Endogenous diseases, or, more simply, diseases caused by internal disturbances, such as schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, functional psychosis, and schizoaffective disorders, are serious but treatable. Such disorders can be mild or severe, have an acute, dramatic or sluggish course, hardly noticeable to others. Such diseases are not uncommon, affecting both men and women, both young, maturing and professionally improving, and mature and approaching old age.
What is schizoaffective disorder
Schizoaffective disorders, which have several forms, are psychotic pathologies bordering on schizophrenia and affective disorders, depression and bipolar psychosis.
Schizophrenia is based on the breakdown of the way of thinking and disorder of emotional perception.
Affective disorders are manifested in a decrease in emotional perception andnegative perception of the surrounding world.
This type of disease can affect all spheres of life and social relationships. A characteristic for schizoaffective psychosis is considered to be a paroxysmal course with manifestations inherent in an affective disorder (mania, depression).
As a result of which schizoaffective psychosis occurs
Schizoaffective disorder, the symptoms of which will be presented below, has an undetermined etiology. Doctors and scientists tend to argue that both genetic and biochemical factors, as well as environmental factors, can lead to it.
Biochemical causes are associated with an imbalance of chemicals, neurotransmitters responsible for the process of transmitting messages between cells in the human brain.
Viral-type infections, severe stressful situations, social isolation of a person provoke schizoaffective disorder. Patients' medical history suggests that such external environmental factors lead to disease if a person has a genetic predisposition.
Symptoms of the disorder
The first symptoms of the disease can occur at any age. The clinical picture has signs of a schizophrenic and affective disorder if it manifests:
- reduced appetite;
- sleep disturbance (drowsiness or insomnia);
- increased excitability against the background of aggressiveness;
- quickfatigue;
- an inferiority complex, accompanied by deep hopelessness and fatality;
- difficulty concentrating on actions, clouding of the intellect;
- obsessive suicidal disposition;
- speeding up the pace of speech, but at the same time, its violations are also noticeable, manifested by stuttering or “swallowing” the endings of words;
- dangerous social behavior that threatens one's own life and the lives of other people (during exacerbations);
- strange, unusual, incorrect behavior;
- illogical expression of emotion.
Typology of pathology
Schizoaffective disorders can be accompanied by different background moods, depending on the prevalence of which we can talk about three main types of developing pathological process:
- Elevated mood with delusions of grandeur, with a delusion about a great origin and about one's own superpowers is a manifestation of a manic type disorder. Endless fun, hyperactivity with a reduced need for sleep, an accelerated pace of speech, thoughts and actions, crazy ideas that take on a cosmic or magical character - all this is schizoaffective disorder (manic type). Overexcitement, irritability, aggressiveness, and striking disruptive behavior can be resolved within a few weeks with proper treatment.
- If schizoaffective disorder has a depressive type, then it manifests itself in a reduced mood with elements of hypochondriacal delirium,poor appetite, weight loss, apathy for everything around and for life, general weakness, a sense of hopelessness. Often, with such a violation, a deterioration in memory and concentration is noticeable.
- Can be both depressive and manic schizoaffective disorder. The mixed type is characterized by the fact that with such a pathology, fear and apathy are replaced by happiness and vice versa.
How to correctly diagnose an ailment
Since schizoaffective disorders have manifestations of two mental illnesses, it is sometimes difficult even for doctors to make a correct diagnosis. Laboratory tests will not help diagnose these disorders. However, a doctor may prescribe x-rays or a blood test in order to make sure that the symptoms are a manifestation of this particular pathology.
For diagnosis, doctors use a differential method and only those cases are classified as schizoaffective psychosis when they are present:
- for a long time manic-depressive syndrome;
- for two or more weeks hallucinations and delusions as independent symptoms.
The doctor will need to make sure that there is no hardware and clinically confirmed disease or injury in the brain, as well as to exclude the effects of toxic and drug preparations.
If physical causes are not found as a result of the examination, the patient will be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist who, through specially designed interviews and testsdetermine whether a person is sick or he althy.
Schizoaffective disorder treatment
Therapy for schizoaffective psychosis begins with specifying the form of the disorder. After that, a medication course is prescribed to stabilize the mood. It is complemented by psychotherapy and hands-on training that improves interpersonal and social skills.
Drugs, as already mentioned, are selected depending on the type of disorder and the condition of the patient. The use of such antipsychotics as "Amitriptyline", "Melipramine", "Maprotiline" is justified in depressive-paranoid attacks. Expansive-paranoid disorders are treated with beta-blockers, lithium, "Carbamazepine". For prevention, a maintenance dose of potassium carbonate is prescribed, which is contained in the preparations "Kontemnol", "Litinol", "Litobid".
Psychotherapy for schizoaffective disorders
The goal of psychotherapy is to tell the patient as much as possible about the disease and help him understand the reasons that led him to a painful condition. Connecting the family to psychotherapy sessions will help to more effectively help the person who has been diagnosed with disorders.
Hospitalization for schizoaffective psychosis is not always required. In most cases, patients receive outpatient treatment. Only people with severe and vivid symptoms, as well as those who threaten to be hospitalized for stabilization of the condition canthe safety of your own life or the lives of others.
What could be the forecast
Schizoaffective disorder, the prognosis for which in most cases is favorable, does not cause gross personality changes, although it has a fairly long course.
There is no specific treatment for this disorder. Everything is individual. To improve the quality of life, the patient should regularly visit a psychiatrist and take anti-relapse drugs.
Is it possible to avoid this pathology
Since it is difficult to accurately establish the etiology of the disorder, it is not possible to prevent the development of this disease. But early diagnosis and adequate treatment make it possible to avoid frequent outbreaks of the disorder, hospitalization, and make it possible to maintain social, personal relationships that this pathology can destroy without treatment.
Schizoaffective disorder, the syndromes and symptoms of which were presented above, being an ailment of an endogenous nature, is still incurable, and it is not possible to cope with it on your own. However, preventive treatment with a consultation in a psychiatric clinic will allow the patient to become a full-fledged personality, have a normal habitual lifestyle, study and work. He alth to you!
