of grief – As the individual behaviour and personality start to change, family members feel like a living bereavement or a living death.
Although their loved one is still alive, the person may seem to have vanished. Fearfulness and worry – Family and friends live in fear of what the person may do to themselves or others. Family and friends often bear the brunt of their paranoia.
Sometimes the person may direct their anxiety and anger towards themselves and self-harm and all of this can be deeply traumatic for those who care for the person.
three possible causes of schizophrenia
Genetic inheritance – For people who have close relatives with schizophrenia the ratio is one in ten. People who have the members of their extended family with the disorder also develop schizophrenia more often than the general population.
Different brain chemistry and brain structure – Scientists believe that an imbalance in the chemical reactions in the brain involving the neurotransmitter dopamine plays a role in the development of schizophrenia.
Drug abuse – Symptoms develop as a result of using cannabis or other street drugs. Studies indicate that using cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines can make the symptoms worse.
five ways in which the individual with schizophrenia can help manage their illness
Self-help strategies include:
Join a self-help group – attending self-help groups or support groups can be helpful. Meeting people with the same disorder or who have had it can be reassuring and reduce feelings of isolation.
Reduce exposure to stress – keeping stress under control is important as this can trigger the symptoms or make it worse. Recognising the warning signs that the level of stress they are being exposed to and the steps that are needed to reduce this.
Get plenty of sleep – Many have trouble with sleep and can trigger the symptoms and mood. Getting sufficient amount of sleep and exercise and avoiding caffeine can help
Avoid alcohol and drugs– These can make symptoms worse so it is important to seek help from this if they have a substance abuse problem.
Get regular exercise– This can boost self-esteem, increase social engagement and give people a purpose each day and can be a good distraction for example unwanted voices.
ways in which family and friends can help the individual with schizophrenia to manage their illness
Be compassionate and understanding – This is the most important step. Schizophrenia can become extremely frightening.
Once family and friends come to terms with the condition, maintaining a caring or loving relationship and providing a non-judgmental and supportive environment is vitally important in helping the person to manage their symptoms.
Minimise stress – Relatives and friends can support this by responding calmly and with tolerance; communicating clearly; being patient; being clear in what they say and do and taking action in small steps.
Provide practical support – People with schizophrenia may find it difficult to perform daily task so friends and family can help by supporting them with these tasks.
They can also help by supporting the person to access the assistance they are entitled to from local health and social care services.
four examples of interventions used to treat schizophrenia
Antipsychotic medications – These are intended to counter the symptoms of psychosis. They are also used to help people sleep, reduce aggression, calm agitation and treat depression.
Talking therapies – These are used when the psychotic symptoms have been stabilised by antipsychotic medication. After such time talking treatments can be effective in helping people with difficulties such as communication, motivation, self-care, getting a job and establishing and maintaining relationships with others.
Life skill training – This teaches basic life skills to people with schizophrenia so they can effectively function in their families or communities.
There are different types of programmes such as money management, interpersonal skills training and so on. These can help people learn how to live more independently.
Creative therapy – Creative therapies are designed to promote creative expression. Working in a small group or individually can allow people to express their experiences with schizophrenia. Some people express things in a non-verbal way though the arts.
SCHIZOPHRENIA IN TEENS AND CHILDREN
Children and young people with a first episode of schizophrenia should be referred urgently to a specialist mental health service. For more information, check the National Institute For Health and Care Excellence.
examples of local sources of support that should be available to an individual experiencing schizophrenia
Local support groups – Hearing Voices Network and the mental health charity Rethink facilitate a large number of such groups in various parts of the country.
Welfare rights advisers – These can help people to maximise their income and access financial help that they might otherwise be unaware of . This can relieve a lot of stress felt by people who are trying to live with schizophrenia.
Hospital inpatient services – If a person is feeling distressed, they may prefer to go somewhere that feels safe and undemanding. This usually involves going into a psychiatric hospital or unit as in inpatient until their symptoms become manageable.