Schizophrenia: Symptoms & Treatments

Schizophrenia is a severe disorder of the brain that affects more than 3 million Americans. It is a chronic condition, and it is debilitating. It is brought on by an imbalance in neurotransmitters, and it impairs a person's ability to think, to comprehend, to control emotions, and to communicate. Its symptoms run from the infamous 'voices in the head' to a kind of severe depression, where a person may become temporarily catatonic.

Schizophrenia's symptoms are classified into two categories. "Positive", or stimulating symptoms, following a spike in neurotransmitter activity, include hallucinations, such as hearing voices, delusions, and experiencing disturbing or unusual thoughts. "Negative", or inhibiting symptoms, are linked to a drop in neurotransmitters. These include emotional detachment, apathy, a lack of motivation, and near-catatonia. The severity of the symptoms generally corresponds to the degree that neurotransmitter activity is removed from "normal".

However, as devastating as this illness is, it is treatable. Certain medications can help equalize the levels of the key chemicals in the brain, bolstering the function of the neurotransmitters.

Psycho-social therapy has also been shown to be effective. Schizophrenics who combine medication with therapy and family involvement are often able to lead functionally normal, productive lives.

Therapy programs include both supportive therapy, like individual and group sessions, and rehabilitation. Supportive therapy strives to help people adjust to their illness so that they can overcome the difficulties and resume their lives. Without this adjustment, schizophrenia can be an all-consuming disorder, a deadly coil of descent leading to irreparable personality damage, or even suicide.

Group therapy provides desperately needed emotional support, while individual therapy focuses more on addressing the challenges of daily living. Both kinds of therapy help patients come to terms with their unique situations and manage their conditions, while teaching them how to solve problems, improve relationships, and become participants in their own recovery.

Family education and support are vital in the recovery of a schizophrenic; everyone involved needs to fully understand the nature of the illness being dealt with. Learning more about the disease can help everyone cope with the tremendous difficulty of the situation. More importantly, a schizophrenic absolutely needs the love and support of close friends and relatives: positive emotions can mitigate some of the most severe consequences of schizophrenia, while negative emotions, such as those that result from misunderstandings caused by uncontrollable mood swings, can exacerbate the condition.

Knowing that one's loved ones really care, that they understand, will forgive, and, most of all, help a schizophrenic make his or her way through the treacherous course of treatment, therapy, and recovery, is critical pillar of stability in a volatile time of that person's life. It is a reliable anchor, a gift of incalculable value, to a person who's life has been shattered by internal turmoil, where nothing is dependable.

In addition to therapy and counseling, there are a variety of medical treatments available for Schizophrenia. The most common involves taking antipsychotic medications, like Haldol, which help stabilize the brain's level of dopamine, one of the primary chemicals involved in neurotransmission.

Antipsychotics are similar in effect to antidepressants; they are mood altering' drugs that help stabilize mental functions. With regular use, psychotic episodes can be reduced in both frequency and severity. Unfortunately, while typical antipsychotics can help control the positive symptoms of Schizophrenia, they aren't as useful in stabilizing the negative symptoms, like emotional withdrawal.

However, recent advances have brought forth a new generation of "atypical" antipsychotics. These new drugs, like Zyprexa and Seroquel, have less severe side effects, and, more importantly, help control negative symptoms as well.

In addition to stabilizing dopamine levels, these new drugs act on other neurotransmitters, like serotonin. Because of that, they help create a better balance in the schizophrenic mind, and have even been shown to boost memory and cognitive function in some cases.

With comprehensive treatment, there is a good chance of leading a normal life. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 60% of schizophrenics can achieve a controlled state, where symptoms no longer pose a major obstacle. While occasional episodes may occur, they will generally be mild nothing like the incidents following the emergence of the disease.

What's more, a full 20% of schizophrenics can go on to make what amounts to a full recovery. As long as a working combination of medications, coupled with the continuation of a supportive environment, is maintained, an outsider would be effectively unable to tell that these people have schizophrenia.

The remaining 20% of patients who continue to have significant symptoms will experience a drop in the severity and frequency of their episodes. Even in these cases, comprehensive treatment still proves an invaluable aid in improving the quality of life.