Mental illnesses cause an extremely contradictory attitude. On the one hand, such a diagnosis often becomes a stigma in the eyes of society. They avoid communicating with a person, they do not take him to work, they can consider him incapable, unpredictable and even dangerous. The names of mental illnesses become a source of offensive language such as āpsychoā and āschizoā. On the other hand, such diagnoses are fanned by a fleur of mystery. Does a person have schizophrenia - is he brilliant? Is he special? Does he communicate with aliens or otherworldly forces? In general, there are too many myths and prejudices in society about this matter and little real knowledge. And this is not in the best way reflected in the situation of mental patients. Therefore, awareness of these issues will not hinder everyone.
But it is not idle interest that prompts some to take an interest in schizophrenia. People who have noticed oddities in the perception or behavior of themselves, relatives or friends, want to understand whether a person with such features can be the carrier of the diagnosis. And those who have already been diagnosed doubt whether it is right. After all, psychiatry is a dark matter!
Mental illness
You need to understand that schizophrenia is one of the most famous mental illnesses, but psychiatry is not limited to it. In domestic science, such a classification of diseases is distinguished: endogenous, endogenous-organic, somatogenic and exogenous-organic, as well as psychogenic and personality disorders. Schizophrenia refers to endogenous mental illness, just like manic-depressive psychosis and cyclothymia. Such diseases develop primarily not under the influence of external circumstances, but on the basis of hereditary factors.
The next group includes diseases in which a person develops brain damage. There are frequent motor disorders. Epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, senile dementia and many other similar diagnoses belong to endogenously organic.
The third group includes diseases that develop under the influence of external factors - injuries, infections, diseases, as well as the effects of toxic substances, such as alcohol and drugs.
The fourth includes disorders that occur under the influence of stress, namely, neurosis, psychosis, somatogenic disorders. True, neurosis is not entirely correct to attribute to mental illness. It is considered a borderline disorder. By the way, depression also belongs to the field of psychiatry. This does not mean at all that you need to keep away from a friend or relative in this state, or hang the label of "abnormal" on him. But at the same time, it is worthwhile to understand that appeals to cheer up and enjoy life are not treated for this violation, and serious medical assistance may be required.
Personality disorders include psychopathy, oligophrenia and other delays or distortions of mental development.
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is defined as an endogenous polymorphic mental illness. She is a serious social problem. About 60% of hospital patients and about 80% of people with mental illness have this diagnosis. At the same time, only in some cases does this disease lead to disability. More often, a person can lead a full life, have a family and work. Schizophrenia occurs in different people in different ways. In some cases, the symptoms practically do not go away from the patientās life, in others he can live in adequate condition for many years and only sometimes suffer from bouts of psychosis.
Forms of schizophrenia. Paranoid
Do not think that mental illness is a homogeneous phenomenon, and all people with schizophrenia are similar to each other. Psychiatrists distinguish several forms of this ailment: paranoid, hebephrenic, catatonic and simple.
Paranoid - the most common form, it includes 70% of patients with schizophrenia. And it is she who determines the ideas of society about schizophrenics. In Greek, paranoia means "contrary to meaning." And this quite accurately reflects the essence of the disease.
The main symptom of schizophrenia in this form is delirium. These are baseless judgments, which, unfortunately, cannot be corrected. Most often, delusions of persecution are found. A little less often - the delirium of greatness, love, jealousy. Delirium in its explicit form does not appear immediately, but goes through 3 stages of development - expectation, insight, and ordering. At the stage of waiting, a person is filled with anxious forebodings. It seems to a patient with schizophrenia that something must certainly change in him and in the world. Such forebodings sometimes haunt healthy, but disturbing people. But in this case, they are most often associated with the circumstances of the outside world. And here the condition of the patient himself becomes the only basis for them. And here the forebodings finally turn into an insight - the patient switched to the second stage of delirium. Now he feels that he knows exactly what the reason is. But the connection with reality is still lacking in this knowledge. And finally, at the third stage, ārevelationā is overgrown with facts and explanations. For example, a patient with a persecution mania develops a complex plot scheme.
The crazy idea becomes the core of the worldview of a patient with schizophrenia. Every situation, every act of others, word, gesture, intonation are interpreted from the point of view of delirium and only confirm his assumptions for the patient.
Often all this is supplemented by hallucinations. And they, too, are usually subordinate to this idea. For example, a patient walking past old women on a bench can quite clearly āhearā how they agreed to kill him. After that, no one can convince him.
