Schizophrenia: When To Seek Help

Schizophrenia is a widely misunderstood illness. In spite of popular opinion, schizophrenics don't have a "split personality", are usually not violent, and are seldom dangerous either to themselves or others. It can be challenging to diagnose correctly because there is not merely a single symptom to examine, but rather a variety of symptoms which, combine to form the disorder. Yet, countless mental health experts as well as loved ones and close friends of people with schizophrenia all agree that there are certain recognizable early signs of schizophrenia.

Although there exists the occasional sudden onset of the illness, for the majority it evolves slowly. Regularly family and friends will look back and recall that they have believed for a long while that something indefinable was not right with their loved one. Helpguide.org has organized the cluster of symptoms into 5 categories: "negative" symptoms, hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and disorganized behavior.

The so-called "negative" symptoms don't refer to a person's attitude, but instead to an absence of certain common emotions and behaviors. These can include: a lack of emotional expression, as in no eye contact, flat voice, no facial expression; social withdrawal and isolation; a lack of motivation affecting personal hygiene and/or daily basic functioning at home, school or work; and conversation that is brief or nonexistent.

It is not uncommon to see early signs of schizophrenia begin to appear as early as the teens or early twenties, especially in men. The symptoms in women tend to exhibit later. Since the illness is so manageable with good treatment, it is extremely important to seek appropriate professional assistance as soon as symptoms are noticed. The description of symptoms given here is not a tool for self-diagnosis, but is meant to be a guide to recognizing when to look for help.

Disorganized speech is the external manifestation of a schizophrenic person's fragmented thinking. People with the disorder often have trouble concentrating, and easily lose their train of thought. Family members may hear made-up words or languages, the person may leap from topic to topic, or change topics in mid-sentence. He or she may use perseveration, which is saying the same thing repeatedly. Or he may use clang, rhyming words in a way that is meaningless to anyone else.

Again because of fragmented thinking and processing in a person with schizophrenia, normal goal-oriented activities are disrupted. Disorganized behavior will exhibit as a decline in overall daily functioning - inability to care for himself, function at work or school, maintain normal interactions with others. It also may appear as emotional responses that are inappropriate and/or unpredictable, behaviors that have no purpose, or are impulsive and uninhibited.

By: Amy Reynolds

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you have enjoyed this article on how to spot early signs of schizophrenia, you will also enjoy much more at: www.schizophrenia-thebeardedladydisease.com.