Nowadays, the pace of society is getting faster, and many people suffer from psychological problems for various reasons, with one of the most frightening being schizophrenia. Schizophrenia can lead individuals to do incomprehensible things such as murder, arson, and personality fragmentation, causing significant distress to society and families. However, many people refer to schizophrenia as an incurable disease that is difficult to treat, which is not the case.
Therefore, having a certain level of psychological adjustment ability can prevent the symptoms of schizophrenia. Let’s now take a look at schizophrenia!
Schizophrenia is one of the major public health challenges in China, bringing significant impacts to patients, their families, and society. According to the World Health Organization, over 23 million people worldwide are suffering from schizophrenia. By the end of 2016, there were approximately 4.05 million registered schizophrenia patients in China. The burden of mental illness in our country has exceeded that of other disease areas, accounting for about 20% of the total disease burden, a number expected to rise to 25% by 2020.
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness with an unknown cause, often onset in young adults with slow or subacute progression, clinically manifesting as a diverse range of symptoms involving perceptual, thinking, emotional, and behavioral disturbances, as well as a lack of coordination in mental activities. Patients usually have clear consciousness and basic intelligence, but some may experience cognitive impairments during the course of the illness. The disease course is typically chronic, with relapses, exacerbations, or deterioration, leading to decline and mental disability in some patients. However, with treatment, some patients can achieve recovery or near-recovery status.
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
1. Thought disorders: the primary and essential symptoms, often causing a lack of coordination and detachment from reality in cognitive, emotional, volitional, and behavioral aspects, known as “schizophrenia.”
2. Perceptual disturbances: the most prominent perceptual disturbance in schizophrenia is hallucinations, with auditory hallucinations being the most common.
3. Emotional disturbances: typically expressed as emotional dullness or flat affect.
4. Volitional and behavioral disturbances: reduced activity, lack of initiative, becoming isolated, passive, and withdrawn behaviors.
Tip: Most patients experience two types of courses: intermittent episodes or continuous duration. Approximately 1/5 of patients will have only one episode and then lifelong remission. Patients with recurrent or worsening conditions can experience personality changes, social dysfunction, and varying degrees of disability in clinical settings. The progressive worsening of the disease can ultimately result in the loss of social function, requiring long-term hospitalization or repeated admissions for treatment. Epidemiological surveys show a disability rate of up to 62.2% in schizophrenia.
What are the harms of schizophrenia?
1. Personality changes: individuals who were once lively, warm, and sociable may suddenly become cold and distant, aloof, isolated, with a lazy and undisciplined lifestyle, lacking enthusiasm for anything.
2. Emotional disorders: becoming emotionally indifferent, showing no concern for family members, losing interest in surrounding matters, becoming irritable, often having unprovoked outbursts of laughter or weeping.
3. Bizarre behaviors: behaviors become peculiar, such as staring into space, isolating oneself, making communication difficult for the average person.
4. Sensitivity and suspicion: becoming sensitive to everything, attributing everything around them to themselves, believing others are talking about them; refusing to eat or drink, thinking others intend harm, and sometimes experiencing hallucinations and delusions.
5. Sleep disturbances: difficulties falling asleep or easily waking up even after falling asleep, shallow sleep, insomnia with vivid dreams, or excessive sleep.
How is schizophrenia treated?
The first form of treatment is the crucial care from family members.
A significant step in treating mental illness is careful nursing. Whether by family or care staff, avoid engaging in secret discussions while near the patient as it can raise suspicions, cause mental distress, and trigger episodes. If signs of an episode appear, prevent it effectively, such as by administering sedatives. If emotional instability is common, safeguard the surroundings by hiding potential dangers to prevent harm during episodes.
The second form of treatment is medication.
Medications provide significant assistance in treatment. Treating schizophrenia with medication requires adherence to the patient’s illness timeline. Different medications are selected based on the condition’s phase to mitigate side effects. Following the doctor’s advice on the timing and dosage of medications is crucial for effective recovery treatment. Consult a physician before adjusting medication dosage.
The third form of treatment is psychotherapy.
Schizophrenic patients often experience episodes due to underlying psychological issues. Comprehensive psychological treatment is essential to help patients address mental barriers for symptom improvement. However, combining psychotherapy with medication is more effective, as solely regulating emotional symptoms through psychological means may not be as effective at controlling symptoms.
Tip: Early detection and treatment are crucial as schizophrenia significantly impacts a patient’s life and work.
Words of wisdom: Life is like a cup of tea, it may be bitter for a while, but as long as the mind stays young and the belief remains, no matter how far the journey, there will be an end.
