Confused or disorganised thoughts, trouble concentrating, hallucinations, and delusions could be early signs of Schizophrenia. Early diagnosis is the key to an effective cure and management of treatment for Schizophrenia.
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Schizophrenia is a very serious and chronic mental illness that affects close to 1% of the world population. Patients with schizophrenia often experience episodes leading to distortions of reality which ultimately leads to delusions and hallucinations. In this guide, we will learn about the common misconceptions, diagnosis, and treatment procedures for Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia can be seen in men and women of any age group and usually requires lifelong care and treatment.
In most cases, schizophrenia mental disorder starts during the early 20s and late teenage years in both men and women. The early symptoms of schizophrenia are often hard to diagnose or may get overlooked because of the common adolescent behaviours. The most common symptoms of schizophrenia that can be seen early in life include:
The issues mentioned above can be confused with common adolescent problems which makes it difficult for the patient or their caregivers to identify the symptoms of schizophrenia mental disorder.
There are various types of symptoms of schizophrenia. Let us look into them one by one:
There are certain symptoms of schizophrenia disease that can pinpoint to the primary healthcare provider the actual presence of the disorder. These symptoms are called ‘positive’ symptoms of schizophrenia as they are strikingly different from common teenage behaviours.
The positive symptoms of schizophrenia include:
These symptoms are the ones that can be seen to interrupt the patient’s typical emotional behaviour and abilities. These consist of:
Among the most widely known schizophrenia facts, there has been evidence that the disorder affects thinking and cognitive abilities. These symptoms are often very hard to detect:
The possible signs of schizophrenia are quite difficult to detect which leads to late diagnosis and possible complications later in life.
Before we talk about the possible schizophrenia treatments, let us learn in detail what causes schizophrenia. The exact cause of schizophrenia is still unknown but experts believe that schizophrenia causes might emerge because of the following factors:
Recent studies have proven that one of the schizophrenia causes might be abnormal brain formations and structures. Chemical deformities in the brain might be one of the main schizophrenia causes. Research is still ongoing about what causes schizophrenia biologically but up until now, scientists assume that the following areas of the brain might be affected for the disorder to develop in an individual:
People with a family history of schizophrenia mental disorder are at a higher risk of developing the disease. It has also been seen that identical twins have higher chances of developing the disease than fraternal twins.
Certain other environmental factors might contribute to the causes of paranoid schizophrenia. These include:
Scientists believe that the main causes of paranoid schizophrenia can be related to the chemicals that influence emotion and behaviour in the brain.
Before 2013, the symptoms of schizophrenia were divided into five different subtypes. Today, schizophrenia is a single diagnosis. Several types of schizophrenia symptoms help doctors and caregivers chart out the plan for schizophrenia treatment guidelines but the types are no longer considered as a reference for clinical diagnosis. The types of schizophrenia are:
Paranoid schizophrenia: Since 2013, this subtype of schizophrenia has been labelled under one of the ‘positive’ symptoms and not a separate type.
Hebephrenic schizophrenia or Disorganised schizophrenia: These schizophrenic disorders do not show symptoms of hallucinations or delusions but often exhibit disorganized speech patterns or behaviour.
Residual schizophrenia: These schizophrenic disorders referred to patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia early in life but did not show any symptoms later.
Undifferentiated schizophrenia: The type of schizophrenia disease in which the patient shows more than one type of predominant symptom.
Catatonic schizophrenia: This schizophrenia subtype was diagnosed in people who showed signs of autism or those who developed a stupor-like effect.
Childhood Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia diagnosis is common in children and is mostly seen during their teens or early 20s. Most of the important recognizable symptoms occur before the person reaches 13 years of age. This condition of the early onset of the disease is known as childhood schizophrenia. The symptoms that can be seen in the cases of childhood schizophrenia include the following:
There is no single health exam or a brain scan that can suffice for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Since the doctors are still unaware of the exact cause of schizophrenia, to determine how to treat schizophrenia, multiple psychometric tests and exams need to be done before confirming the diagnosis. These health exams comprise of the following:
The symptoms of schizophrenia often overlap with other mental health conditions like bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. Again, other medical conditions that can also show the same type of symptoms. This is why doctors need to perform an exhaustive number of tests to rule out other issues. Some of the health disorders that have similar symptoms to schizophrenia are:
There is no standard way to treat Schizophrenia, but early diagnosis and schizophrenia treatment can help get the symptoms under control, before it escalates and develops into serious complications.
When you receive proper treatment from the best hospital for schizophrenia treatment, you have high chances of leading a productive life. The treatments can relieve many symptoms. The most effective treatments provided by the best schizophrenia treatment centers in India include the following:
Following an effective treatment plan that is set by the best schizophrenia doctors in India will help reduce your episodes and prevent your symptoms from getting worse. The treatments will ensure long term results and prevent any relapses.
