Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia interferes with the mental functioning of a person and, in the long term, may cause changes to a person's personality. The onset of the illness may be rapid, with acute symptoms developing over several weeks, or it may be slow, developing over months or even years. During onset, the person often withdraws from others, gets depressed and anxious and develops extreme fears or obsessions.
The major symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder. Other symptoms include loss of drive, blunted expression of emotions, social withdrawal, lack of insight or awareness of other conditions and thinking difficulties.
Schizophrenia interferes with the mental functioning of a person and, in the long term, may cause changes to a person's personality. The onset of the illness may be rapid, with acute symptoms developing over several weeks, or it may be slow, developing over months or even years. During onset, the person often withdraws from others, gets depressed and anxious and develops extreme fears or obsessions.
The major symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder. Other symptoms include loss of drive, blunted expression of emotions, social withdrawal, lack of insight or awareness of other conditions and thinking difficulties.
Schizophrenia
FACT: Schizophrenia is an illness that causes a person to have difficulty in deciding what is real and what is not real.
Schizophrenia is a word that most people have heard of but may not know what it really means, what causes it and what can be done to treat it.
FACT: It is NOT having more that one personality or a split personality (e.g. Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde).
In Australia one in 100 people are diagnosed as having Schizophrenia. When you think about it like this then it is easy to imagine how many people, like you, have a friend or family member who has Schizophrenia. The symptoms of Schizophrenia usually develop during a person's teenage or early adult years. The symptoms tend to develop for the first time during a stressful time in a person's life, such as moving from school to work or university.
Equal numbers of men and women are at risk of developing Schizophrenia.
The symptoms of Schizophrenia can be treated and controlled by the use of medication. Unfortunately, there is no know cure for Schizophrenia but research continues into the causes and possible cures of Schizophrenia.
Before a diagnosis can be made things, such as drug taking or brain damage, need to be ruled out. A person who takes drugs, such as marijuana, LSD, heroin or amphetamines (speed) can experience some of the same symptoms included jumbled and confused thoughts, believing things that are not real (delusions), or hearing voices (hallucinations). The big difference between someone who only takes drugs, like speed, and someone who has Schizophrenia is that the person with Schizophrenia has these symptoms all the time. It is dangerous for someone with Schizophrenia to use illegal drugs (LSD, speed, heroin) because it can make symptoms worse.
George's Story
Things weren't going too well for George. He had problems sleeping when he did he had nightmares. George was afraid to go to school because he was hearing voices that told him that the other students were planning to kill him. He kept telling his friends that they smelt, secretly though; he believed that someone had planted stink bombs on all his friends. He believed that he could help them get rid of the smell by reading the Bible. Chris, George's brother, knew that something was wrong with George but his friends hassled him about George being a 'weirdo' he felt embarrassed and ashamed.
Major signs (symptoms) of Schizophrenia include:
1.Changes in behaviour and feelings
2.Thought disorder
3.Delusions
4.Hallucinations
5.Withdrawal
6.Loss of initiative, energy and motivation
1. Major changes in behaviour and feelings.
A person who may have been outgoing may become withdrawn and refuse to speak to anybody.
People with Schizophrenia may act or behave differently from other people around them. They may laugh at something sad or may have difficulty letting others know how they feel. For example, not being able to hug family members or smile as much as they used to. People with Schizophrenia may move between feeling sad and depressed to feeling excited even though there is no obvious reason for this change.
2. Thought disorder.
It may become difficult to understand the logic (thinking processes) that the person with Schizophrenia uses. When someone has Schizophrenia it may be hard forthem to concentrate on one topic, they may jump from one subject to another. They may feel that other people are interfering with or controlling their thoughts.
3. Delusions.
Delusions are false beliefs that, for example, in 'George's story', his belief that someone had planted stink bombs on his friends was very real for him even though his friends knew it was impossible and not true. Delusions can also mean that the person with Schizophrenia believes that other people can read or control her / his mind.
It is almost impossible to convince people having delusions that what they believe is not true. For that person, the delusions are very real.
4. Hallucinations.
A person may hear voices when no-one is speaking. These voices often tell the person about things that are untrue. These voices are called hallucinations. The voice that George was hearing that told him that other students were plotting to kill him was a hallucination. A person having hallucinations may hear the voice of someone who is not there telling them to act in a certain way. The voice could be that of the Prime Minister, God, a family member or friend. The voices may tell the person to do things they would not normally do.
Hallucinations may make the person's behaviour unpredictable. This can be very confusing for family and friends.
The most common type of hallucination is hearing voices other people cannot hear. Hallucinations can also include seeing, smelling, feeling or tasting something that is not there.
