Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder. It manifests itself in the decay of thinking processes and emotional reactions. Hallucinations, paranoid delusions, disorganization of thinking and speech, social dysfunction - this is just the minimum of what a person suffering from this disorder has to live with.
Is treatment for schizophrenia possible ? If so, at what stages? Is full healing real? In general, by what symptoms can it be detected? Well, this and much more will now be discussed.
Causes of the disorder
To this day, they remain confusing and unclear, although, thanks to the achievements of neurobiology, answers to some questions begin to be found. If you do not go deeper, then the reasons that provoke the onset of schizophrenia, the treatment of which will be discussed later, can be identified in the following list:
- Genetic predisposition. The inheritance of this disorder is complex. Scientists do not exclude the possibility of the interaction of several genes. They either cause a risk of schizophrenia, or provoke several pathological processes at once, which ultimately add up to a single diagnosis.
- Gene mutations. And it’s of a very specific nature - they definitely were in someone’s pedigree, maybe several generations ago, but none of the patient’s parents have them.
- Social factors. They include everything: from traumatic experiences, psychological trauma and prolonged stress, to inadequate emotional treatment, lack of well-being in the family and social isolation.
- Psychological factors. Cognitive distortions, as well as many other problems of this nature, are considered a predisposition to the manifestation of symptoms of schizophrenia. It is believed that in such people, delirium can become a reflection of the emotional causes of the disease.
- Drug addiction. All prohibited substances are psychoactive drugs. One way or another, they affect the mental state of a person. And on people with already diagnosed schizophrenia, they have a stimulating effect. Drugs only exacerbate psychotic symptoms.
- Neurocognitive impairment. In people with schizophrenia revealed differences affecting the temporal and frontal lobes. Doctors also recorded hypofrontality, manifested in a decrease in blood flow to the frontal and prefrontal parts of the cerebral cortex.
It is extremely important, at least at such a level, in general, to know about the causes of schizophrenia. After all, treatment is prescribed precisely taking into account the prerequisites.
Symptoms
It is important to talk about them. When prescribing treatment for schizophrenia, signs are also taken into account. Symptoms are usually:
- Disorganization, non-standard speech and thinking.
- Delusions and hallucinations (auditory, as a rule).
- Violation of social cognition (problems in communication, in behavior).
- Abulia and apathy.
- Aimless excitement or long silence.
- Decrease in brightness of experienced emotions.
- Scanty, poor speech.
- Loss of ability to have fun.
As part of the topic of treatment and symptoms of schizophrenia, it is important to note that about 2 years before the manifestation of its obvious signs, alarming signals can be noticed. This, as a rule, is causeless irritability, a tendency to social isolation and a painfully lowered mood.
Is healing possible?
Well, now we can proceed to consider the treatment of schizophrenia. In fact, this is a very controversial topic. There is not even a generally accepted definition of this concept, what can we say about a full-fledged treatment?
However, in recent years, scientists have proposed some rational criteria for remission, which are easily applied in clinical practice and in research. There are also standard assessment techniques. The generally accepted is the scale for assessing positive and negative syndromes (PANSS).
Modern methods of treating schizophrenia are, of course, aimed at healing a person, but it is impossible. An imbalance in the work of both hemispheres is impossible to bring to normal. But in no case should everything be left to chance.
Therapy effectively helps to correct symptoms and significantly increase brain functioning. A person may not be completely healed, but treatment will prevent relapses in an attack of psychosis and maintain a stable state of his psyche.
Treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotics
Drug therapy is considered the most effective and common. Antipsychotics are psychotropic drugs that effectively affect the productive symptoms described above.
They are different - there are dihydroindolones, thioxanthenes, dibenzoxazepines, etc. Whatever class of antipsychotics belong to, the antipsychotic effect of each of them is the ability to block dopamine D2 receptors. They are located in the basal ganglia and in the frontal cortex.
In simple terms, the treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotics is aimed at restoring the homeostasis of this system. At the cellular level, they block the depolarization of mesolimbic, nigrostriar and dopaminergic neurons.
Also, to one degree or another, these drugs affect muscarinic, serotonin, dopamine, as well as alpha and beta receptors.
