Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it hard to:
Tell the difference between what is real and not real
Think clearly
Have normal emotional responses
Act normally in social situations
Certain events may trigger schizophrenia in people who are at risk for it because of their genes.
You are more likely to develop schizophrenia if you have a family member with the disease.
Schizophrenia affects both men and women equally. It usually begins in the teen years or young adulthood, but it may begin later in life. It tends to begin later in women, and is more mild.
Childhood-onset schizophrenia begins after age 5. Childhood schizophrenia is rare and can be hard to tell apart from other developmental problems in childhood, such as autism.
SymptomsSchizophrenia symptoms usually develop slowly over months or years. Sometimes you may have many symptoms, and at other times you may only have a few symptoms.People with any type of schizophrenia may have trouble keeping friends and working. They may also have problems with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
At first, you may have the following symptoms:
Irritable or tense feeling
Trouble concentrating
Trouble sleeping
As the illness continues, you may have problems with thinking, emotions, and behavior, including:
Bizarre behaviors
Hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)
Isolation
Lack of emotion (flat affect)
Problems paying attention
Strongly held beliefs that are not real (delusions)
Thoughts that "jump" between different topics ("loose associations")
Symptoms depend on the type of schizophrenia you have.
Paranoid schizophrenia symptoms may include:
Anxiety
Anger or arguing
False beliefs that others are trying to harm you or your loved ones
Disorganized schizophrenia symptoms may include:
Childlike behavior
Problems thinking and explaining your ideas clearly
Showing little emotion
Catatonic schizophrenia symptoms may include:
Grimacing or other odd expressions on the face
Lack of activity
Rigid muscles and posture
Not responding much to other people
Undifferentiated schizophrenia may include symptoms of more than one other type of schizophrenia.
Signs and testsThere are no medical tests to diagnose schizophrenia. A psychiatrist should examine you to make the diagnosis. The diagnosis is made based on an interview of you and your family members.The health care provider will ask questions about:
How long the symptoms have lasted
How the ability to function has changed
Developmental background
Genetic and family history
How well medications have worked
Brain scans (such as CT or MRI) and blood tests may help rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms.
TreatmentDuring an episode of schizophrenia, you may need to stay in the hospital for safety reasons.MEDICATIONS
Antipsychotic medications are the most effective treatment for schizophrenia. They change the balance of chemicals in the brain and can help control symptoms.
These medications are usually helpful, but they can cause side effects. Many side effects can be managed, and they should not prevent you from seeking treatment for this serious condition.
Common side effects from antipsychotics may include:
Dizziness
Feelings of restlessness or "jitters"
Sleepiness (sedation)
Slowed movements
Tremor
Weight gain
Long-term use of antipsychotic medications may increase your risk for a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia. This condition causes repeated movements that you cannot control, especially around the mouth. Call your health care provider right away if you think you may have this condition.
When schizophrenia does not improve with several antipsychotics, the medication clozapine can be helpful. Clozapine is the most effective medication for reducing schizophrenia symptoms, but it also tends to cause more side effects than other antipsychotics.
Schizophrenia is a life-long illness. Most people with this condition need to stay on antipsychotic medication for life.
SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND THERAPIES
Supportive therapy may be helpful for many people with schizophrenia. Behavioral techniques, such as social skills training, can be used to improve social and work functioning. Job training and relationship-building classes are important.
Family members of a person with schizophrenia should be educated about the disease and offered support. Programs that offer outreach and community support services can help people who lack family and social support.
Family members and caregivers are often encouraged to help people with schizophrenia stay with their treatment.
It is important that the person with schizophrenia learns how to:
Take medications correctly and manage side effects
Notice the early signs of a relapse and what to do if symptoms return
Cope with symptoms that occur even while taking medication (a therapist can help)
Manage money
Use public transportation
People with schizophrenia may need housing, job training, and other community support programs. People with the most severe forms of this disorder may not be able to live alone. They may need to live in group homes or other long-term, structured residences.
Symptoms will return if you do not take your medication.
ComplicationsHaving schizophrenia increases your risk for:Developing a problem with alcohol or drugs: This is called a substance abuse problem. Using alcohol or other drugs increases the chances your symptoms will return.
Physical illness: People with schizophrenia may become physically sick, because of an inactive lifestyle and side effects from medication. A physical illness may not be detected because of poor access to medical care and difficulties talking to health care providers.
Suicide
Voices are telling you to hurt yourself or others.
You feel the urge to hurt yourself or others.
You are feeling hopeless or overwhelmed.
You are seeing things that aren't really there.
You feel you cannot leave the house.
You are unable to care for yourself.
You can prevent symptoms by taking your medication exactly as your doctor told you to. Symptoms will return if you stop taking your medication.
Always talk to your doctor if you are thinking about changing or stopping your medications. See your doctor or therapist regularly.
The most common drugs for schizophrenia involve decreasing the levels of dopamine in the brain. Drugs for schizophrenia include Abilify, Clozaril, Fanapt, fluphenazine, Geodon, Haldol, Invega, Loxitane, Moban, Navane, perphenazine, Risperdal, Seroquel, Stelazine, thioridazine, Thorazine, and Zyprexia.
yes
Phenothiazines are a class of medications primarily used to treat various mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe anxiety. They work by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain to help regulate mood and behavior.
An antischizophrenic is a drug used to treat schizophrenia.
Antipsychotics are a class of medications used to treat psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. They work by blocking certain neurotransmitters in the brain, helping to reduce symptoms of psychosis. Antipsychotics can be used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression with psychotic features.
Abilify
Fluphenazine is used to treat Schizophrenia, delusional disorders, and schizoaffective disorder. Fluphenazine is used primarily for psychological disorders.
that treatment was out in the late 50s
No, tetracycline is not an effective medication for either psychosis or schizophrenia. Tetracycline is an antibiotic used to treat infections such as pneumonia.
Ademetionine has been used successfully to treat depression, arthritis, schizophrenia, liver disease, peripheral neuropathy, and other illnesses.
No. It's actually used to treat mental disorders like schizophrenia.
NO. Zyprexa (olanzapine) is an atypical antipsychotic primarily used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (mixed/manic), agitation due to schizophrenia and bipolar, and for bipolar disorder (depressed state). It is occasionally used to treat treatment resistant depression, anxiety, insomnia, and anorexia.
Risperdal (risperidone) was FDA approved to treat psychotic conditions, such as schizophrenia. Moderate doses are now being used by physicians/psychiatrists to treat bipolar disorder (sometimes along with other medications, as well).