Hebephrenic
This form manifests itself earlier, usually in adolescence. But itās not so easy to recognize her in the early stages. How do schizophrenic patients behave in this form? The behavior of a teenager resembles ordinary pranks. He is active, agile, loves jokes, grimaces. Some may be prone to cruelty and sadism. It is easy to blame all this on the age crisis or lack of education. But over time, grimaces and grimaces become more and more strange, speech becomes inconsistent and incomprehensible, jokes are eerie. At this stage, parents and teachers discover that something suspicious is happening to the teenager and they turn to a psychiatrist. The disease develops rapidly, and the prognosis, unfortunately, is unfavorable.
Catatonic
Catatonia is a special motor disorder. In a person with this form of schizophrenia, congealing with motor excitement can alternate. The poses of patients with schizophrenia are very artsy and unnatural. A healthy person would just be uncomfortable staying in this position for a long time. Sometimes the symptoms do not affect the whole body, but only part of the muscles. For example, they are reflected in facial movements and speech. Then, with a stupor, the patient freezes with a strange grimace or begins to speak more slowly and falls silent, and when excited, his speech accelerates and gets confused, his face constantly changes expression. In a state of motor excitement, patients have extraordinary physical strength, but their actions are uncoordinated and are most often aimed at flight. Photos of patients with schizophrenia are very characteristic and show all the features of their postures and facial expressions.
Simple
This form is called simple only because it does not include vivid signs of schizophrenia. Therefore, it is often diagnosed late, which complicates the treatment. The patient may seem just a passive and indifferent person. For example, it all starts with the fact that he simply neglects his work or educational duties, performs everything formally, without putting any effort into it. But doesnāt this happen all the time among healthy people? A person becomes indifferent to others. Emotional dullness is growing. But heās just fixated on himself.
Often, such patients with schizophrenia are particularly interested in the structure of the body. A person may have a misconception about his own body and his work. Moreover, all this is surrounded by rituals. Sometimes people with schizophrenia fall into philosophical thoughts.
Negative and productive symptoms
If you try to explain in simple words, then the negative symptomatology is the absence or lack of functions inherent in the psyche of a healthy person. And productive - when there is something that healthy people donāt have. Apato-abulic syndrome is referred to negative symptoms. Apathy is a well-known word and means indifference, fading of emotions. But abulia is a term familiar to narrower circles, and means a decrease in will. Thus, the patient becomes indifferent to everything, does not strive for any goals, ceases to sympathize with loved ones. Such people quit their jobs or studies, stop monitoring their appearance, and in extreme cases lie down for days and even stop eating.
Productive symptoms - this is nonsense, distortion of perception, strange behavior. Much has already been said about delirium. Distortions of perception can be visual or auditory hallucinations, as well as distortions of taste, smell, touch. For example, it may seem to the patient that insects crawl over him or that the structure of his body has changed. As for the perception of smells, the clinic had a case in which the patient thought that cutlets in the dining room smell of her roommate, who was recently discharged from the hospital. Therefore, she believed that in a medical institution they eat patients.
Creativity in Schizophrenia
The connection between schizophrenia and creativity causes heated debate among psychiatrists. Does the disease contribute to success in art or vice versa? Can a patient with schizophrenia be brilliant? Yes maybe. The fact is that among schizophrenics there are even laureates of the Nobel Prize in the field of art. And at the same time, the progression of the disease, especially the increase in negative symptoms, reduces both the interest and the personās ability to create something. It is difficult to say what was originally - a talented person was faced with a disease or illness, although it did not create, but made his talent more original.
The study of the creativity of patients with schizophrenia: drawings, texts and other forms of professional and amateur art is interesting from the point of view that the artists, poets, and writers suffering from this ailment can express the feelings characteristic of all patients who cannot express them. From their works you can learn more about their perceptions of the world.
The drawings of patients with schizophrenia are characterized by the image of fabulous creatures, repeated repetition of plots. For example, some children with schizophrenia are generally indifferent to drawing, while others draw entire albums with drawings on the same topic that excites them. One artist with paranoid schizophrenia and a delirium of jealousy for more than 20 years in each picture depicted Desdemona's murder.
For verbal creativity is characterized by the creation of neologisms, unfinished sentences, combining incompatible. For example, the original futurist poet Velimir Khlebnikov suffered, if not schizophrenia, then milder schizophrenic disorders. And his work is replete with coined words, a play of sounds, and he himself dreamed of creating a science that would combine mathematics, history and literature.
