How to Understand Schizophrenia?

What is Schizophrenia ?

Although it can be scary to think about, it’s important to remember that schizophrenia is a real mental illness that should be taken seriously. If you’re experiencing symptoms like altered thinking, feeling and perception, it’s important to seek professional help. Schizophrenia can make everyday activities difficult due to disconnect from reality and affected motor skills. But with the right support, many people with schizophrenia are able to lead happy and fulfilling lives

The abnormal interpretation of reality can lead to hallucinations, delusions, and unorganized speech. This can make it difficult for individuals to understand what is real and what is not. Schizophrenia often causes people to hear voices and believe that someone is trying to harm them. This can have a negative impact on the individual, leading to confusion, fear, and isolation.

Although it’s often misunderstood, schizophrenia is not a multiple personality disorder. People with schizophrenia are just as confused, if not more, than those around them. This derangement is a disruption in the individual’s thought process and interference in their normal day-to-day activities, making it difficult to be social and maintain relationships.

Often, people with schizophrenia don’t seek help or treatment because they’re embarrassed, ashamed, or in denial about their condition. Symptoms of schizophrenia can be hard to spot, and some people may not realize they’re displaying any symptoms at all. This mental health disorder typically begins occurring between the ages of 16 and 30, but some cases have been reported in people as young as 13 years old.

What are signs of schizophrenia?

The early onset of common signs of Schizophrenia can be withdrawal from daily activities and people. They may become reclusive, leaving their family, friends, school, work, and other activities they once enjoyed. Instead, their minds become focused on new, unknown thoughts and twisted reality. For example, a person with Schizophrenia may claim that someone is out to get them or that someone is watching their every move.

There may also be paranoia that someone is trying to harm them.

Although the symptoms of schizophrenia can be different from person to person and can change over time, there are some that are common among most people with this condition.

Delusions: A person suffering from delusions continues to hold a belief or opinion even when presented with facts and evidence to the contrary.

Hallucinations: A false perception of an object or event, involving one or more of the senses. Hallucinations seem real, but they are not.

Disorganized thinking and speech: A person experiences debilitated communication, rapidly transitioning from one thought to another, often in a way that makes no logical sense to others.

Disorganized or abnormal behavior: This can manifest as a complete lack of movement or talking, childlike behaviors, agitation that is unpredictable and excessive, repetitive movements, or a loss of normal inhibitions.

What causes schizophrenia ?

Although the main causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, research has found that there are chemical imbalances in the brains of people with schizophrenia. It’s thought that these imbalances are what cause the cognitive deficits and negative symptoms associated with the disorder. In other words, parts of the brain aren’t communicating with each other properly. By blocking neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, these imbalances prevent chemicals from flowing freely between brain cells, resulting in disrupted motor skills and functionality.

There is some evidence to suggest that Schizophrenia may be caused by genetic factors or by disorders and deformities in the brain. Studies of identical twins show that if one twin becomes schizophrenic, the other twin has a 1 in 2 chance of also becoming schizophrenic. For non-identical twins, the chance is 1 in 8. For everyone else, the chance is 1 in 100. While this evidence is not conclusive, it does suggest that there may be a connection between Schizophrenia and these other factors.

Some experts believe that complications during pregnancy or childbirth may play a role in the development of schizophrenia. For example, low birth weight, premature labor, and asphyxia (a lack of oxygen during birth) have all been linked to the disorder. These complications are thought to affect brain development, which can in turn lead to schizophrenia. Additionally, people who are already prone to developing schizophrenia may be more likely to experience an onset of the condition after using drugs or experiencing stress.

Do I have Schizophrenia?

If you’re experiencing changes in behavior that could be indicative of schizophrenia, it’s important to rule out other possible causes such as drug use or stress. If you’ve had hallucinations on more than one occasion, and all other mental disorders have been ruled out, then it’s time to see your GP about getting an assessment.

What if schizophrenia goes untreated?

How to get help?

At Solace Treatment Center, we specialize in mental health and have a wealth of experience in treating individuals with schizophrenia. We understand that everyone is different, and we offer tailor-made treatment plans to suit each individual. Our clinical teams are available 24/7, so you can always reach us when you need us. If you want to learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’re here to help you make sense of everything again.