Schizophrenia is a set of serious and disabling psychiatric disorders characterized by changes in thinking, emotions and behavior, which can be caused by genetic and environmental factors and changes in neurotransmitters. Generally, schizophrenia manifests between late adolescence and early adulthood in men and women.
The symptoms of schizophrenia can vary from person to person, there is no specific symptom of this disorder, however it is possible that there are hallucinations, delusions, disordered speech and changes in behavior. Therefore, it is recommended that a psychiatrist be consulted as soon as symptoms are noticed.
Read too: Hallucination: what it is, types, causes and treatment
The treatment of this disorder is focused on combating symptoms and improving the person’s quality of life and, to this end, the psychiatrist may recommend antipsychotic medications, such as Risperidone, Quetiapine or Clozapine, for example, in addition to psychotherapy and behavioral techniques as a way to help. to rehabilitate people and promote their integration into society.
Schizophrenia symptoms
The symptoms of schizophrenia vary according to the type of schizophrenia and from person to person, and there is no specific symptom for this disorder. The main symptoms are:
- Delusions, which arise when a person strongly believes in something that is not real, such as that they are being persecuted, betrayed or that they have super powers, for example. Understand better what delusion is, the types and causes;
- Hallucinationsare vivid and clear perceptions of things that do not exist, such as hearing voices or seeing visions;
- Disorganized thinkingin which the person says disconnected and meaningless things;
- Abnormalities in the way of movingwith uncoordinated and involuntary movements, in addition to catatonism, characterized by lack of movement, presence of repeated movements, fixed gaze, grimaces, echoing of speech or being silent, for example;
- Behavior changeswhich may lead to psychotic episodes, aggression, agitation and risk of suicide;
- Negative symptomssuch as loss of will or initiative, lack of emotional expression, social isolation, lack of self-care;
- Lack of attention and concentration;
- Memory changes and learning difficulties.
Schizophrenia can appear suddenly, within days, or gradually, with changes that appear little by little over months to years. Generally, the initial symptoms are noticed by family members or close friends, who notice that the person is more suspicious, confused, disorganized or withdrawn.
Possible causes
The exact cause of what causes schizophrenia is still unknown, however, it is known that genetic and environmental factors can lead to the development of symptoms. A person with a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia has a 10 times greater risk of also developing the disease.
Some factors that may be involved in the development of the disease are older age of the parents, episodes of seizures in childhood, severe blows to the head, infections during pregnancy, complications during childbirth and use of substances, such as Cannabis, for example. Furthermore, the theory of changes in the functioning of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, is proposed to explain the development of this psychiatric disorder.
Types of schizophrenia
Classically, schizophrenia can be classified into different types, according to the main symptoms that the person presents. However, according to DSM V, which classifies several mental disorders, the existence of several subtypes is no longer considered, since according to several studies, no differences are observed in the evolution and treatment of each subtype.
Thus, the main types of schizophrenia are:
1. Paranoid schizophrenia
It is the most common type, in which delusions and hallucinations predominate, especially hearing voices, and behavioral changes, such as agitation and restlessness, are also common. Learn more about paranoid schizophrenia.
2. Catatonic schizophrenia
It is characterized by the presence of catatonism, in which the person does not react correctly to the environment, with slow movements or paralysis of the body, in which the person can remain in the same position for hours to days, slow speech or no speech at all, repetition of words or phrases that someone has just said, as well as repeating bizarre movements, making faces or staring.
It is a less common type of schizophrenia, and is more difficult to treat, with a risk of complications such as malnutrition or self-harm, for example.
3. Hebephrenic or disorganized schizophrenia
Disorganized thinking predominates, with meaningless and out-of-context speech, in addition to the common presence of negative symptoms, such as lack of interest, social isolation and loss of the ability to carry out day-to-day activities.
4. Undifferentiated schizophrenia
It appears when there are symptoms of schizophrenia, however these do not fit into the other types and, therefore, the person does not fit into the types of schizophrenia mentioned.
5. Residual schizophrenia
It is a chronic form of the disease. It happens when the criteria for schizophrenia occurred in the past, but are not currently active, however, negative symptoms such as slowness, social isolation, lack of initiative or affection, diminished facial expression or lack of self-care still persist, for example.
Diagnosis of schizophrenia
There is no laboratory or imaging test capable of diagnosing schizophrenia. Therefore, to confirm schizophrenia, the psychiatrist will evaluate the set of signs and symptoms presented by the person and, if necessary, request tests such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the skull to rule out other diseases that can cause psychiatric symptoms, such as a brain tumor or dementia, for example.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of schizophrenia is guided by a psychiatrist, with antipsychotic medications, such as Risperidone, Quetiapine, Olanzapine or Clozapine, for example, which help to control mainly positive symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions or changes in behavior.
Other anxiolytic-type medications, such as Diazepam, or mood stabilizers, such as Carbamazepine, can be used to alleviate symptoms in case of agitation or anxiety, in addition to antidepressants, such as Sertraline, can be indicated in the case of depression.
Furthermore, it is necessary to carry out psychotherapy and occupational therapy, as a way of contributing to better rehabilitation and reintegration of the patient into social life. Family guidance and monitoring by social and community support teams are also important measures to improve the effectiveness of treatment.
