Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, which makes people interpret their reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result from a combination of hallucinations, delusions and disordered behaviors, and thinking patterns. Schizophrenia can affect the daily functioning of day-to-day life and can be very disabling. Therefore, people with schizophrenia require lifelong treatments. The earlier you start, the faster will you be getting results. Schizophrenia involves a wide range of symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech, and reflects an impaired ability to function. They may vary over time, with periods of worsening. Some of them might always be present, despite the treatments. The key is to gain control during these episodes. This can only be done with proper treatment.
There are many residential treatment centers for schizophrenia. With proper treatment, quality time, and dedication, anybody with schizophrenia can live a fairly normal life. However, it requires extreme patience and determination on the patient’s part. Normally, schizophrenia symptoms start around the late 20s. However, it is not uncommon for children to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia rarely develops for adults over the age of 45 years, but it is still a possibility.
What Are the Different Types of Schizophrenia?
Mental health disorders are complicated and schizophrenia is no exception. Often, people have overlapping symptoms of different disorders at the same time. In this case, it is important to go to a specialist and get diagnosed as soon as possible. There is a broad spectrum of different schizophrenic disorders. The main types of schizophrenic disorders can be classified into paranoid schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia, disorganized or hebephrenic schizophrenia, residual schizophrenia, and undifferentiated schizophrenia.
Paranoid Schizophrenia
Paranoid schizophrenia is the most common type of schizophrenia that is usually portrayed (and exaggerated) by the media. It is also the most common type of schizophrenia. The type is usually characterized by positive symptoms of schizophrenia-like hallucinations and delusions.
Catatonic Schizophrenia
This is one of the rarest forms of schizophrenia. This kind involves physical movements. Catatonia can be a separate disorder. However, people with catatonic schizophrenia are known to have certain negative symptoms that are not very responsive during such periods. They may also not react to external stimuli, stay in strange body positions, make odd movements and even have rigid limbs that will stay in the exact positions they are kept in.
Hebephrenic or Disorganized Schizophrenia
Hebephrenic or disorganized schizophrenia is named due to the people suffering from disordered thoughts, speech, and behavior during such phrases. People suffering from disorganized schizophrenia may also be detached from any emotion-provoking situations and have inappropriate emotional responses or lack of any such response.
Residual Schizophrenia
Residual schizophrenia is used when people, who have a history of positive symptoms, are now having lingering negative symptoms or none at all. These negative symptoms might include poor attention, some mental disorganization, and emotional withdrawal.
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia
Undifferentiated schizophrenia is a label given to people who do not fall exclusively with the aforementioned groups but are suffering from a mixed range of positive and negative symptoms.
What Are Some General Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
While the schizophrenic symptoms can seem peculiar to certain people, it is important to understand that the patients have little to no idea when they are having such manic periods. It is important to understand the symptoms to help people suffering from schizophrenia. The lack of knowledge and insight can make schizophrenia very frustrating and frightening for the witnesses.
Symptoms of schizophrenia can be divided into positive as well as negative symptoms. Positive symptoms refer to the ones present in someone who is suffering from the ailment. Negative symptoms are experienced in the absence or reduction of certain traits. Some of the symptoms are discussed below.
Delusions
Delusions are fixed false beliefs that do not make any sense in any context. Although everyone is privy to delusions at times, people with psychotic delusions cannot be convinced that their beliefs are not real.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations are false sensory experiences that have no basis in the external world. Psychotic hallucinations occur when people are fully aware of their sense of self, without any influence of drugs or alcohol. Auditory and visual hallucinations are the most common form. However, certain patients can also hallucinate the senses of touch, smell, and taste.
Disorganized Speech
This is also known as a loose association. The words linked together may not apply to normal grammatical rules. This symptom occurs when patients are tired or stressed.
Disorganized Behavior
Psychotically disorganized behaviors are not goal-oriented. They do not fit into any context. Sometimes, they can also be seen as inappropriate considering the situation.
Flattened Affect
People with flattened affect may appear emotionless or have a very limited range of emotions. They also show little to no response to disturbing situations and images.
Anhedonia
Somebody with anhedonia can show remorse or sadness to a certain action that used to bring them joy and pleasure. This is not due to any change in interests.
Reduced Speech
Someone suffering from schizophrenia can speak less than they used to. This is particularly evident for someone who used to be more fluent before.
Final Take
With proper treatment and assistance, schizophrenia can be controlled. While most people have to be under treatment throughout their life, it is still a convenient way to live a fairly normal life.