Side effects
Unfortunately, after treating schizophrenia with antipsychotics, a number of side effects occur. Which ones? It depends on the characteristics of the pharmacological action exerted by the drug.
Take, for example, medications with anticholinergic action - those that block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Because of their intake, the patient has a dry mouth, rare urination, constipation, and accommodation disturbances.
Noradrenergic, cholinergic and dopaminergic drugs cause disorders in the genital area. These include anorgasmia, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, impaired lubrication, galactorrhea, tenderness and swelling of the mammary glands, and a deterioration in potency.
But the worst consequence is a violation of motor functions. The following side effects are also common:
- Violations of thermoregulation.
- Malignant antipsychotic syndrome.
- Epileptic seizures.
- Fatigue and drowsiness.
- Extrapyramidal disorders.
- Changes in ECG.
- Tachycardia of various forms.
- Orthostatic hypotension.
- Increasing skin sensitivity to light.
- Numerous allergic reactions.
- Galactorrhea and amenorrhea.
- Unreasonable mass gain.
- Sexual dysfunction
- Constipation
- Jaundice of a cholestatic character.
- Leukopenia
- Agranulocytosis.
- Retinitis pigmentosa.
Also, a person may manifest acute and sudden reactions. This is manifested, as a rule, in spontaneous contraction of the muscles of the trunk and face. Eliminate this by injecting benzotropin or diphenylhydramine. Many more people at the beginning of therapy have internal anxiety and an urgent need to move.
Therapy innovations
It can not but rejoice that scientists are taking steps to develop the latest, more modern methods of treating schizophrenia. They can be called innovative.
So, for example, in a psychiatric hospital No. 5, located in Novosibirsk, they are already resorting to the delivery of control cytokines directly to the limbic system of the brain. But this approach, if applied everywhere, will inevitably entail not only the abandonment of traditional drugs, but a change in the whole theory regarding the disease as a whole.
And scientists themselves believe that autoimmune destruction of neurons is the only thing that can explain the pathogenesis and etiology of schizophrenia. Therefore, traditional antipsychotics are replaced with a special cryopreserved solution of cytokines. Inside, it enters through the nose, through inhalation. The course includes more than 100 inhalations.
Of course, so far, treatment of schizophrenia is ongoing in all hospitals. This method is still at the stage of clinical trials. But the fact that medicine seeks to move away from conservative methods cannot but rejoice.
Psychotherapy
Talking about the signs, symptoms and treatment of schizophrenia, I would also like to mention this method. The goals of psychotherapy are as follows:
- Prevent patient autization and isolation in society.
- Mitigate a person’s response to situations that occur to him due to schizophrenia or treatment undergoing.
- Help cope with mental experiences.
- Support, encouragement, demonstration of concern for the patient.
Psychotherapy is difficult both for a patient who is difficult to open up and generally make contact, as well as for a doctor. It is very important to choose the right method and technique. In this case, the type and form of the course of the disease, its features, as well as the patient’s personality and everything connected with it are taken into account. For people, especially those with low-grade schizophrenia, competent psychotherapy really helps.
Folk remedies
With what only ailments with their help people tried to cope! Schizophrenia was no exception. Treatment with folk remedies of such a serious and complex disease is doubtful, but there are some recipes that are considered effective. Here is some of them:
- Means for eliminating hallucinations. Medicinal comfrey (1 tsp) pour clean water (1 l). Send to a slow fire. When the broth boils, reduce the flame and leave for another 10 minutes. Then remove, let it brew for an hour, strain. Drink the resulting volume in small portions per day. The course lasts 10 days. Then a 2-week break and repeat if necessary.
- A means to mitigate aggression. Blossoming Reseda (200 g) pour vegetable oil (0.5 L) and let it brew for 14 days. The composition should be in a container of dark glass, and always in a cool place. Shake the product periodically. After time, you can use - rub oil in whiskey 2 times a day.
- Remedy for tremor. Oregano (3 tablespoons) pour boiling water (3 tablespoons) and let it brew for 12 hours, preferably in a thermos. Strain and drink during the day for 4 doses. Prepare such an infusion daily, consume for 30 days. Then you need to take a month break.
