Information about schizophrenia, including its symptoms, potential treatments, useful tips you can try now and into the future, and how to seek professional help.
Conditions
Let’s talk about schizophrenia
Overview
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects the person’s ability to think, feel, and behave. It leads to behaviours involving hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behaviour, combined usually with other kinds of illusions. It is not synonymous with many people’s distortions that it comprises multiple personalities. Identifying and treating this disease implies a well-established understanding and approach.
Symptoms
Signs to watch
It’s important to note that schizophrenia symptoms can vary greatly among individuals. Some may experience a few symptoms, while others may experience many. Only a healthcare provider can diagnose schizophrenia. Symptoms can be of three types: positive, negative, and cognitive.
Positive Symptoms
Hallucinations, delusions, and disorders of thought, such as:
- Hallucinations: Hearing or seeing things that are not really there.
- Delusions: Firmly held beliefs that are not true .
- Disorganised Thinking: Disorganisation of thoughts such that proper arrangement for clear communication of speech is not possible.
Negative Symptoms
These reflect a decline or absence of normal emotional and behavioural expressions, such as:
- Affective Flattening: The decrease in the range of feelings or emotions displayed; one effect may be a dull, blank facial expression.
- Alogia: A poverty of speech, a general lack of responsiveness in conversation.
- Anhedonia: The inability to experience pleasure.
- Avolition: An inability or unwillingness to set goals and accomplish them; also experienced as a lack.
Cognitive Symptoms
These are problems in attention and memory and in executive functions, which include:
- Deficits in Executive Functions: That is, trouble processing information and coming to a decision.
- Attention Deficit: Trouble focusing your attention
- Deficits in Working Memory: Difficulty in using information immediately after learning it.
Treatments
What Works: Proven Strategies
The treatment usually administered involves the use of medications, therapy, and supportive services. This is what helps:
- Medication: Antipsychotic drugs treat and help reduce the frequency of symptoms.
- Psychotherapy: May help mitigate symptoms and improve one’s overall functioning through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), supportive therapy, and family therapy.
- Social Skills Training: This helps people improve their social interactions and day-to-day functionality.
- Vocational Rehabilitation: Programs that help patients find and maintain employed.
- Supportive Services: Community support services, housing and vocational assistance can pull up quality of life dramatically.
Tips & Tricks
Try for today
Let’s focus on what you can do right now, manageable and simple strategies that can help you navigate through the day. Here are some suggestions for “Try for today”:
Tips & Tricks
Try for tomorrow
Now, let’s focus on what you can do to grow and get better. Here we share some proactive strategies and resources that can help you not just survive, but thrive, as you journey towards managing schizophrenia.
Seek Help
When to seek professional help
If you or a loved one shows symptoms of schizophrenia, seeking professional help immediately is important. Early intervention and treatment have a profound difference in recovery rate and quality of life. Probably only mental health professionals are adequately equipped to diagnose and offer appropriate treatment and aftercare support.
Dr Sarah Herniman
Clinical Psychologist
Sarah is an AHPRA-registered Clinical Psychologist, and is dedicated to helping individuals lead fulfilling lives. Learn more about Dr Sarah
