How psychiatrist tackle schizophrenia: Challenging mental disorder

Schizophrenia is one of the severe a psychological ailment that upsets the normal brain function. Schizophrenia is prevalent around the globe. It is predictable that 1.1 percent of the American population grip under schizophrenia. Though extensive researches have been done, psychologists till date do not find any therapy to cure such a severe mental ailment. The international psychiatry community still lacks diagnostic precision, clarity of etiology and knowledge of underlying pathophysiology of Schizophrenia. Recently, there are medications to lessen the symptoms with some side effects. The clinical treatment of schizophrenia involves a chronic pattern of acute psychotic episodes in which the patient experiences shoddier symptoms. The characteristic of schizophrenic disorder is repetitive periods of acute psychosis.

Schizophrenia as a mental disorder first recognized by German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin in the fall of 19th century. Schizophrenia is a gamut of serious brain malfunctioning in which reality is misleading. There is basic thought defect in patient. Schizophrenia results in hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking and behavior. 

The symptoms of Schizophrenia remains perhaps the most mysterious form of human psychological experience. The early onset of disease most often occurs between the ages 15 and 30 and its chronic course makes this a particularly disabling disorder for patients and their family. Chronic disability results primarily from the negative and cognitive symptoms whereas acute relapses result from exacerbation of positive psychotic system such as delusions and hallucinations. In early stage of Schizophrenia, person shows symptoms of Sleep disturbance, Appetite disturbance, Unusal Behaviour, Blunted feelings

and Speech that is difficult to follow. 

Schizophrenic patient mainly display symptoms such as beliefs not based on reality which is termed as delusions. Patient may contemplate that someone is doing an intrigue against him. He perceives or hears things that do not exist in reality that is called hallucinations, especially voices. Patients of Schizophrenia also exhibit symptoms such as lack of emotions, angry outbursts, disordered thinking, movement disorders, flat affect, and social withdrawal. Patient face some cognitive problems such as information processing, abstract categorization planning and regulating goal-directed behavior, cognitive flexibility, attention, memory, and visual processing. Schizophrenia differs from mild to severe. Some patients can manage effectively these symptoms in their daily life, while others require expert and intensive care. It is observed that schizophrenia symptoms occur suddenly on some people. In other cases, schizophrenia symptoms seem to develop gradually over months and they may not be noticeable at first.

Early warning signs of schizophrenia patients are as under:

-       Depression, social withdrawal

-       Hostility or suspiciousness, extreme reaction to criticism

-       Deterioration of personal hygiene

-       Flat, expressionless gaze

-       Inability to cry or express joy or inappropriate laughter or crying

-       Oversleeping or insomnia; forgetful, unable to concentrate

-       Irrational statements; strange use of words or way of speaking

“There are numerous case reports of patients which represent the conditions of schizophrenia. Several film makers also produced award winning film to show how schizophrenia develops. In one highly popular Indian movie produced in 1082 was “Arth” by Mahesh Bhatt. This explored the disturbing aspects of marital relationships. The main character Inder Malhotra was an aspiring film maker is tied a knot with Pooja but he was inclined towards Kavita, a successful but mentally unstable actress. When Pooja came to know the love affair of her husband, she leaves Inder and lives in hardship and find difficulty to manage new life. Kavita suffering from schizophrenia eventually leaves Inder and shows bizarre behavior. “

There are other cases of schizophrenia. Syd Barrett, distinguished English artist, songwriter, guitarist and artist, most notably the founder of the rock band Pink Floyd also suffered from schizophrenia. He ultimately suffered a severe burnout and isolated from social life.

Eduard Einstein was extremely intelligent and a successful student in his academic career. In the age of twenty, he began to show signs of schizophrenia. This led to him to be institutionalized several times.

Famous Indian film actress and the most beautiful women Bollywood of her time, Parveen Babi was also diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and a severe case of depression.

Psychiatrists can start diagnosis process of schizophrenia through judging functional damage and observing various symptoms. At first, symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and strange behavior seem simply defined and clearly pathological. There may be some cultural dissimilarity. Psychiatrists need to make difference that delusion in one culture may be accepted as normal in another.

It is strictly advised that if a person displays symptoms of Schizophrenia, he/she must visit trained psychiatrist. Although the causes of Schizophrenia are not known but many effective treatment techniques can lessen various symptoms and patients of schizophrenia can live normal life. Various antipsychotic medications are helpful to reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. These drugs can only improve the lives of many patients but do not cure schizophrenia. These medications must be taken under the supervision of doctors as there may be dangerous side effects of medications. It can produce agranulocytosis in which the white blood cells that fight infection are lost. Some effective drugs are available to lessen the symptom of disorder. Psychotherapy assists the patient to adjust with the life problems caused due to schizophrenia. It can help to recover communication skills, enhance relationships and concentration on work. It enables students with schizophrenia to attend school, work, and maintain social circle. Once the patients ascertain main elements about schizophrenia and the schizophrenia treatment schedule, they can take initiative and manage self.

 There are numerous rehabilitation programs for schizophrenic patients which includes vocational counseling, job training, money management counseling, assistance in learning to use public transportation, and opportunities to practice social and workplace communication skills. When patient appears to be normal, he is discharged from the hospital with instructions and his family need to take care of patient. At this time, family members must know about the management of disease and help the patient in order to prevent relapses.

Cognitive behavioral therapy proves to be very helpful with the patients of schizophrenia. It is functional for patients with symptoms that persist even when they take medication. The cognitive therapist guides patient of schizophrenia how to test the reality of their thoughts and perceptions, trained patient to overlook strange voices and adjust with environment. This treatment is very operational to lessen the severity of symptoms and risk of relapse.

There are some guidelines for schizophrenia patients for self-help. They must seek social support, manage stress, exercise regularly, have normal sleep, avoid alcohol, drugs, and nicotine and finally take regular and nourished meals.

It is important to know that schizophrenia is not a rare disease. It carries a lifetime risk of 1%. It is often a misconception that schizophrenia is dangerous. It is not true. Though, patients with delusional thoughts and hallucinations of schizophrenia may show violent behavior but most patients are neither violent nor a danger to society.

To recapitulate all strands, schizophrenia is penetrating disruption in thought and emotion which hugely impact basic human qualities such as language, thought, perception, affect, and sense of self. Schizophrenia Patients often show strange language deficiencies. In layman’s angle, schizophrenia disorders are characterized by fundamental and characteristic distortions of thinking, perception and by inappropriate and blunted affect. Array of symptoms such as hearing internal voices or experiencing other sensations not connected to an understandable source and assigning unusual significance or meaning to normal events or holding fixed false personal principles, are observed in schizophrenic patient. These symptoms can be lessened through psychotherapy, medication and personal care but it cannot be completely disappeared. Many rehabilitation programs are available for patient to manage normal life. Attendants’ role is great to help patients continually as symptoms persist throughout life. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/reasons-to-choose-an-online-psychiatrist/