Schizophrenia 3:2

MIND-

I have dealt with Schizophrenia in my own family and it’s not easy to watch someone you love, a normal functioning family member, slowly deteriorate and require hospitalization. In my case, the individual recovered, however, they did not seem to be the same person they once were.


Schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which the patient’s affect, behavior, and thoughts are profoundly altered. They have problems distinguishing the real from unreal, thinking logically, having normal emotional responses, and behaving normally in social situations.

It usually develops slowly and gradually over time. During the beginning phase, the individual may start to withdraw from people, have poor hygiene, and exhibit outburst of anger. There is a slow deterioration of function. The average age of onset is in the 20’s, although, in some people (especially women) onset does not occur until later in life. Approximately 1% of people worldwide will develop schizophrenia in their lifetimes. 25% of schizophrenics have only one psychotic episode and recover relatively completely. 25% improve enough to live independently. 25% improve, but not enough to live independently. 15% do not improve and are the chronic cases, and 10% commit suicide.

There are 2 different classifications of symptoms of Schizophrenia, positive and negative. Positive symptoms are an excess or distortion of normal functions. They are called positive because they are the presence of certain unusual behaviors. Positive symptoms are also more responsive to medications. Negative symptoms are a loss of normal functions.

Positive Symptoms
• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Disordered Behavior
• Disorganized Speech

Negative Symptoms
• Flat Affect (without emotion)
• Alogia (brief, slow, empty replies to questions)
• Avolition (inability to initiate goal-directed behavior)

There are 5 subtypes of Schizophrenia.

1. Paranoid Schizophrenia-Aggressive behavior, (either toward themselves or others) anger, anxiety, argumentativeness and delusions of persecution or grandeur. This type also has the highest suicide rate.

2. Disorganized Schizophrenia-childish behavior, including giggling and a strange style of dress, may consist of public urination or defecation, obscene and babbling speech, delusions, flat affect, hallucinations, not understandable, repetitive behaviors, and social withdrawal. This type has the worst prognosis.

3. Catatonic Schizophrenia-bizarre movements, agitation, decreased sensitivity to pain, inability to take care of personal needs, negative feelings, motor disturbances, rigid muscles, and stupor. This type may require constant care.

4. Undifferentiated Schizophrenia-Symptoms do not clearly fall into any of the other subtypes or has symptoms from other subtypes.

5. Residual type-Symptoms of the illness have gone away, but some features may remain.

Although experts are not completely sure what causes Schizophrenia some factors include: genetics, brain abnormalities, maternal malnourishment during pregnancy, maternal illness, maternal stress, prenatal or birth-related complications, elevated levels of stress-related hormones, social stressors, drug use or a stressful life event may also be a trigger for schizophrenia.

Treatments for Schizophrenia might include antipsychotic or neuroleptic medications. Therapy for the individual and family may be beneficial as well.