Let us now talk about how to treat schizophrenia after a confirmed diagnosis of the schizophrenia mental disorder. There is no cure for schizophrenia but the symptoms can be managed using treatment modalities perfected by years of research. When it comes to schizophrenia treatment in India, Cadabam’s offers the most advanced care that can help patients ease the symptoms to a great extent and improve their quality of life. Here are the various kinds of treatment options for those suffering from Schizophrenia:
There is no cure for schizophrenia but with the help of antipsychotic medications, the patients can deal with the symptoms better. These medications help stop hallucinations, delusions and ward off the symptoms of psychosis. If and when psychosis occurs, the doctors might prescribe immediate hospitalization. The common medications prescribed by doctors are described below.
The first generation of antipsychotic medications is essentially a class of drugs that were launched in the 1950s. These are also called typical antipsychotics as they are prescribed for a lot of other mental health problems similar to schizophrenia.
This group of antipsychotics tends to have similar side effects like problems with movement, also known as extrapyramidal symptoms, issues of drowsiness or change in sleep patterns, and dry mouth due to dehydration.
Group of researchers developed a newer group of antipsychotics in recent times that are often called as the second generation of antipsychotics or atypical antipsychotics.
The side effects of these drugs do not cause the movement problems of the first generation medicines or typical antipsychotic drugs. However, they have their own set of side effects too. They are more likely to cause weight gain and other problems with metabolism, among other side effects.
Schizophrenia treatments often include certain social measures that can help the patient improve their social and communication skills. Along with social training, Schizophrenia rehabilitation centres include individual counselling, group counselling to help the patient cope with the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Often conducted with the help of social workers or NGOs, vocational rehabilitation aims to help patients develop skills that can help them maintain a regular job easily.
In the path towards discovering a cure for schizophrenia, there are certain treatments that doctors are prescribing recently. These include food supplements besides the usual medicines. Such supplements consist of vitamin treatment, fish oil supplements, glycine-enriched foods, and diet management. Cadabam’s is one of the best schizophrenia treatment centres in India where the expert medical team believes in using holistic approaches to treat a patient and help them deal with their daily life smoothly. By addressing all aspects of an individual’s health, physical and mental, it becomes much easier to manage and regulate mood.
Family therapy and education: This schizophrenia treatment plays an important role in helping a schizophrenic patient. Since, they suffer from a condition where they are unable to be independent and take care of themselves, having a supportive network of friends and family is crucial. Hence, family members should learn and understand schizophrenia, its causes, effects, and symptoms, so that they can help their loved one.
Social skill training: Is provided by schizophrenia treatment centers in India, and it benefits the patient because it teaches them the value of interpersonal relationships. The treatment teaches the patient to recognize and identify social cues, and how they should respond to them, appropriately.
There are many misconceptions about schizophrenia leading to questions like are schizophrenics dangerous? and can schizophrenia cause violence? Several myths about schizophrenia give rise to schizophrenia stereotypes that make it tough for the patients to cope with the already difficult disease.
Busting such myths, here are some interesting facts about schizophrenia.
Myth – Schizophrenia patients seem to have multiple personalities
Fact – One of the most common myths about schizophrenia is about schizophrenia causing multiple personalities. Most people believe that patients suffering from schizophrenia might have split personalities, meaning they act as two separate people. Schizophrenia multiple personalities is a myth as the patient does not have two personalities but they have lost touch with reality or have false ideas about the same. There is a condition known as Multiple Personality Disorder but it is totally unrelated to schizophrenia.
Myth – Schizophrenics are dangerous
Fact – One of the most important schizophrenia facts is that people suffering from this mental disorder are not violent or dangerous. It is true that most of the patients can behave unpredictably at times but if they are getting treated properly at the hospital and taking medications on time as prescribed by the doctor, then there are very fewer chances of the patient being violent to others. If the patient commits any act of violence, then in general, the behaviour may stem from problems of substance abuse which is very common among patients suffering from schizophrenia.
Myth – If the parents have schizophrenia then the child would definitely inherit the disease
Fact – Most often, the question doctors get asked is schizophrenia hereditary? As per experts, genetic factors do play a role in causing schizophrenia but if only one parent has schizophrenia, then the chances of the child getting the disease are only 10%. Notably, if more than one relative of the patient in question has schizophrenia then the risk of inheriting the disease increases.
Myth – Schizophrenics need to be isolated
Fact – These types of common myths about schizophrenia comes from unfair schizophrenia stereotypes that the people at large believe in. With the importance of mental health increasing in the society, the patients with schizophrenia do not have to commit themselves to a mental asylum or lead a life of isolation. Presently, patients who are suffering from this chronic mental disorder are advised to live with family or in community homes that support the needs of such patients.
