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Campus Department Academic Activity Hostel Sir T. Hospital Library Calendar Committee Disease


Schizophrenia

  • Like diabetes heart disease, Schizophrenia is also a biologically based disorder. A patient of Schizophrenia needs treatment as well as your support and understanidng.
    • • Introduction
    • Prevalence
    • Who gets affected ?
    • Causes
    • Signs and symptoms
    • Myths & Realities
    • Treatment
    • Role of Family Members & Caregivers

    Introduction

    		 
  • Schizophrenia is a disease that severely impacts how a person think, feel and act.
  • Patient unable to differentiate between real and imagined experiance
  • Patient is unable to think logically; to express normal emotions or behave appropriately in society.
  • Patient lives in an inner life of unrealistic ideas and appears withdrawn from the outer world.
  • His Work & Connection gets affected.
    • Hope "The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the emergy to get started."
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    Prevalence

  • Schizophrenia has been desribed even in ancient medical and Ayurveda texts.
  • Schizophrenia is spread throughout the world.
  • Schizophrenia is not a rare disease. It is common and one in every hundred person in the community suffer from Schizophrenia sometimes during their lifetime.
  • More than 1 crore people are suffering from his illness in India.
    • Support "Once we begin to realize that the 'afflicated person' is not the only affected person, It becomes clear that for any kind of normalcy to be regained (or gained for the first time), everyone in the family system must be seen either as part of the problem or part of the solution. "
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    Who gets affected ?

  • It is an illness of young and adolescents.
  • Male : Female = 1 : 1 both are equally affeted.
  • Anyone can be affeted irrespective of the Caste, Culture, Age and Social status.
    • Compassion "Compassion follows understanding. It is therefore incumbent on us to understand as best as we can. The burden of disease will then become lighter for all."
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    Causes

  • Exact cause is not definitely known. Appears to be multifactorial.
  • Genetic factors - Family history.
  • Psychological factors - Family distubances, streesful life, socio-cultural influences.
  • Impaired development in childhood.
  • Neurodevelopment factors - Compications during pregenancy & birth..
  • Neurotransmitter disturbances - mianly dopamine.
    • Care "Our responsibility is to never lose sight of the fundamental sancity, dignity and sovereignty of another human being no matter what their diagnosis may be; no matter how regressed or poor their prognosis may be, and no matter what their disability may be."
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    Signs and Symptoms

    Schizophrenia affects a person's Thoughts, Behaviour, Emotions, & Working Capacity.
     

    Thoughts

    		 
  • Strange ideas and disbeliefs which cannot be corrected by any amount of explanations.
  • Suspiciousness
  • Ideas of infidelity.
  • People can read my thoughts.
  • Hallucinations : Hearing imaginary voices not heard by others.
  • Fearfulness.
  • Remaining in one's own world and thoughts.
  • Irrelevant and meaningless talk.
    •  

    Behaviour

    		 
  • Strange actions and expressions.
  • Talking to imaginary persons.
  • Easy irritability, Easily excitable, aggressive. Sometimes violent behaviour.
  • Social & Wmotional Withdrawal - wandering away from home for days together or refusal to leave the house for several days.
  • Hallucinations : Hearing imaginary voices not heard by others.
  • Irregularity daily atiities lie bathing, shaving eating, changing cloths, etc.
  • Laughing without reason and making strange faces while looking in the mirror.
  • To feel empty - no emotions.
  • To show inappropriate emotions (laugh at someone's death).
    •  

    Emotions

    		 
  • Inability to relate to others and maintain interpersonal relationships.
  • Suicidal tendency
  • Decreased concentration at work (leave the gas on, spilling of milk etc.)
  • Making mistakes at work. (mistakes in ccounts, putting excess salt, taking wrong decisions at work place).
    •  

    Working Capacity

    		 
  • Absenteeism from work, lack of responsibility.
  • Frequent change of jobs.
  • Many people resign from jobs.
  • Students drop out of school or fail several times.
    • Love "To be able to see those with schizophrenia as men and women, brothers and sisters, husbands and wivers, we need to look beyond the myths, misconceptions and prejudgments that confuse and frighten people.."
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    Myths & Realities

    MythSomeone has performed black magic on this person. His behaviour is the effect of some devil or demon's influence.
    RealitySchizophrenia is not caused by iss effcts of planet, wrath of Gods or seprenatural powers. Disturbance in the thought, behavoiour, emotions, anad work capacity of the person is due to physical and chemical changes in the brain cells.
     
