Haloperidol treatment of schizophrenia. Non-drug methods of anti-relapse therapy

Drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia are not an abstract concept, but a list of medicines that a doctor can prescribe to a patient. Basically, all funds are aimed at eliminating specific symptoms of the disease. Naturally, the drugs are selected by the doctor individually and it is he who determines the acceptable dosage. Taking drugs is long-term, and in 5 cases out of 10 it is possible to significantly improve the patient's condition.

Before prescribing certain pills to the patient, the doctor must correctly diagnose. To do this, it is necessary to evaluate the symptoms. Schizophrenia has several stages of development. In the period of exacerbation, the diagnosis will not cause any particular difficulties.

Depending on the stage of the disease, the patient may present the following complaints:

Feeling unwell, severe headache.
On fears and anxiety that arise for no apparent reason.
On impossibility to carry out any fantastic mission.

Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia may suffer from pain in the head, for this reason people often complain about such sensations. They arise spontaneously or are connected with any events.

Patients often say that they are worried about fears and anxiety. They are able to put forward dubious theories that someone is stalking them or someone is following them. Such psychosis is considered one of the first signs of the development of a terrible disease.

A patient with schizophrenia greatly overestimates his abilities. He can tell the doctor and orderlies that he came to Earth not by chance, but with some kind of secret mission. Illness makes a person think that he is a great military leader or an incumbent president.

However, and that's not all, the disease is insidious. It is sometimes difficult to recognize it. But the first thing you should pay attention to is the lack of self-criticism. A person is not able to adequately evaluate his actions and perceive the requests of others. He interprets them differently, exactly the opposite. At the same time, the patient does not understand at all what caused indignation among others.

Oddly enough, but most people with this diagnosis are treated on an outpatient basis. A person can be hospitalized only in exceptional cases. For example, if the disease is in the acute stage or the patient behaves inappropriately against the background of concomitant factors, creates a threat to his own life or to the health of others.

Important: outpatient treatment allows you to correct the patient's condition and can last up to 9 months. If the patient does not feel better during this time, he is hospitalized, and the therapy is corrected.

The most effective is complex therapy, the start of which is given at the initial stage of the development of the disease. Only in this case it will be possible to achieve the maximum effect. If the disease goes into remission and a person does not have a single attack of schizophrenia in 5 years, there is hope that the diagnosis will be removed.

Depending on the signs, doctors classify the symptoms of the disease. They highlight:

Positive symptoms are signs that are unlikely to occur in healthy people. This may include hallucinations, delusions, hyperexcitability, obsessions, and erratic thinking.
Positive symptoms are followed by negative ones. They are just characteristic of a healthy person and unusual for patients with schizophrenia. Negative symptoms include a lack of personality traits. A person is not able to be responsible for his actions, he has no desire to take the initiative, he does not strive for anything.
Affective changes are a number of signs that characterize the mood of the patient. These may include: apathy, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts or tendencies.
But cognitive symptoms usually appear at the initial stage of the disease. It is characterized by a decrease in concentration and memory. A person shows inattention, slowly reacts to stimuli.

Other functions may also suffer, such as motor coordination or speech. It is worth paying attention to this and contacting a doctor as soon as possible, even if the patient himself reacts relatively calmly to the first signs of the disease.

If we talk about the statistics of the effectiveness of drug therapy, it is worth noting that:

1 patient out of 10: The therapy will not give any result.
3 patients out of 10: treatment will bring significant benefits.
1 to 2 patients out of 10: will be able to achieve a stable remission with the help of medications.

As for the concept of a complete cure, for many years doctors did not use it in relation to schizophrenia. Today, the term "remission" is used, in fact, it says that the patient managed to completely get rid of the symptoms of the disease.

Treatment of schizophrenia

In most cases, therapy takes place in several stages and is long-term. Medicines for a disease such as schizophrenia are selected by a doctor. The doctor also prescribes the dosage, assessing the general condition of the patient and the symptoms.

Attention! Since the disease is cyclic in nature, it is necessary to determine the stage of the disease and, based on this, prescribe adequate therapy to the patient.

To treat schizophrenia, doctors use drugs of the following classes:

Sedatives.
Antipsychotics.
Antipsychotic.

Sedative drugs are a class of medications that are aimed at correcting the condition. They are able to relieve excessive nervous tension and calm a person, normalize his sleep and relieve anxiety and overexertion. Sedative drugs cannot act as monotherapy in the treatment of schizophrenia: they are not effective enough. The most effective is complex therapy, in which sedatives are just a component.

Antipsychotics are a class of medicines that includes drugs that can have various effects on the human body. They not only soothe, but also help the patient not to react to external stimuli. He becomes calmer, aggression goes away, to some extent the effect of drugs has a certain similarity with antidepressants.

Antipsychotics - the so-called psychotropic drugs used in the treatment of various diseases. The action of medications is aimed at reducing positive symptoms. At the same time, the effect of drugs on negative symptoms was not revealed.

In certain cases, tranquilizers may be used. They have a positive effect on the patient's condition, help to calm down and relieve tension.

As for non-drug treatment, it is widespread, aimed at:

work with a psychologist;
realization of communication needs;
occupational therapy.