Myth – People with schizophrenia cannot recover from the disease
Fact – Schizophrenia can be hard to treat but with the availability of medicines in the modern world and the changing mindset of people about medication, counseling, and psychotherapy, improvements are being seen. Presently, 50% of the population suffering from schizophrenia can go on to live full, productive lives with the help of lifelong treatment and medications.
Though the cause of schizophrenia is still unknown, researchers have found certain factors that have proven to increase the risk of schizophrenia in patients. These risk factors include the following conditions:
Even though these risk factors can increase the chances of an individual being diagnosed with schizophrenia, many patients are often seen who have not been exposed to these aspects of their life.
Schizophrenic disorders are a severe mental illness that can lead to several complications throughout life. The mental disorder needs lifelong treatment and should not be left untreated. The most common complications that might arise are:
Schizophrenia makes it difficult for people to attend school or work, giving rise to financial problems too.
Schizophrenic patients need to develop emotional and social coping mechanisms over time to deal with the symptoms. As discussed below, schizophrenic patients suffer from delusions which makes it tough for the doctors and the caregivers to convince them that they have a mental health disorder.
Initially, patients need to be monitored by family and close friends until they develop coping mechanisms to learn how to effectively control and regulate their emotions. Through regular psychotherapeutic interventions, counselling and peer support, the patients with schizophrenia can live a normal life devoid of frequent episodes or symptoms. Steps patients can take to lead a better life with schizophrenia:
There is no surefire way to prevent schizophrenia as the researchers have still not been able to figure out the actual causes that lead to the development of this disease. This means that the patients can only find out about their chronic disease after a confirmed diagnosis by a trained psychiatric health professional.
By following the doctor’s recommendations and attending regular psychotherapy sessions and support groups, you can be relatively symptom-free and lead a functional and meaningful life. Patients need to constantly educate themselves about the disease and cultivate ways to cope with the condition in consultation with their psychiatrist, family, and support groups.
It can be really stressful to deal with Schizophrenia or have a loved one dealing with the illness. Seeking help and support is essential to help patients lead functional lives. If you are staging an intervention for a loved one with Schizophrenia, ensure you follow these guidelines.
Schizophrenia recovery is possible with treatment that can help manage symptoms, live and work independently, and build satisfying relationships. Apart from medication, psychosocial treatment is also very important. For such treatment to work well, the trust factor between a patient and the mental health care profession is crucial as the patient needs to be hopeful about the recovery. Inpatient rehab facilities are apt for such treatments, as it is a stable and relaxing environment where all the medication and possible therapies are provided under one roof. It helps the mental health professional or the doctor to constantly monitor the patient’s condition.
At Cadabam’s world-class rehab facility, professionals curate a comprehensive and innovative residential treatment program designed to address Schizophrenia. Each treatment program is personalized as per the individual needs and expectations. This encourages the patients to have a contributing engagement in their recovery process.
Cadabams’ broad-spectrum assessments and evaluation processes are what makes it one of the finest and best schizophrenia treatment centres in India. Our clinicians use this information to design comprehensive and thoughtful treatment plans for the best possible outcome. Each plan offers individual psychotherapy and therapy groups in order to understand and heal the patient’s psychological and physical state.
Myth: In-patients will have no access to the outside world.
Fact: This aspect is partially true for a major reason. An external environment might trigger any schizophrenic episode so they will have limited access to the outside world. At Cadabams, our staff does everything possible to arrange fun activities and plan trips to make sure that the patient doesn’t feel completely isolated from the external world.
Myth: You can do it on your own
Fact: Patients cannot rely only on medicines or going to therapy twice a week. There’s a strong desire to quit especially when it comes to psychological problems. Schizophrenia rehabilitation centres provide expert advice to help the patient go through it. There’s an accountability of the mental health profession, the rehab structure, and support to help avoid falling back into the condition again.
Cadabams is a leading Mental Health Rehab which provides the best schizophrenia treatment in India and other serious mental illnesses. We also have a residential rehabilitation provision that is well equipped to provide the best treatment facilities for schizophrenia. Ask for a guided tour of our Schizophrenia treatment centre to understand why Cadabams is reputed to be the best mental health rehab centre in India.
There’s a misconception that there’s no treatment for mental illness like schizophrenia. It cannot be cured completely but it’s symptoms are treatable and manageable with medications, self-help and counselling therapies.
There are also various schizophrenia rehabilitation centres which provide residential facilities to treat the condition. Schizophrenics can keep their symptoms at bay through treatment and can live a meaning and functional life in society.
The diagnosis of schizophrenia consists of a series of physical exams, brain scans like MRI or CT scans, and psychiatric sessions. Few symptoms of schizophrenia are overlapping with other mental health conditions, hence there will be a period of observation before a conclusive diagnosis. Medication, psychosocial therapies like social skills training, or individual therapy, and a healthy diet can help treat the condition of schizophrenia.