    MythHe does not give ups his thoughts in spite of explaining so much.
    RealityDue to changes in the brain cells, the thoughts do not controlling the patients.
     
    MythHe becomes lazy and wants to avoid work.
    RealityDecreased interest and motivation to work is a sign of schizophrenia. The patient does not return jast by advising him to do so. Proper treatment is essential.
     
    MythThese are sleeping pills and one gets addicated to them.
    RealityThe medicines normalize the chemical changes of the brain cells due to which the patient gets treated. The patient does not become drowsly on talking medicines. Daily routine activities can be done. Students can study normally.
     
    MythElectro convulsive therapy ( E.C.T. ) (shock treatment) demages the brain and is painful to the patient.
    RealityC.T. Scan, MRI Scan have proved beyond that brain cells do not get demaged or do not become weak due to E.C.T. The patient experiences no pain during the treatment.
     
    MythMarriage will solve all the patient's problems.
    RealityJust as diabetes or blood pressure do not get cured by marriage, but by proper treatment; similarly schizophrenia is an illness for which appropriate is required.
     
    MythA patient of schizophrenia is violent.
    RealityMost acts of violence are committed not by mentally ill but by the so called sane people.
     
    MythPoor parenting causes schizophrenia.
    RealityNO GOOD EVIDENCE supports the theory that family environment CAUSES schizophrenia. And very strong evidence supports biological factors as the primary cause.
     
    MythMen and women with schizophrenia have to be institutionalized.
    RealityMany people to hospital with the illenss can innovative alternatives such as supported living in the community can be highly effective. Even those who are acutely psychotic may be treated in carefully supervised and professionally staffed community settings.
     
    MythPeopple with schizophrenia are not able to make decisions about their own treatment.
    RealityMost people with schizophrenia are both able and eager to participate in decision-making about their treatment. Research shows that patient and family involvement improves outcomes and increases the likelihood of adhrence to a treatment plan.
     
    Mythschizophrenia is a split personality or multiple personality disorder.
    RealityConfusion arose because the word, "schizophrenia" comes from who Greek roots mening "split mind". This splittinf refers to the fragmentataion of the NOT the splitting of the person into two personalities. The person always had only one personality and will continues to have only one personaility.
     
    MythMen and women with schizophrenia are mentally 'related'.
    Realityschizophrenia and mental retardation are entirely different conditions. schizophrenia occurs in people of all levels of intelligence, often in talented and creative men and women.
    Understanding "Remember that a person with schizophrenia is a person with a family, talents, hopes and dreams. They could have The flu, they don't; they have schizophrenia."
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    Treatment

  • Treatment consist mainly of :
  • Antipsychotic medicines.
  • Injections
  • Electro-Convulsive Therapy
  • Rehavilition
  • Early diagnosis and early treatment increases the chance of recovery.
  • With regular and porper treatment many people with schizophrenia can lead a normal routine life.
  • Medicines take some time to be fully effective.
  • Long term maintenance treatment is very essential to provent the recurrence of the illness.
  • Side effects of medicine :
  • Stretching of Muscles.
  • Salivation.
  • Tremor.
  • Up-rolling of eyball.
  • Sedation.
  • Giddiness.
    • Togetherness "Words of comfort, skillfully administered, are the oldest therapy known man."
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    Role of Family Members & Caregivers

  • Courage, understanding and support from the family members is equallly important.
  • Be encouraging and supportive. Don't be over-protective or critical about the loved ones.
  • Do not make inappropriate comparisons.
  • Encourage the patient to take medicines regularly. It is neccesary to routine medicines as per the advise of the psychiatrist. No changes in the dose should made at one's own will.
  • The patient should be given his responsibilities and duties slowly and steadily. This will increase the confidence of the patient and help in recovery.
  • Avoid recurrence of the illness by recognizing early signs of the illness. One can prevent a recurrence by getting early professional help.
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