Schizophrenia
The Wholesome Psychiatry provides comprehensive mental health services for adults that have been suffering with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder symptoms.
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. It impacts an individual’s perceptions, emotions, and behavior throughout their life. It causes patients to perceive the world abnormally. This disorder can be dangerous, both for the patient and those around them.
The causes and symptoms can vary among individuals. Schizophrenia affects about one percent of the population, appearing equally in both men and women, though symptoms tend to begin earlier in men. The disorder is present in all ethnic groups. Rarely have children under the age of 16 been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
What causes schizophrenia?
The exact cause of schizophrenia isn’t clear, but it may be a combination of genetics, environmental factors, and brain chemistry. Studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia have central nervous system and brain structure differences that may contribute to their disorder. Imbalances in certain brain chemicals, including glutamate and dopamine, may also play a role in the development of schizophrenia.
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
Some of the most common symptoms of schizophrenia include:
- False beliefs that aren’t based in reality (delusions)
- Seeing or hearing things that aren’t real (hallucinations)
- Disorganized thinking and/or speech
- Abnormal movements, such as strange posture or excessive movement
- Poor hygiene
- Thoughts of suicide and/or suicide attempts
The symptoms may vary based on the age of the patient, the severity of the disorder, and other factors.
What treatments are available to treat schizophrenia?
Most people with schizophrenia will need at least one medication to control their symptoms, and many patients will need multiple prescriptions. The psychiatric provider at Wholesome Psychiatry will work closely with the patient to find a combination of medications that works effectively.
In addition to taking medication, patients with schizophrenia may also benefit from individual therapy, social skills training, and vocational training. Patients experiencing severe symptoms because of schizophrenia may need to be hospitalized, either temporarily or permanently. Family members and caretakers of patients with this disorder should be vigilant and report any significant behavioral changes or symptoms they notice so that the patient can get the treatment they need.