- Remedy for relieving seizures. Put digitalis (1 tsp) in a thermos and pour boiling water over boiling water (350 ml). Insist for 12 hours. Drink 50 milliliters four times a day.
As part of the topic regarding the signs, symptoms and treatment of schizophrenia in men and women, I would like to note that it is also recommended to use a mixture of hop cones and blackberry leaves. You just need to take two tablespoons of the collection to brew half a liter of boiling water, insist 12 hours, and then drink per day in 4 divided doses. This tool helps to cope with violations in the central nervous system and strengthen it.
Soteria
If the treatment of schizophrenia with folk remedies causes a lot of skepticism, then to the approach known as soteria, there is more confidence.
A person suffering from this ailment is identified in a medical institution, which does not resemble it in its environment. Its features are the home environment, maintenance by unqualified personnel, as well as the appointment of low-dose antipsychotics by doctors (professional doctoral supervision). Although, it is often possible to do without them.
Soteria is an alternative to clinical treatment. The bottom line is that in such an environment, people do not feel sick or abnormal. Medical monitoring is conducted as if secretly. Drugs are prescribed not necessarily - only if the patient himself so desires. In addition, they can participate in the choice of medication themselves.
Most importantly, people are not limited by anything. They can do cooking on their own, take care of themselves. At the same time, they are constantly monitored, and they also help constructively rethink their hallucinations and delirium.
It cannot but rejoice that Soteria is as effective as the treatment of schizophrenia with drugs. This is confirmed by numerous studies. The results of some of them were even published in 2004 by the journal World Psychiatry. Those studies were conducted in Bern. Once again, it was concluded that in this specific environment, people can be cured as successfully as in conventional clinics.
Be that as it may, the subjective-emotional, social and family level of perception by a person of what is happening has a significant impact on the process of therapy.
Therapy in Israel
For quality medical care, many people are sent abroad. Often to Israel. The treatment of schizophrenia is based on a combination of pharmacological agents and psychotherapy. The combination of these methods helps a person:
- To begin to perceive reality more adequately.
- Get rid of social constraint.
- Stop hearing hallucinations.
- Get rid of strange behavior.
A completely different approach to the patient is being carried out abroad. Medical methods for treating schizophrenia are used only to relieve acute symptoms. After that - only supportive therapy. Israeli doctors help people and their families to perceive this disease correctly.
The treatment regimen is compiled individually. The first two stages are a conversation with the doctor and hardware diagnostics, which includes EEG and CT.
Then, detoxification of the body, the administration of drugs that affect individual brain lobes, or antipsychotics that block dopamine receptors can be prescribed.
In extremely rare cases, shock therapy is used (electroconvulsive measures, insulin coma, etc.). It can be prescribed if a person does not cope with the disease, and is prone to suicide and harm others. But with a disease of sluggish schizophrenia, doctors consider diet-unloading therapy appropriate. It is believed that diet optimization can truly lead to progress in treatment.
Remission
In many cases, the prognosis is positive in the treatment of schizophrenia. Of course, remission is not a sign of complete healing. Her diagnosis suggests that a person has long been in a stable state without symptoms and feels great.
According to statistics, approximately 30% of people suffering from this disease can return to their original habitual way of life.
In another 30%, some of its manifestations persist, despite treatment. Symptoms and signs of schizophrenia in women and men manifest themselves in different ways, with varying intensity, so that healing from them is not typical. People belonging to these 30% often feel discomfort, sometimes they have ideas about the persecution. But they can lead a social life and work.
If people who have reached remission regularly visit a psychiatrist and take drugs on time, they can live to a very old age, and the disease will not overtake them again.
The remaining 40%, unfortunately, include patients with an extremely severe course of the disease. They cannot socially adapt, lead an independent life, work. Such people are prescribed a disability group. They are also forced to constantly take medication and regularly go to the clinic.
Relapse, of course, can be in any person. It’s easy to find out about its onset. The level of irritability and anxiety rises, a person ceases to cope with stress even in the simplest situations. Often there are attacks of causeless anguish and apathy, fading interest in life and ordinary activities. In general, the former symptoms gradually return.