Schizophrenia

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a distressing psychiatric disorder requiring lifelong treatment. Patients have difficulty with social interactions and relationships and experience hallucinations and delusions.

Schizophrenia is likely related to genetics because patients often have family members with the condition. Brain chemical imbalances and your environment could also be influential in schizophrenia’s development.

What symptoms might I develop because of schizophrenia?

Symptoms people with schizophrenia might exhibit include:

Hallucinations

Hallucinations occur when you hear or see something that isn’t real. You might talk to people that no one else can see, or hear voices in your head. These hallucinations are so realistic that patients with schizophrenia struggle to accept that they’re not.

Delusions

Delusions are ideas and beliefs that aren’t real. Examples include thinking you’re being spied on or feeling sure some catastrophic event will happen. Most people with schizophrenia suffer from delusions.

Disorganized thinking

Disorganized thinking makes communication difficult. You may say things unrelated to the questions asked, or your speech may become completely incoherent.

Abnormal behaviors

Abnormal behaviors cover a broad range, from refusing to follow instructions and not responding to your surroundings to adopting strange postures or performing random movements.

People with schizophrenia often have difficulty functioning in daily life. They may neglect their hygiene, eat poorly, and struggle with simple tasks. Some become socially isolated, and many experience anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure). People with schizophrenia also have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and actions.

Schizophrenia symptoms frequently vary in intensity, and some are worse than others, so everyone’s symptom profile is unique. Symptoms typically appear in the late 20s in women and the early to mid-20s in men. Very few people develop schizophrenia in childhood or after reaching 45.

What treatment would I need for schizophrenia?

Medications are essential for successful schizophrenia management. Antipsychotic drugs reduce or eliminate symptoms like hallucinations and delusions. You may also benefit from medications like antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.

Pro Health Psychiatry Nursing Corporation combines medication management with lifestyle changes and psychotherapy (talk therapy) to deliver the most well-rounded care. Your treatment plan will likely be multidisciplinary, with input from social workers, your primary care provider, and a case manager.

If you or someone you love develops signs of schizophrenia, call Pro Health Psychiatry Nursing Corporation today or request an appointment via the online form.