Schizophrenia

GENERAL INFORMATION:

What is schizophrenia? Schizophrenia (skiz-oh-FRE-nee-ah) is a mental disease that affects how your brain works. This disease may change how you think, feel and behave. You may not be able to know what is real and what is not real. Your thoughts may be not clear, or may jump from one topic to another.

What causes schizophrenia? Caregivers do not exactly know what causes schizophrenia. The following may put you at a higher risk for getting schizophrenia:

• Hereditary: Having a family member with schizophrenia.
  
  
• Environmental triggers: Harmful substances such as amphetamines and opiates.
  
  
• Psychological stressors: Extremely stressful events and accidents.

What are the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia? Caregivers often classify the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia into:

• Positive symptoms: These are new or added symptoms. They are also called psychotic symptoms.
  
  
  • Delusions: Delusions are false ideas. People may believe that someone is spying on him, or that they are someone famous.
    
    
  • Hallucinations: Seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing or smelling something that is not real. The most common hallucination is hearing voices.
    
    
  • Disordered thinking and speech: When talking, the person moves from one subject to another in a way that does not make sense. They may make up their own words or sounds.
  
  
• Negative symptoms: These are lost or missing symptoms.
  
  
  • Emotional unresponsiveness: Having a flat affect (no facial expressions, dull voice).
    
    
  • Extreme apathy: Lack of feelings or emotions in everyday life situations.
    
    
  • Lack of drive or initiative: A decrease or loss of ability to start and continue a planned activity.
    
    
  • Social withdrawal: Avoiding gatherings or get-togethers with family and friends.
  
  
• Cognitive symptoms: These are problems with attention, memory, and your ability to plan and organize things.
  
  
  • Not able to make decisions.
    
    
  • Memory problems.
    
    
  • Poor ability to understand information.
    
    
  • Poor problem solving skills.
    
    
  • Problems in attention and concentration (focusing on one task).

How is schizophrenia diagnosed? You must have two or more of the following symptoms during a one-month period:

• Delusions.
  
  
• Hallucinations.
  
  
• Disordered thinking or speech.
  
  
• Negative symptoms.

• Your symptoms last for at least six months.
  
  
• Your relationship with the family and community has worsened. Your ability to work and to take care of yourself has also gotten worse.
  
  
• You have no other mental illness (including mood disorders, bipolar disorder or major depression).
  
  
• You have no history of substance abuse (such as repeated use of drugs, alcohol, or both).

How is schizophrenia treated? You may need the following treatments:

• Medicines:
  
  
  • Anti-anxiety medicine: This medicine may be given to help you feel less nervous and more relaxed.
    
    
  • Anti-depressants: These medicines help with symptoms of depression.
    
    
  • Anti-parkinson's: These medicines help control muscle stiffness, twitches and restlessness caused by anti-psychotic medicines.
    
    
  • Anti-psychotics: These medicines decrease positive (psychotic) symptoms or severe agitation.
    
    
  • Mood stabilizer: These medicines help control mood swings (being very happy one moment then very angry the next).
    
    
  • Tranquilizers: These medicines are calming and relaxing.
  
  
• Psychosocial therapy:
  
  
  • Assertive community treatment: This treatment is also called ACT. A team of caregivers and support groups in your own community help you with your therapy.
    
    
  • Cognitive behavior therapy: This therapy helps you to change your behavior. It will help you handle symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.
    
    
  • Family psychoeducation: Your family will be part of your therapy.
    
    
  • Social skills training: This trains you how to get along with other people.
    
    
  • Supported employment: This is a form of therapy where you are placed into a job that fits you. It will help give you independence and self-confidence.
    
    
  • Teaching illness-management skills: This type of therapy teaches you what you can do to help manage your disease.
  
  
• Electroconvulsive therapy: This is also called ECT. Caregivers use a small amount of electricity to the brain. This treatment is used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia.

How do I find support and more information? Schizophrenia is a life-changing disease for you and your family. Accepting that you have schizophrenia is hard. You and those close to you may feel angry, sad, or frightened. Talk to your caregivers, family, or friends about your feelings. You may also want to join a support group with other people who have schizophrenia. Ask your caregiver for contact information for support groups. Contact the following for more information:

• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
  Colonial Place Three, 2107 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300
  Arlington, VA 22201
  Phone: 1-703-524-7600
  Phone: 1-800-950-6264
  Web Address: http://www.nami.org
  

• National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
  60 Cutter Mill Road, Suite 404
  Great Neck, NY 11021
  Phone: 1-800-829-8289
  Web Address: www.narsad.org
  

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Public Information & Communication Branch
  6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663
  Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
  Phone: 1-301-443-4513
  Phone: 1-866-615-6464
  Web Address: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
  

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

Link to this page

Printable Version

Email Page