Schizophrenia is a severe mental health illness that impacts how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. It can run in families, and it can be highly complex for those living with this illness and their families due to the troubling symptoms it can present. There is currently no cure, and schizophrenia is a lifelong illness.
Schizophrenia often starts in early adulthood; according to The National Alliance on Mental Illness, schizophrenia can occur at any age, with the majority of diagnoses being between 13 and 30 for males and late 20s and early 30s for females. It is highly uncommon for people to be diagnosed with schizophrenia under 13 or over 40.
Living with Schizophrenia
For people living with schizophrenia, there can often be distressing symptoms that will alter how they live, behave, and see the world. These symptoms can include withdrawing from social activities, changing friendship groups, having sleep issues, changes in mood, and unusual thoughts in the early days before they present as more worrying symptoms.
It’s important to note that not all individuals with schizophrenia will experience all these symptoms, and the severity can vary from person to person.
Typically, there is usually a family history of psychosis, although this isn’t true for all cases.
From here, schizophrenia can cause a person to experience hallucinations such as hearing voices, smelling scents that aren’t there, and seeing things that aren’t real. While those around them will know they aren’t real to the person they are, it can be extremely upsetting and troubling, even threatening.
People might also be plagued by delusions that manifest as trouble thinking or concentrating and a refusal to believe facts even when presented with them, cognitive and disorganized thinking, and negative symptoms, including being disconnected or emotionally flat with little to no interest in life, among others.
Diagnosing schizophrenia isn’t easy, and doctors will need to get to the cause of the symptoms; in some cases, people using certain drugs can experience schizophrenia symptoms.
However, the main difficulty is that the person themselves won’t believe they have the condition, making it harder to treat them. This is why early diagnosis and intervention are crucial.
Treatment for Schizophrenia
Treating schizophrenia can involve taking medications for life to help keep the symptoms under control and facilitate as normal a life as possible for those with the condition.
But a diagnosis of this magnitude can be unsettling and difficult to come to terms with for both the people and their loved ones. This is where treatment facilities can be beneficial.
Choosing to undergo mental health treatment, either as an inpatient or outpatient or with particle hospitalization, can aid recovery and allow people to develop the tools and skills they need to move forward with their lives and get things back on track.
Living with a mental health condition is never easy, but the support delivered by professionals expertly qualified in this area, as well as the understanding and patience of family and friends, can make a significant difference. You can rely on them to help you overcome your challenges and uncover a new way of life post-diagnosis supported by ongoing medication and treatment.
If you’re concerned about a loved one who might be experiencing a schizophrenic episode or is struggling to come to terms with a diagnosis, or you are a patient who feels they need more support, remember that help is always available. Contact us today to discover how we can assist you on this journey.
