Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental illness. It affects one’s thought process, the way they act, express emotions, perceive reality and relate to others. People with Schizophrenia have problems doing well in society, work, school, and relationships. They feel frightened and withdrawn.

There is no cure for Schizophrenia. However, one can manage the illness with proper treatment. Here are some symptoms of Schizophrenia.

Symptoms Of Schizophrenia

Delusions

If you see a person having symptoms of Schizophrenia, they stick to false beliefs that are not real. They would constantly feel that someone is out there to hurt them, pass comments on them, have exceptional ability or another person is in love with them or a disaster is waiting to happen. Delusions occur in most cases of schizophrenia.

Hallucinations

Have you seen movies showcasing someone who sees or hears things that don’t exist? People with this illness can have hallucinations about any sense but hearing voices is the most common form of hallucination. Since auditory hallucinations are the most common form of hallucinations, they often include hearing sounds, especially whispering and murmuring. The voices might be angry and often make demands from the person.

Disorganised Thinking

People with Schizophrenia have disorganised thinking and speech. It is known as Clanging. They answer others’ questions partially or give unrelated answers. Signs of disorganised thinking include rapidly shifting between topics, repeating the same things repeatedly and made-up words.

Abnormal Motor Behaviour

People with Schizophrenia show gestures such as childlike silliness to unpredictable agitation. You can see a resistance to follow instructions, bizarre positions, a complete lack of response, giggling, self-absorbed smiling, making odd faces and excessive movement. In some rare cases, the person shows catatonic behaviours, such as keeping a rigid posture for long periods.

Negative Symptoms

Negative symptoms include a lack of ability to function normally. For example, the person might neglect their hygiene or lack of emotions. They lose interest in everyday activities, lose the ability to experience pleasure and avoid their friends.

Prevention Of Schizophrenia

There is no cure for Schizophrenia. However, there are ways to prevent and manage the symptoms of this illness through medication and therapy.

Antipsychotic Medicines

These antipsychotic medicines are effective in reducing symptoms of Schizophrenia. They relieve the active symptoms and prevent them from recurring. Antipsychotics for Schizophrenia include:

Risperidone
Clozapine
Paliperidone
Iloperidone
Psychotherapy

You can manage most mental illnesses with the help of Psychotherapy. CBT or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a form of psychotherapy. It focuses on identifying the symptoms, developing coping mechanisms and developing supportive responses to the stressors.