Inexplicable and mysterious mental illness. Society shuns people who suffer from them. Why is this happening? Perhaps some form of mental disorder is transmitted by airborne droplets? The mysterious word "schizophrenic" causes a huge amount of conflicting feelings and negative associations. But who is a schizophrenic and is he dangerous to others?
A bit of history
The term "schizophrenia" was formed from two Greek words: "schizo" - split, "fren" - the mind. The name of the disease was coined by professor of psychiatry Paul Eigen Bleuler and stated that it should remain relevant until scientists find an effective cure. The symptoms of the disease itself were described by a psychiatrist from Russia back in 1987, however, then it had a different name - "ideophrenia".
Who is a schizophrenic? Bright minds are looking for an answer to this question. A lot is known about the disease and nothing is known. Normal behavior is mixed with inadequacy, smart thoughts border on implausible nonsense. Bleuler called it emotional, volitional, and intellectual ambivalence.
Most often, at the initial stage, only the family guesses aboutrelative's condition. The fact is that the disease manifests itself in a very strange way: a patient with schizophrenia rejects loved ones, and in relation to them all deviations from the norm and symptoms of the disease are noticeable, while with acquaintances and colleagues the behavior remains the same. There is a perfectly logical and reasonable explanation for this. Formal, superficial communication does not require such colossal emotional costs as a spiritual connection. The personality is damaged, is at the stage of destruction, therefore love is a painful sphere, a person has neither moral nor physical strength to waste himself on it.
Symptoms
So who is a schizophrenic? This is a person suffering from a serious illness, which is characterized by a number of symptoms:
- Emotional coldness appears. A person's feelings for relatives and friends go out. Gradually, complete indifference is replaced by unreasonable aggression and anger towards loved ones.
- Loss of interest in entertainment, hobbies. Aimless empty days replace favorite activities.
- Instinctual feelings weaken. This is characterized by the fact that a person can skip a meal, ignore extreme heat or cold, bring their own appearance beyond recognition: untidiness, slovenliness, absolute indifference to clothes and basic daily procedures (brushing teeth, caring for the face, body, hair, etc.) e.)
- There may be statements that do not stand up to scrutiny, crazy ideas, strange and inappropriate remarks.
- Auditory and visual hallucinations appear. The danger lies inthat sometimes verbal voices do not just convey information, but encourage action: cause serious harm to yourself or others.
- Who is a schizophrenic? First of all, this is a person who is prone to hypochondriacal neurosis, has many different phobias and unfounded fears, suffers from depersonalization.
- Obsessions (frightening intrusive thoughts and images) appear early on.
- You can also observe lethargy, apathy, insomnia, lethargy and a complete lack of sexual desires.
Psychotic state
Under the state of psychosis is meant a spring exacerbation in schizophrenics. It is characterized by a loss of connection with the real world. Orientation decreases, the usual symptoms take on a hypertrophied form. It is believed that even a he althy person experiences some discomfort in the autumn-spring period. This is expressed by melancholy, general lethargy of the body, beriberi, decreased performance.
Nevertheless, many "doctors of the soul" argue that the spring exacerbation in schizophrenics is more a myth than a reality. The aggravation of the disease is extremely rarely confined to a certain time of the year.
Rosenhan experiment
Back in 1973, psychologist D. Rosenhan conducted an unprecedented and risky experiment. He explained to the whole world how to become schizophrenic and return to normal again. He was well versed in the symptoms of the disease, and he did it so well that he managed to simulate schizophrenia, get into hospital with such a diagnosis.psychiatric clinic, and in a week to be completely "cured" and go back home.
After some time, the interesting experience was repeated, but now the brave psychologist was in the company of the same brave friends. Each of them knew perfectly well how to become a schizophrenic, and then skillfully portray healing. An interesting and instructive story is that they were discharged with the wording "schizophrenia in remission." Does this mean that psychiatrists leave no chance for recovery and a terrible diagnosis will haunt you all your life?
Great lunatics
The topic "Famous schizophrenics" causes a lot of noisy debate. In the modern world, this unflattering epithet is awarded to almost every person who has achieved unprecedented heights in art or some other activity. Every second writer, artist, actor, scientist, poet and philosopher is called a schizophrenic. Naturally, there is little truth in these statements, and people tend to confuse talent, eccentricity, and creativity with signs of mental illness.
The Russian writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol suffered from this disease. Attacks of psychosis, mixed with excitement and activity, have borne fruit. It is schizophrenia that causes bouts of fear, hypochondria, claustrophobia. When the condition worsened, the famous manuscript was burned. The writer explained this by the machinations of Satan.
Vincent van Gogh was sick with schizophrenia. Joy and bouts of happiness were replaced by suicidal thoughts. The disease has progressedthe painter's X-hour came - the famous operation took place, during which he cut off part of his ear and sent this fragment to his beloved as a souvenir, after which he was sent to an institution for the mentally ill.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was diagnosed with schizophrenia. His behavior was not distinguished by adequacy, megalomania was a characteristic feature. There is a theory that it was his writings that influenced the worldview of Adolf Hitler and strengthened his desire to become "master of the world."
It's no secret that schizophrenic scientists are not a myth. A striking example is the American mathematician John Forbes Nash. His diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia. John became known to the whole world thanks to the film A Beautiful Mind. He refused to take pills, explaining that they could negatively affect his mental abilities. The people around him treated him like a harmless madman, but the mathematician was nevertheless awarded the Nobel Prize.
