Schizophrenia Signs And Symptoms

Schizophrenia is a chronic and complex mental illness that affects a person’s fundamental thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Schizophrenia is severe and may cause a person to lose touch with reality. Around 3.2 million Americans live with schizophrenia, with 100,000 new cases being diagnosed every year. Schizophrenia usually develops between ages 15 to 36. Schizophrenia can easily incapacitate a person and become a life-long disability. However, there are outstanding treatments that can give a person a reasonably normal and satisfying life.

Signs and Symptoms

Schizophrenia has three categories of symptoms: positive, negative, and cognitive. A person may be diagnosed with some symptoms and not others. Some people have no noticeable symptoms of psychosis (loss of touch with reality). Positive symptoms: “Positive” symptoms aren’t good; positive symptoms are behaviors not seen in mentally healthy people. Positive symptoms include:

• Thought disorders (unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking)

• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)

• Delusions

• Agitated body movements

Negative symptoms: “Negative” symptoms refer to behaviors that are typically found in people without schizophrenia but are absent in those with it.

• Lack of apparent emotions (flat affect or blunted affect)

• Little ability to feel pleasure (anhedonia)

• Little ability to start activities or be spontaneous

• Little speaking, little to no interest in socializing.

Cognitive symptoms: Cognitive symptoms affect how well a person thinks. These symptoms include:

• Poor short-term memory

• Trouble paying attention, trouble concentrating, impaired ability to focus

• Impaired executive functioning (the ability to take in information, assess it and use that information to perform a task)

Risk Factors

Genes. Schizophrenia can run in families. Having a first-order relative with schizophrenia increases a person’s chances of developing the disorder. Environment. Scientists believe the interaction between genetics and the environment influences the development of schizophrenia. Factors that seem to influence schizophrenia include:

• Irregularities in brain chemicals. The neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate seem to be almost always involved in schizophrenia.

• Exposure to viruses in infancy or during gestation

• Inadequate nutrition before birth

• Trauma during birth

Treatments and Therapies

There isn’t a cure for schizophrenia yet, so treatment is focused on the reduction of symptoms and learning to manage one’s illness.

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics are powerful medications that can have a dramatic effect on schizophrenia, allowing many people to have a high level of functioning.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy was for years thought to be ineffective for schizophrenia, but over the last decade studies have indicated that a combination of psychotherapy and medication can be beneficial. Psychotherapy teaches a client with schizophrenia skills and techniques that allow them to manage their illness at home, with the proper support.   If you or a loved one has experienced any symptoms of schizophrenia, please seek help from your local Spokane healthcare professional. Reach out to Damaris through her contact page or calling 509-342-6592. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtmlhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15916472/https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/schizophrenia.shtmlhttps://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/schizophrenia-and-genetics-a-twin-study-vantage-pointhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3741082/