{"id":724,"date":"2018-10-06T19:49:01","date_gmt":"2018-10-06T14:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yza.ec2.mytemp.website\/blog\/?p=724"},"modified":"2018-10-16T10:32:59","modified_gmt":"2018-10-16T05:02:59","slug":"what-is-schizophrenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/what-is-schizophrenia\/","title":{"rendered":"What is schizophrenia and what should you know if someone has been diagnosed with it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019ve watched \u2018A Beautiful Mind\u2019, you may know about John Nash, the Nobel laureate whose life is chronicled in the movie. While John Nash was a brilliant mathematician, he also happened to suffer from schizophrenia – a serious mental disorder characterized by hallucinations and paranoia, among other symptoms.<\/p>\n

So what is schizophrenia exactly? To begin with, it\u2019s much more than what can be explained in a movie \u2013 and each patient experiences it differently. Some scientists believe that the condition is linked to developmental issues in the frontal cortex of the brain, while others maintain it is caused by the elimination of essential connections between nerve cells \u2013 a process that takes place as the brain matures.<\/p>\n

Whatever the cause, schizophrenia is a condition that requires medical intervention and support \u2013 however, it shouldn\u2019t stop anyone from leading a rich meaningful life; or making great contributions to society like John Nash.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia, or know somebody who has, take heart because it\u2019s never as bad as it seems. Here are a few things you should know to get started with.<\/p>\n

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Symptoms and manifestations<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Before its onset, schizophrenia sometimes does give warning signs, but since these symptoms mirror those of other common problems\/disorders, they can be hard to catch. For example, a teenager with schizophrenia may become more withdrawn, may drop off from his usual group of friends, have trouble sleeping, etc. Pay more attention to these symptoms if the person in question is at risk for schizophrenia, because catching the disease before it becomes full-blown can help delay its onset and improve prognosis.<\/p>\n

If someone is already suffering from schizophrenia, the symptoms are more severe and can include:<\/p>\n

Hallucinations<\/strong> \u2013 Hearing voices or experiencing smells that others don\u2019t<\/p>\n

Delusions<\/strong> \u2013 Believing things even if they are proved untrue or seem bizarre \u2013 such as imagining that they have super powers, or that they are being sent divine messages through the television, or believing that the radio can hear their thoughts, or that everybody is out to hurt them<\/p>\n

Trouble thinking<\/strong> \u2013 Having difficulty organizing thoughts, having \u2018misty\u2019, \u2018hazy\u2019 thoughts, or losing a thought mid-way<\/p>\n

Movement disorders<\/strong> \u2013 Moving the body again and again as if upset, or not moving or responding at all<\/p>\n

Behavioral changes<\/strong> \u2013 Becoming more disorganized and unpredictable in their lifestyle, behavior and appearance \u2013 for example, getting extremely agitated or shouting for no apparent reason<\/p>\n

Negative changes<\/strong> \u2013 Losing interest in life, disassociating from society, from people<\/p>\n

If you or somebody you know is experiencing these symptoms and has not yet been diagnosed, it\u2019s crucial to seek help immediately.<\/p>\n

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Diagnosing schizophrenia <\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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This is easier said than done, since many symptoms of schizophrenia overlap with other disorders. However, a specialist in mental health will be able to assess and provide a correct diagnosis. A thorough check-up may include:<\/p>\n

Physical examination<\/strong>: To check for other complications and rule out other similar disorders<\/p>\n

Imaging tests:<\/strong> MRI, CT scans may be recommended to further evaluate the condition and provide a conclusive diagnosis<\/p>\n

Psychiatric evaluation:<\/strong> To check mental status of the patient by observing and asking questions<\/p>\n

Diagnostic checklist:<\/strong> A check-up conducted in line with the parameters mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders<\/p>\n

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So you have schizophrenia \u2013 what should you do?<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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It can be terribly hard to process and accept a schizophrenia diagnosis, but as mentioned before, with some lifestyle changes and the right medication and support, one can expect to lead a healthy, happy and productive life. That said, it is important to note that you shouldn\u2019t sweep schizophrenia under the rug, or assume that the patient can control the disease with their willpower \u2013 schizophrenia is a physiological disorder which requires proper medical intervention.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s what you can do to start with:<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Medication<\/strong> \u2013 Drugs called antipsychotics can be used to treat schizophrenia; however it may take time to find the right medication strategy, and the right dosage, in order to keep side effects in check. Find a doctor who is patient and listens to your inputs on the treatment strategy.<\/p>\n

Counseling \u2013<\/strong> Talking to a qualified counsellor is crucial in coping with the disease \u2013 and especially so for family, friends and caregivers. A specific kind of talk therapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy has also proved beneficial in helping patients deal with confused thinking, while metacognitive training (MCT) helps patients understand and deal with thought patterns in psychosis.<\/p>\n

Support groups<\/strong> \u2013 Dealing with schizophrenia can be frightening and exhausting – and more so when you\u2019re the patient and feel like nobody understands what you\u2019re going through, however well-meaning they are. But remember, you are not in this alone. At this very moment, there are thousands of people who are going through the same struggle as you. Joining local support groups where people with similar disorders get together to share their experiences can help you in your own journey and provide you with some much-needed mental and emotional support.<\/p>\n

Self-help<\/strong> \u2013 Through it all, remember to take care of yourself; set up a daily schedule which ensures you get adequate sleep, exercise and nutrition. Build a support network of family and friends whom you trust and can depend on for help. Educate yourself on the disorder as much as possible – without scaring yourself with garbled information got off the internet. Our recommendation? Talk to qualified doctors and other patients and get your information first-hand.<\/p>\n

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Contact us<\/h2>
If you or a loved one needs more information on diagnosing schizophrenia or related disorders using imaging tests, feel free to reach out to us. We\u2019re just a call away.<\/div><\/div>
Contact us<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare-40-and-beyond"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=724"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":815,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724\/revisions\/815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}