Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder which affects 1 per cent of the UK population. In this article: What is schizophrenia? Diagnosis Advice & Support Symptoms Effect on your life Causes Treatment What is schizophrenia?rnSchizophrenia is a mental illness that can occur in both men and women and is characterised by disordered experiences, beliefs and ideas – a sense of confusion about which of these are real (i.e. actually happening) and which are not. Schizophrenia does not mean ‘split personality’, and people with schizophrenia do not suddenly become uncontrollably violent, only in rare cases. SymptomsrnSymptoms of schizophrenia include: Delusions: a sense of paranoia that one is being followed, spied on, or even the target of a murder conspiracy. Also, someone with schizophrenia can become convinced that they are in love with another (a neighbour or TV celebrity, for example) and that the feeling is reciprocal, even though the two have never met or even communicated in any way. Hallucinations: seeing people, animals of objects; hearing voices or sounds; and/or feeling things wetness or roughness, fur or silk or another texture that simply is not there, that is not real. Illogical thoughts that are disordered: quickly changing from one subject to another; unselfconsciously speaking thoughts aloud; suddenly raising a new subject that is completely inappropriate for the situation or circumstances; and believing one’s thoughts are not one’s own, but those of someone else who controls you. rnCauses rnCauses of schizophrenia may include: Genetics – some people have a genetic predisposition to developing schizophrenia (i.e. it is passed down from a previous generation, a family member.) Pregnancy and childbirth complications Issues in the realm of childhood development (due to factors such as: abuse, isolation, maternal deprivation or privation) A reaction to a particularly stressful life event (a bereavement, divorce, or loss of job), and Illegal drugs Effect on your lifernAs well as suffering with the aforementioned symptoms, people with schizophrenia can also seriously neglect their appearance and self-care, lose interest in life, have no energy or motivation to perform even the smallest everyday tasks (such as brushing teeth or washing up), and also feel uncomfortable in social situations, in the workplace or even at home in the company of family members. TreatmentrnTreatments for schizophrenia include: Antipsychotic medication (including some herbal medicines) Antidepressants Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Social support, and Community support Advice & SupportrnRethink (formerly the National Schizophrenia Fellowship)rn89 Albert EmbankmentrnLondon SE1 7TPrnTel: 0845 456 0455 (General enquiries)rnTel: 0207 840 3188 (National advice service)rnWebsite: www.rethink.orgrnE-mail: advice@rethink.org Mind (National Association for Mental Health)rn15-19 BroadwayrnStratfordrnLondon E15 4BQrnTel: 0845 7660 163 (Mind Info Line)rnWeb: www.mind.org.ukrnE-mail: info@mind.org.uk This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. www.chemistonline.co.uk