Schizophrenia
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder of the brain that affects the way a person sees the world, and even how they think, and behave towards other people. Schizophrenic persons find it difficult to function normally, and often have serious challenges relating with others, managing emotions, thinking clearly, making conversations, and distinguishing between what is real and what is imagined (Helpguide, 2014; NIMH, 2014). This blurred perception of reality drives such persons to hear or see things that other people cannot see, causing them to retreat from the rest of the world in fear that someone is constantly watching them and is out to harm them (Helpguide, 2014). Well, schizophrenia is widely perceived as a rare condition; however, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) places its prevalence rate at 1 out of every 100 Americans, with men and young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 being more prone to the same compared to the rest of the population (NIMH, 2014).
Early Indicators of Schizophrenia
Although schizophrenia may sometimes appear without warning, most of those affected have reported that it develops gradually and often presents a series of warning signs long before the severe symptoms begin to play. The patient may withdraw from the rest of society, become more reclusive, emotionless, or indifferent about life, abandon some of the activities that they initially found quite interesting, and become increasingly less concerned about their appearance (Helpguide, 2014). Dr. Segal of Helpguide.org (2014) summarizes these early warning signs as follows:
Strange way of speaking -- the patient may not make sense when they speak
Negative and at times extreme reaction to criticism
Forgetfulness and inability to concentrate
Irrational statements
Insomnia or oversleeping
Depression
Extreme emotions; inappropriate crying or laughter
Expressionless, flat gaze
Suspiciousness or hostility
Social withdrawal
However, the author reckons that these signs are common across a wide range of mental disorders, and that medical advice, therefore, ought to be sought immediately the same become noticeable so that the most appropriate treatment can be administered.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
The symptoms of schizophrenia differ from person to person, and may be more severe in some people and hardly noticeable in others (Helpguide, 2014). The severity of symptoms will depend...
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