How to recognize a schizophrenic?
- The patient stops talking to loved ones, as he sees in them conspirators, liars and enemies who wish him death.
- Bouts of reclusion and isolation can be replaced by excessive sociability.
- The schizophrenic talks to himself, and we are not talking about banal phrases like "Where are my keys?" Observations are absolutely devoid of logic, the conversation is built in a strange way, there is a "sliding" from one thought to another. There is a medical term "reasoning" - this is a type of thinking, which is characterized by inappropriate sophistication,stupid, empty, banal judgments.
- Personality traits change (neatness and perfectionism give way to slovenliness and slovenliness).
- Changes in perception, usually episodic.
- Strange behavior, unacceptable behavior.
But of course, the presence of some examples from the list does not mean that a person is seriously ill. Such a diagnosis is made by competent specialists very carefully and carefully. After all, schizophrenia is a stigma and, to some extent, a sentence.
How not to incur the wrath of the sick?
As mentioned above, society shuns people with mental disorders, but this is not possible when a family member is schizophrenic. What to do in such a situation? First of all, carefully read the information on how to behave with a schizophrenic. There are a number of rules:
- Do not ask questions aimed at clarifying the details of delusional statements.
- Do not argue, trying to prove the invalidity of the patient's statements.
- If the patient is experiencing too strong feelings (fear, anger, hatred, sadness, anxiety), try to calm down. But don't forget to call the doctor.
- Give your own opinion with great care.
- Don't mock or be afraid.
Paranoid schizophrenia
Who is this paranoid schizophrenic? This is a person suffering from delusional ideas (jealousy, megalomania, delusions of persecution), subject to fears, doubts, hallucinations,thought disorder. The disease occurs in people over 25 years of age and is sluggish at the initial stage. This is one of the most common forms of schizophrenia.
Child's "Heavy Madness"
For parents, there is nothing worse than a sick child. Schizophrenic children are not uncommon. They are, of course, different from their peers. The disease can occur even in the first year of life, but manifest itself much later. Gradually, the child becomes withdrawn, abstracted from loved ones, one can notice a disorder of thinking and a complete loss of interest in ordinary affairs. The sooner a problem is discovered, the more effective it will be to deal with it. There are some signs to watch out for:
- Walking in circles and side to side.
- Quickly aroused and almost instantly faded away.
- Impulsiveness.
- Unmotivated tears, tantrums, laughter, aggression.
- Cold.
- Sluggishness, lack of initiative.
- Disintegration of speech coupled with immobility.
- Ridiculous behavior.
Children's schizophrenia is terrible for its complications. If the process arose at the stage of personality formation, then an oligophrenic-like defect with mental retardation may appear.
Alternative treatment
There is one interesting theory about how to change the life of a schizophrenic. Why doctors of sciences, professors and the most brilliant healers of our time have not yet found an effective way to cure? It's very simple: schizophrenia is a disease of the soul, so drug treatment does not contribute to recovery, butonly makes it worse.
The temple of the Lord can become a panacea, it is he who heals the souls. Of course, at first no one adopts this method, but later, when relatives become desperate, they are ready to try everything. And amazingly, faith in the healing and power of the church can work wonders.
Worse disease
Exacerbation in schizophrenics can throw impressionable relatives into a panic. The acute period of the disease requires immediate hospitalization. This will protect the immediate environment and protect the patient himself. Sometimes certain difficulties may arise due to the fact that a schizophrenic does not consider himself a sick person. All the arguments of reason will break against the blank wall of his misunderstanding, so you need to act without his consent. It is also necessary to familiarize yourself with the signs indicating the approach of a relapse:
- Changing the normal mode.
- Features of behavior that were observed before the last attack.
- Refused to see a psychiatrist.
- Lack or overabundance of emotions.
If the signs are obvious, then it is necessary to inform the attending physician, to reduce the possibility of negative influences on the patient from the outside, not to change the usual rhythm and way of life.
Advice to loved ones
People who have such a relative are often at a loss and do not understand how to exist with him under the same roof. To avoid excesses, it is worth studying information on how to live with a schizophrenic:
- Sickneed long-term treatment and must be constantly monitored.
- In the process of therapy, there will certainly be exacerbations and relapses.
- It is necessary to create a volume of work and household chores for the patient and never exceed it.
- Overprotection can hurt.
- You can't get angry, shout, get annoyed at the mentally ill. They cannot bear criticism.
You should also be aware of the signs of an impending suicide attempt:
- General statements about the meaninglessness and frailty of existence, the sinfulness of people.
- Hopeless pessimism.
- Voices ordering suicide.
- The patient's belief that he suffers from an incurable disease.
- Sudden calm and fatalism.
To prevent tragedy, one must learn to distinguish between the "normal" behavior of a schizophrenic and the abnormal. You can not ignore his talk about the desire to commit suicide, an ordinary person is able to achieve attention to his own person in this way, but with a schizophrenic everything is different. You should try to convey to his mind that the disease will soon step aside and relief will come. But this should be done gently and unobtrusively.
It is bad if the patient suffers from alcohol or drug addiction, this aggravates the course of the disease, significantly complicates the rehabilitation process, causes resistance to drugs, and also increases the tendency to violence.
The theme of violence stands apart here. And many people are concerned about the question: is therethe likelihood that a schizophrenic will harm others? It should immediately be noted that the social danger is exaggerated. Of course, there were precedents, but if you establish a trusting relationship with a mentally ill person and care for him correctly, the risk is completely eliminated.