5. Withdrawal.
A person with Schizophrenia may not want to be around people, like George not wanting to go to school. Withdrawing from other people can even mean hiding away in a bedroom, leaving a room when other people com in or not joining in the discussion or activity. If someone with Schizophrenia walks away from you it just means they can not cope with another person's company or too much noise. This does not mean that you have done anything wrong, it is part of the illness.
6. Loss of initiative, energy and motivation.
The person may not have the energy to do simple things. This can include not having the energy, initiative or motivation to have a shower, cook a meal or get out of bed.
FACT: Schizophrenia is an illness that causes a person to have difficulty in deciding what is real and what is not real.
Schizophrenia is a word that most people have heard of but may not know what it really means, what causes it and what can be done to treat it.
FACT: It is NOT having more that one personality or a split personality (e.g. Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde).
In Australia one in 100 people are diagnosed as having Schizophrenia. When you think about it like this then it is easy to imagine how many people, like you, have a friend or family member who has Schizophrenia. The symptoms of Schizophrenia usually develop during a person's teenage or early adult years. The symptoms tend to develop for the first time during a stressful time in a person's life, such as moving from school to work or university.
Equal numbers of men and women are at risk of developing Schizophrenia.
The symptoms of Schizophrenia can be treated and controlled by the use of medication. Unfortunately, there is no know cure for Schizophrenia but research continues into the causes and possible cures of Schizophrenia.
Before a diagnosis can be made things, such as drug taking or brain damage, need to be ruled out. A person who takes drugs, such as marijuana, LSD, heroin or amphetamines (speed) can experience some of the same symptoms included jumbled and confused thoughts, believing things that are not real (delusions), or hearing voices (hallucinations). The big difference between someone who only takes drugs, like speed, and someone who has Schizophrenia is that the person with Schizophrenia has these symptoms all the time. It is dangerous for someone with Schizophrenia to use illegal drugs (LSD, speed, heroin) because it can make symptoms worse.
George's Story
Things weren't going too well for George. He had problems sleeping when he did he had nightmares. George was afraid to go to school because he was hearing voices that told him that the other students were planning to kill him. He kept telling his friends that they smelt, secretly though; he believed that someone had planted stink bombs on all his friends. He believed that he could help them get rid of the smell by reading the Bible. Chris, George's brother, knew that something was wrong with George but his friends hassled him about George being a 'weirdo' he felt embarrassed and ashamed.
Major signs (symptoms) of Schizophrenia include:
1.Changes in behaviour and feelings
2.Thought disorder
3.Delusions
4.Hallucinations
5.Withdrawal
6.Loss of initiative, energy and motivation
1. Major changes in behaviour and feelings.
A person who may have been outgoing may become withdrawn and refuse to speak to anybody.
People with Schizophrenia may act or behave differently from other people around them. They may laugh at something sad or may have difficulty letting others know how they feel. For example, not being able to hug family members or smile as much as they used to. People with Schizophrenia may move between feeling sad and depressed to feeling excited even though there is no obvious reason for this change.
2. Thought disorder.
It may become difficult to understand the logic (thinking processes) that the person with Schizophrenia uses. When someone has Schizophrenia it may be hard forthem to concentrate on one topic, they may jump from one subject to another. They may feel that other people are interfering with or controlling their thoughts.
3. Delusions.
Delusions are false beliefs that, for example, in 'George's story', his belief that someone had planted stink bombs on his friends was very real for him even though his friends knew it was impossible and not true. Delusions can also mean that the person with Schizophrenia believes that other people can read or control her / his mind.
It is almost impossible to convince people having delusions that what they believe is not true. For that person, the delusions are very real.
4. Hallucinations.
A person may hear voices when no-one is speaking. These voices often tell the person about things that are untrue. These voices are called hallucinations. The voice that George was hearing that told him that other students were plotting to kill him was a hallucination. A person having hallucinations may hear the voice of someone who is not there telling them to act in a certain way. The voice could be that of the Prime Minister, God, a family member or friend. The voices may tell the person to do things they would not normally do.
Hallucinations may make the person's behaviour unpredictable. This can be very confusing for family and friends.
The most common type of hallucination is hearing voices other people cannot hear. Hallucinations can also include seeing, smelling, feeling or tasting something that is not there.
5. Withdrawal.
A person with Schizophrenia may not want to be around people, like George not wanting to go to school. Withdrawing from other people can even mean hiding away in a bedroom, leaving a room when other people com in or not joining in the discussion or activity. If someone with Schizophrenia walks away from you it just means they can not cope with another person's company or too much noise. This does not mean that you have done anything wrong, it is part of the illness.
6. Loss of initiative, energy and motivation.
The person may not have the energy to do simple things. This can include not having the energy, initiative or motivation to have a shower, cook a meal or get out of bed.
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