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Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disease. This disease can completely change the life of the patient if not treated well. Peoples with this disease can completely lose the touch with the real world. The suicide and violence rate in schizophrenic patients is very high. Early treatment can help in the recovery of the patient.
Following symptoms can be found in schizophrenic patients.
Symptoms
.The patient will hear voices in his mind. He will start talking with himself just like he is talking with someone.
.Patient will tell his guardian that someone is ordering him.
.Patient may report seeing something unusual like that is not possible in the real world.
.The patient will feel an unusual type of taste, smell.
.Will believe someone special is in touch with him.
.Mayreport someone is giving him a message through Tv or phone.
.The patient will tell someone is after him for something or he is being followed.
.Schizophrenic may consider his thoughts are being controlled. Someone can know what he is thinking and he can transfer his thoughts to another person.
.Will believe, through his thoughts he can control the peoples or world.
.Maybelieve himself a special person or a messenger of God.
.Patient may strictly believe in false beliefs.
.The patient may start smiling or crying without any reason
.Schizophrenictake high stress and tension on tiny matters.
.A patient talking and thinking behavior will change. He will talk and think differently. When he will talk about something then abruptly he will change the topic and will mix his speech with different topics. Like this patient who was observed by Nancy C. Andreasen “The next day when I’d be going out you know, I took control, like uh, I put bleach on my hair in California.”
.The patient will ignore peoples. His social activities will decrease and he will like solitary. He will spend most of his time at home and will avoid going out to meet peoples.
.The patient will become emotionless. He may not react to the circumstance that can evoke emotions in others.
.The patient’s thinking capability will decrease and he will not be able to deliver the right answer.
.The patients will become depressed and their ability to feel pleasure will decrease.
.Patient will get sleep problemslike severe insomnia.
Causes
Genetics, environment, substance use is mostly considered a risk factor but precise causes are not clear. If a family has schizophrenic patients then in this family newborns are at risk of developing this disease. Malnutrition or infection during pregnancy can also become a cause. Stress can also play a role in developing this disease. Cannabis use can become a contributing factor in developing schizophrenia.
Treatment
Antipsychotics medicines are used to treat these patients. These medicines have disturbing side effects. Like blood pressure and diabetes patients schizophrenic patients are required to take these medicines for remaining life but the American Psychiatric Association(APA),advises doctors to stop recommending antipsychotics to those patients who have no symptoms for the last one or two years. Most schizophrenic patients start living a normal life with good treatment. Some of them also recover completely. These patients also required good social support to recover.