Treatment
First of all, the treatment of patients with schizophrenia is medication. It is effective in 70% of cases. To the end, the disease does not disappear, but the symptoms can significantly decrease and even go away. To relieve an attack, Olanzapine and other atypical antipsychotics are most often used. If a depressive component is present, antidepressants are used. But taking medications is necessary not only at the time of exacerbation. Patients are prescribed maintenance therapy that prevents or maximally deflects the next relapse. After the first attack, it lasts 1-2 years, after the second - 5 years, after the third - for the rest of your life, since in this case the probability of exacerbations is very high.
In addition to taking medications, many different physiotherapeutic procedures are used. In addition, many patients noticeably benefit from psychotherapy.
How to behave to relatives
Relatives are often worried about how to behave with a patient with schizophrenia. Unfortunately, living with the mentally ill is not easy. It must be objectively understood that a personās view of the world is distorted. Therefore, in response to ordinary situations, he can react with insults, nit-picking, and accusations. During the period of clarification, the patient may be aware that he is mentally ill, but at such moments depression, fear and shame can roll over him. Itās hard to feel that sometimes you donāt control yourself! Therefore, communication with such a person requires extreme delicacy and caution from the relatives of a patient with schizophrenia, so as not to cause an unpredictable reaction. For example, it is better to avoid communicating with the patient while in a bad mood. Do not tell him about your problems. To argue with the patient is also pointless. It is necessary to take into account the characteristics of patients with schizophrenia. The thinking of such a person is distorted, so neither logical arguments, nor emotional impact will convince him. Schizophrenics are deeply convinced of the truth of their crazy idea. But in a person arguing with him, the patient can see the enemy, the next participant in the conspiracy. It is not necessary to emphasize the inferiority of the patient with ridicule, attempts to shame, disgust. At the same time, it will not be possible to communicate with him as with a healthy one. Itās best not to use too long or ambiguous phrases. If the patient is closed and not configured to communicate, you do not need to slow him down.
Of particular concern to many is the question of what to do if the patient is aggressive. First of all, you need to check whether the medication is disturbed. In this case, you need to quietly mix them into food or drink. It is best to avoid communication with the patient, do not look into his eyes. If you still have to communicate, keep your composure and demonstrate a calm look. Stitching and cutting objects are best removed away. If the situation gets out of control and it is unrealistic to cope independently, you must resort to the help of psychiatrists.
It is especially difficult for mothers of patients with schizophrenia. They are often overly involved in the life of a son or daughter; their hyper-custody is irritating. Many mothers leave contact with acquaintances and relatives in order to hide the troubles in the family. They worry about the future. For example, how the patient will live after her death. Therefore, the whole family needs help, not just psychiatric, but psychological.
The main thing is support
Not everything is so sad and scary. To the question whether a patient with schizophrenia can study, work, have a family, live a long and full life, the answer in many cases is affirmative. Many patients, thanks to the help of loved ones, have been in remission for many years. To do this, it is important to follow the instructions of doctors, try to lead a healthy lifestyle. If a person does not work, then it is worth entrusting him with some household duties so that he is busy and feels in demand and necessary. In addition, everyone only benefits the support and friendly attitude of loved ones.
Do I have schizophrenia?
It should be understood that self-diagnosis is not worth it. There is such a half-comic syndrome of a medical student, when, faced with descriptions of diseases, a person actively tries on everything and finds a lot of diagnoses. Except maternity fever. In the modern world, when there is the Internet, information about diseases has become available not only to doctors. It should be understood that no article and book will help to make a diagnosis the way an experienced and qualified psychiatrist does.
What should a schizophrenia patient do? First of all - to be treated. Secondly, take care of a healthy lifestyle and avoid stress as much as possible and when clarity of consciousness allows. And most importantly, remember that this is not a reason to give up, no matter how difficult it is.
The inspiring story of Arnhild Lauweng
If this woman said āI have been sick with schizophrenia for ten years,ā psychiatrists would not be surprised. But if you add "and was cured", this calls into question all the modern scientific ideas about schizophrenia. But what if every sick person could have walked the path of Arnhild Lauweng? During the illness, she was chased by wolves, crocodiles, rats, birds of prey. But most of all - wolves. They seemed to nibble her legs. But now she works as a psychologist, and in her life, as they say, everything is like in humans - two dogs, a dissertation, trips. About the wolves there were only gloomy memories. How did she manage to get out of all this? There is no definite answer, because Arnhild tried a lot of tools and techniques. It is impossible to say what exactly worked. One thing is clear - hope saves a person. When doctors and society say "impossible", you shouldnāt give up anyway. And maybe it will be possible to become the second such phenomenon in world psychiatry.