Types of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder affecting about 1% of the population. With multiple types and subtypes, schizophrenia can be difficult to treat but with the right treatment approach and schizophrenia care plan, it can be managed effectively. 

We, at Cadabams, put our 3 decades of experience in schizophrenia treatment and formulate personalised treatment plans that work best for you or your loved one. Not just the individual suffering from schizophrenia, our holistic treatment plan caters to the caregiver’s needs as well in ensuring steady recovery. At Cadabams, we care for you.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that includes variations in expression or perception of reality. It may consist of auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), paranoid delusions, confused speech, disorganized thoughts, and significant social or professional dysfunction.

Schizophrenia is a serious medical condition that affects the individual’s life and alters the way they think, speak, feel, and act. The individual suffering from schizophrenia  finds it difficult to differentiate between their imagination and reality. These episodes can appear in various ways under different situations in the same individual. The condition usually begins in late pre-adulthood or youthful adulthood. 

There are different types of schizophrenia disorders, which are described below.

Types of Schizophrenia

Paranoid Schizophrenia Disorder:

The most common subcategory of schizophrenia is the paranoid type, otherwise called paranoid schizophrenia or paranoid delusion. The individuals suffering from this type of schizophrenia intensively lose in psychosis which might vary at random intervals causing the individual to lose touch with the real world and experience heavy fear and anxiety. Additionally, they will develop a case of social withdrawal.

Symptoms:

• Delusional disorder
• Low self-esteem
• Paranoid personality disorder
• Psychosis
• Sleep deprivation

Hebephrenic Schizophrenia Disorder:

It’s also termed disorganized schizophrenia. In this condition, the individual encounters illogical thoughts and behaviors. These actions are highly influenced by the combination of natural and environmental factors, and sometimes, because of hereditary factors too. If left untreated, it may become a lifelong condition.

Symptoms:

• Difficulty feeling pleasure
• False, fixed beliefs
• Grimacing
• Lack of motivation
• Strange behavior

Catatonic Schizophrenia Disorder:

This is a rare kind of schizophrenia. This disorder type contains a group of symptoms that highly influence and escalate symptoms of schizophrenia. The symptoms are different and severe, compared to all other types of schizophrenia.

Symptoms:

• Stupor- No response and movement in the individual’s body and mind
• Catalepsy- Unusual postures
• Waxy flexibility – if an individual’s body part is placed in a position, it won’t move until someone else moves it
• Mutism – counted verbal responses
• Echolalia – mimicking another person’s speech

Undifferentiated Schizophrenia Disorder:

The individual with this subtype might not fit in a specified classification. Rather, they will show traditional “positive” and “negative” symptoms which oscillate over a period of time. This may increase the patient’s confidence levels or cripple their mental health with consistent bouts of anxiety and fear.  

Symptoms:

• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Disorganized speech
• Catatonic behavior
• Negative symptoms

Residual Schizophrenia Disorder:

In this type of schizophrenia, the individual may face a long-term history of negative symptoms (psychomotor slowing). On certain occasions, they may experience some positive symptoms too.

Symptoms:

• Depressed mood
• Emotional blunting
• Illogical thinking
• Poor communication
• Inactivity in body and mind

Childhood Schizophrenia:

Schizophrenia diagnosis can be common in children, but the signs surface during the teen years or early 20s. The most important recognizable symptoms occur before the person reaches 13 years of age. The early onset of the disease is known as childhood schizophrenia. The symptoms of childhood schizophrenia include the following:

• The child is unusually fearful or anxious, and they are paranoid in most situations.
• When the child claims to hear voices or sees things that are unnatural, pointing to early signs of hallucinations.
• They experience a loss of interest in self-care and do not pay attention to personal hygiene.
• Sudden deterioration in academic performance
• Abrupt mood swings 
• Changes in sleep patterns or being unable to sleep at all
• Unwarranted changes in behavior patterns

Treatment for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia treatment includes a combination of medications, therapy sessions, social support, and lifestyle changes to help reduce the symptoms’ progression. Even if a person with schizophrenia feels better within a few months of treatment, long term treatment for schizophrenia is crucial to avoid new episodes and to effectively manage symptoms of different schizophrenia types and subtypes.

Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can prevent complications. There is no single health test or brain scan that can suffice for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Since the doctors are still unaware of the exact cause of schizophrenia, determining how to treat schizophrenia will include multiple psychometric tests and exams that have to be done before confirming the diagnosis. 

These health exams begin with understanding the entire medical history of the patient and their family, followed by several blood tests, physical exams, and imaging tests like Computed Tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and/or psychometric assessments. For the final step and confirmed diagnosis, the patient should experience symptoms of ‘positive’ schizophrenia, within one month; these symptoms are hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech. 

There is no standard way to treat schizophrenia, but different schizophrenia subtypes are treated with various types of schizophrenia disorders treatments. When the patient receives proper treatment, they have high chances of leading a productive life. The treatments can relieve many symptoms. Here are the various types of schizophrenia treatments done at Cadabams Hospitals – 

• Medication: It helps stop hallucinations, delusions, and wards off the symptoms of psychosis. 
• Schizophrenia Rehabilitation: Schizophrenia treatments often include certain social measures that can help individuals improve their social and communication skills. Along with social training, schizophrenia rehabilitation centers include individual counseling and group counseling to help the patient cope with the symptoms of schizophrenia. 
• Vocational rehabilitation: 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 or learn new skills to lead a productive life. 
• Alternative treatments for schizophrenia: 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 proper nutritious diet management.

Why Cadabams? 

Cadabams is one of the best schizophrenia treatment centers in India.  Our expert medical team believes in using holistic approaches to treat schizophrenia and help individuals deal with their daily life smoothly.  If you or your loved one needs professional help,  reach out to us on our 24×7 helpline +91 96111 94949. We are here to help!