Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that can affect people of any age or gender. However, it most commonly begins in the teenage years or early adulthood. Sadly, due to a lack of understanding, many people still rely on traditional healers or spiritual rituals to treat it rather than seeking proper medical help.
In some cases, patients are even abused in the name of treatment.
Most of people don’t realize that schizophrenia can be managed effectively with modern medical care.
Signs and Symptoms
Common sign of schizophrenia is having false beliefs, which are called delusions. People with the condition might believe that others are spying on them, trying to harm them, or taking control of their thoughts. They might think someone is reading their mind or putting thoughts into their head. These beliefs usually seem strange or unrealistic to others.
Hallucinations are also common. This means the person sees, hears, smells or feels things that aren’t really there.
For example, they may hear voices when no one is speaking. These experiences can be very real to the person even though there’s no actual cause.
People with schizophrenia might sometimes act differently than usual. Some may take off their clothes in public, avoid bathing or cleaning themselves, talk to themselves or become aggressive without a clear reason.
Their speech can become confusing. They may lose interest in work, neglect self-care, speak little and avoid others. These symptoms hinder studying, working, relationships and sometimes lead to feelings of hopelessness or risk of harm.
Causes Schizophrenia
There isn’t just one cause of schizophrenia. It usually happens because of a combination of genetics, biology, and environment. If someone has a close family member or friend in this condition. They can get over it easily. Other possible causes include complications during birth, childhood trauma or abuse, losing a loved one, serious accidents, drug use, and stressful life events like failing exams or losing a job.
Treatment
The positive news is that schizophrenia can be treated and most people can feel better with the right help.
The main treatment is antipsychotic medication. These medicines take time to work, so it’s important for patients to follow the doctor’s advice and not stop the medication suddenly, even if they feel better.
In some cases, if a patient is violent, suicidal or refusing to eat or take medication, a short hospital stay may be needed.
Other treatments may include Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), family education, counseling, skill-building programs, and occupational therapy. These can help patients recover and improve their quality of life.
People with schizophrenia can live happy and healthy lives if they get the right support and care. Instead of judging or isolating them, we should encourage treatment and offer understanding and care.