Cadabams is India’s best schizophrenia help centre which offers the best clinical care and services to diagnose and treat all kinds of schizoaffective disorders and related conditions.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder which disrupts the thought process, emotions and behaviour of a person. Symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, agitation, lack of drive or initiative, social withdrawal, apathy, emotional unresponsiveness or lack of emotional expression – are a clear indication that someone might have schizophrenia and needs medical attention.
The risk factors for schizophrenia include brain development, brain structure and chemistry of the individual as well as genetics and environment.
What are the subtypes of schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia has the following subtypes.
Cadabams is among the best schizophrenia treatment centers, where all of these mood disorders and schizophrenic symptoms can be treated and managed. Reach out to us for a diagnosis if you suspect schizophrenia symptoms.
Both men and women can be affected equally by schizophrenia. Usually, the symptoms of schizophrenia show up when they are between 16 and 30 years of age. The disorder rarely occurs in children.
Why may people need schizophrenia rehabilitation and hospitalization, rather than outpatient care?
Schizophrenia can be a life-long condition with episodes recurring over time. In the case of a severe episode, it is safer to go for schizophrenia rehabilitation rather than attempting an outpatient treatment. Schizophrenia rehab centers are more equipped with specialized staff and doctors to intervene in case of a psychiatric emergency.
Schizophrenia rehabilitation centers and hospitals offer a better-protected environment to prevent them from harming themselves and others. Moreover, the patients will receive medical care and monitoring from trained professionals who can help them stabilize and concentrate on recovery.
This will also allow their families to compose themselves and participate in long-term treatment plans. Cadabam’s offers the best schizophrenia treatment in India with its exceptional team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social and healthcare workers, doctors, etc. at its rehabilitation center for schizophrenia.
What is the prognosis? Has a person with schizophrenia ever had a normal life?
Schizophrenia is a lifelong journey of treatment and self-help. However, adherence to the treatment protocol can help Schizophrenics become more self reliant. Support from caregivers and family members is essential to help those suffering from Schizophrenia manage their symptoms and lead anormal life.
Reach out to us on our 24/7 helpline at +91 96111 94949 or mail us on info@cadabams.org for any queries or support for schizophrenia and its treatment plans.
Living with schizophrenia can be quite tough. At Cadabams, we aim to help people get an early and speedy diagnosis for a better and healthy life. Our expert team of psychiatrists are the best in the country and hold two decades of experience in treating the most complex cases of schizophrenia.
Psychosocial Rehab – Aimed at reintegrating patients back into society to find purpose and dignity.
Developing awareness and understanding – Awareness about various aspects, such as causes and treatment of schizophrenia
Specific treatment goals – Milestone based treatment plans to keep patients motivated
Support help groups – Sharing individual experiences with a group of similar people
Stress management and relaxation techniques – Relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation may help
At Cadabams, we provide clean, modern, fully furnished accommodations with all the necessary creature comforts.
Kitchen and dining hall, laundry facilities, indoor games area, yoga and meditation hall, outdoor games area for cricket, badminton, Round the clock counsellor support, 24×7 ambulance on demand.
Our everyday menu is curated by Dieticians aimed at providing healthy and nutritious and tasty meals to satisfy everyone’s palate.
Recreation facilities such as TV, sports, gym, picnics and outings and more.
It’s not known as to what causes schizophrenia, but experts believe that a combination of brain chemistry, chemical imbalance in the brain, genetics, family relationships and environmental conditions contribute to the development of this disorder.
Certain issues with brain chemicals may develop the illness. Many research studies show the differences in the structure of the brain and the central nervous system (CNS) of the people with schizophrenia.
While some researchers are not certain about the importance of the changes as they indicate that it is a brain-related disease.
Signs and symptoms of schizophrenia vary from person to person, depending on the individuals. The early symptoms of schizophrenia include –
Schizophrenic people can exhibit signs of reduced physical or mental activity by sitting in one place and doing nothing for hours. On the other hand, they can exhibit signs of a high level of excitement by shouting, talking fast and acting in a violent manner.
The extreme symptoms of schizophrenia can be classified into three categories:
Negative symptoms for schizophrenic people also include apathy, appearing completely indifferent to things going on around them and showing no interest in taking part. They may spend all day doing nothing to the degree that they may even neglect personal hygiene.
The symptoms of schizophrenia are numerous and can mimic other mental health challenges, such as depression and bipolar disorder. There is no litmus test for diagnosing schizophrenia; only a psychiatrist can correctly diagnose and treat it.
Schizophrenia, if left untreated, can lead to severe health issues that can affect all the areas of life. Some of the complications or effects which schizophrenia can cause include: