Schizophrenia: When Delusions Become Reality
People with schizophrenia believe in their delusions.
Schizophrenia causes people to distance themselves from reality and interpersonal interactions as they get immersed in a world of fantasy and delusion. Between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, schizophrenia creates a chasm that reflects irrational behaviors and attitudes. The experience of repeated psychotic periods causes them to abnormally interpret their sense of reality and believe in their delusion. A chronic and disabling illness not addressed as much as other mental illnesses—a constant fight between imagination and reality.
Schizophrenia - the great minds behind the name
Schizophrenia is a psychogenic disorder that affects people's thinking ability, causing them to distance themselves from the real world and engage in their world of imagination. In 1896, Dr. Emil Kraepelin first discovered schizophrenia. Kraepelin's findings showed that schizophrenia resulted in the deterioration of cognition and behavior - a particular type of dementia, for which he had named this "dementia praecox." Afterward, Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, founded the term "schizophrenia" along with some fundamental symptoms in 1911. Though first discovered more than 100 years ago, schizophrenia has persisted for thousands of years, meaning people have been affected by this disorder throughout history.
Schizophrenia: A Psychogenic Disorder
Schizophrenia: What causes it?
Schizophrenia researchers are concerned about the main factor acting as the cause of schizophrenia. Researchers believe that there is an association between genetics and schizophrenia. The extensive studies on human genomes and the human brain are what researchers primarily focus on. Thanks to the extension in technology, researchers could look for quite a handful of factors possessing considerable risk for the development of schizophrenia. Some of the associated factors are as follows:
Drugs: Consumption of drugs, such as LSD and amphetamines, affects the emergence of this state. This factor mainly threatens teenagers as that is the age period people get into addiction.
Genetic: Though not wholly hereditary, a child is one-tenth likely to develop schizophrenia if one of the parents suffers from this disorder. However, in the case of identical twins, each one has a 50% possibility of getting it from the other.
Neurological: Varying levels of neurochemicals - dopamine and glutamate act as a threat to this condition. Dopamine-acting areas of the brain become overactive, and glutamate-acting parts become hyperactive.
The indications of schizophrenia
The presence of schizophrenia in an individual is reflected in its positive and negative symptoms. For some individuals, the appearance of symptoms begins in childhood and gets more visible with time. Though the threat to males and females is equal, males develop the condition earlier than females. It is due to the unacknowledgement of schizophrenia that the symptoms worsen in a person and affect the individual more severely than previously thought. It is important to note that some early signs of schizophrenia help one to understand that they have developed the disorder. General discontent and insomnia are two of the early signs. Children aged 3.5 to 12 years reflect social withdrawal as an early sign of schizophrenia.
Some of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia are often misunderstood with those of psychosis. The positive symptoms of this disorder are more easily understood than the negative or cognitive symptoms. These positive symptoms include:
Hallucinations: These are distorted visions and voices of unreal things (people, animals, characters). Among these, auditory hallucinations are experienced by almost all the patients. It is like the patient will hear voices when no one is talking or even present at that spot.
Delusions: These are distinct beliefs that are originally irrational.
Confused thinking: This results in illogical thoughts and speeches.
Abnormal motor behavior: This results in a lack of response in different situations.
Beat the Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
The negative symptoms of schizophrenia are more efficient in treating this disorder. Schizophrenia can also cause a patient to withdraw themselves from previous medications and enter into isolation. The symptoms are as follows:
Flat affect: This makes people unable to express their emotions or provide a facial expression. Even in joyous moments, they have blank faces.
Anhedonia: People no longer find interest in the things they used to like. Doing the things they love no longer excites them. For example, a guitarist by passion would lack the enthusiasm to play the guitar.
Asociality: Unwilling to engage in worldly affairs. This is responsible for creating a gap in social relations.
Avolition: People lack the motivation to perform pending tasks. Finishing it would resolve the problem, but they want to avoid it. For example, a child does not feel it necessary to attend a school or do his/her homework.
Alogia: This makes people unable to communicate with others. This is caused mainly because of the ongoing voices inside the head.
The diagnosis of schizophrenia
Medical history and physical examinations are two methods followed by doctors for the diagnosis of schizophrenia based on an individual's symptoms. However, patients are advised to consult with a psychiatrist if physical reasons do not relate to the symptoms. A few ways are implemented for the diagnosis, which are:
Open-ended test: This test allows the consultant to know the understanding level of a patient.
Physical and lab exam: This eliminates other health conditions that may result in the same symptoms. It also allows checking for any similar cases.
Imaging: CT scans and MRIs are suggested to determine the state of the brain.
Urine or blood test: This is used to cancel out the effect of alcohol and drugs.
DSM-5: This is a manual used by psychiatrists to confirm different mental disorders based on symptomatic criteria. For this case, the criteria are the presence of hallucinations along with the negative symptoms and catatonic behavior for a month or more; ongoing disturbances for half a year; occupational dysfunction for a long time.
The treatment of schizophrenia
Treating schizophrenia is usually a lifelong process and gets complicated with the worsening of symptoms. A coalition of medicines and therapies have been advised for the treatment of schizophrenia by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). Second-generation antipsychotic drugs are prescribed as these have an effect on dopamine and also have reduced side effects. Antipsychotic injections are also available for those unwilling to take medications and are given every two to four weeks, depending on the medication. There are several interventions used as a form of treatment. These are:
Individuals should not overthink the problem. They need to be able to handle the associated stress. Convincing oneself about reality is an effective method of treatment.
Individuals should engage themselves in social interactions.
Educating families about schizophrenia will make a significant contribution to the treatment. When family members understand a condition well enough, they can always act as a support system for the patient.
There are many rehabilitation centers where people with mental illnesses can work.
Schizophrenia: A dream or a nightmare?
Schizophrenia does not define a PERSON. The time has come for us to realize that these people are not mad. Their delusions, hallucinations, and fear are not their fault. There is a reason behind their behavior and actions. It is the "voices." These people are in a dream. For some, this dream is their only best friend, while for others is just a dreadful nightmare.
