Schizophrenia

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that affects a person’s thinking, emotions, and behavior. It can cause hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and impaired reality perception. It is a chronic condition that requires lifelong treatment, but early diagnosis and proper management can improve the quality of life.

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Causes of Schizophrenia:

🧠 Genetics – Family history increases the risk.
⚡ Brain Chemistry Imbalance – Dopamine and glutamate dysfunction.
🤰 Prenatal & Birth Complications – Malnutrition, infections, or oxygen deprivation at birth.
🚬 Drug Use – Cannabis, LSD, or amphetamines can trigger symptoms in vulnerable individuals.
🌪 Trauma & Stress – Emotional trauma or abuse can contribute to onset.

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Symptoms of Schizophrenia:

🌀 Positive Symptoms (Things Added to Behavior):
🔹 Hallucinations – Hearing, seeing, or feeling things that aren’t real (e.g., hearing voices).
🔹 Delusions – Strong false beliefs (e.g., thinking they are being controlled or watched).
🔹 Disorganized Speech – Jumping between topics, making illogical statements.
🔹 Disorganized Behavior – Unpredictable, inappropriate, or repetitive actions.

🧊 Negative Symptoms (Things Taken Away from Behavior):
🔹 Lack of Emotion (Flat Affect) – Showing little or no facial expressions.
🔹 Social Withdrawal – Avoiding friends, family, and activities.
🔹 Loss of Motivation – Difficulty in daily tasks like hygiene or work.
🔹 Decreased Speech (Alogia) – Speaking very little or giving brief answers.

🧠 Cognitive Symptoms (Thinking & Memory Issues):
🔹 Poor Concentration & Decision-Making.
🔹 Memory Problems.
🔹 Difficulty Understanding Social Cues.

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Types of Schizophrenia:

Paranoid Schizophrenia – Hallucinations & delusions of persecution or grandeur.
Disorganized Schizophrenia – Confused thoughts, speech, and behavior.
Catatonic Schizophrenia – Extreme movement issues (rigidity or excessive movement).
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia – A mix of symptoms from different types.
Residual Schizophrenia – Milder symptoms after an acute episode.