Often, ordinary conversations with the doctor can affect the patient's condition. The doctor must have experience and appropriate classification, since working with people with schizophrenia is associated with certain difficulties. This should be considered during the session. It is important to note that classes can be of a group nature, so the patient will not only communicate with the doctor, but also fill the need for communication.

Satisfying the need for communication includes communication with other people. It helps the patient to adapt in society (a person can withdraw into himself, which is unacceptable). For this reason, you need to communicate with him, talk, walk in nature, visit public places. Naturally, if the patient's condition has returned to normal and he does not differ in aggression or a tendency to violence.

Occupation by work, the so-called occupational therapy, makes the patient with schizophrenia feel his own importance. Therefore, psychotherapists recommend taking a person in some business. This will allow him to realize certain aspirations and ambitions.

As a rule, in the treatment of a disease, a certain scheme is followed. Therapy is aimed at:

At the initial stage, the medicine will help to stop the symptoms and get rid of the manifestations of schizophrenia. Treatment is with typical antipsychotics. The drug is chosen by the doctor, based on the patient's condition, his ability to adequately assess himself and the manifestations of the disease. The therapy lasts from 1 to 4 months. It is based on the systematic use of medications, after which the doctor conducts a comparative analysis. Medicines should eliminate the signs of the disease partially or completely. As a result, the patient becomes calmer, he is able to adequately assess his capabilities.
The next step is aimed at stabilizing the patient's condition. Antipsychotics are used, but at a lower dosage. When taking drugs, there is a decrease in the intensity of symptoms of a different nature. As the condition improves, the doctor reduces the dosage of drugs. If in the process of treatment it is possible to get rid of the productive signs of the disease, then the therapy can be considered successful. In some cases, the medication is replaced with another, but only if necessary. The duration of therapy can be from 3 to 9 months.
The next period in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia is adaptation. It is carried out in several stages and is protracted. Adaptation can take a year. During this time, a person must completely go through several stages: learn to communicate with people, realize himself in a particular industry. Adaptation is aimed at building social contacts, it may include group sessions with a psychiatrist. In the process of treatment, the patient is under the control of the doctor, since there is a high risk of exacerbation of the disease.

In fact, adaptation can be considered the final stage of therapy, but there is also prevention, it is based on taking medications at a low dosage. Antipsychotics or other drugs may be prescribed. Prevention is needed in order to prevent a possible relapse.

Important: schizophrenia is prone to relapse, exacerbation is observed in 50% of patients. For this reason, it is so important to complete the started treatment.

It is worth noting that drug therapy has one significant disadvantage - these are side effects that occur in 30% of patients. Basically, they are in a depressive state that occurs during the treatment process. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants to treat depression.

For the treatment of schizophrenia, two types of antipsychotics are used: typical and atypical, they have different effects. Typical ones have a more complete effect, while atypical ones are aimed at normalizing the production of serotonin.

Previously, only typical neuroleptics were used, although both were discovered in 1950. Atypical began to be used for the treatment of schizophrenia relatively recently, in the 1970s. For this reason, when atypical antipsychotics are prescribed, the therapy is considered experimental.

Among antipsychotic drugs, Haloperidol is used, it is prescribed more often than other medicines. The name of the medicine and the dosage will be indicated by the doctor, he will individually determine the duration of therapy and predict the result.

Drugs and side effects

With schizophrenia, pills are taken for a long time, some patients are forced to be treated throughout their lives. In this regard, the patient may experience drug parkinsonism, the main manifestations of which are: restlessness, muscle stiffness, trembling, spasm of individual muscles. To get rid of unwanted side effects, antiparkinsonian drugs are prescribed: Diphenhydramine, Cyclodol and others.

Attention! Alcohol or drugs can provoke another exacerbation. To protect the patient from this, you should carefully monitor him.

In most cases, for the treatment of schizophrenia, doctors prescribe:

Azaleptin is an antipsychotic that is generally well tolerated. But if the drug was prescribed in a high dose, the risk of side effects increases. The patient may complain of dizziness, headache, drowsiness, retention of stool or urination, as well as allergic reactions of various kinds.
"Haloperidol" is a powerful antipsychotic, the drug is used to treat patients with schizophrenia and psychosis. "Haloperidol" is able to have a complex effect on the body. In some cases, the use of the drug is associated with a high risk. The fact is that "Haloperidol" affects a person's condition and can lead to a deterioration in his well-being, lead to suicide or cause acute extrapyramidal disorders.
Demanol is a nootropic drug that stimulates the brain. It helps to restore memory and normalize the mental state, affects the characteristics of behavior. Rarely leads to the development of side effects, but allergic reactions may occur on the skin.
Inveta is an antipsychotic used in the treatment of children over the age of 12 years. The drug is effective in carrying out therapy in children and adults, is used during an exacerbation, acts as one of the components of complex therapy. It can lead to various kinds of side effects, ranging from allergic reactions to headache, nausea and other responses.
"Leksotan" - a tranquilizer, has a complex effect: anxiolytic and sedative effect. It is used in the treatment of diseases of various kinds, including mental disorders. When taking the drug, various side effects may occur: nausea, headache, insomnia, vomiting, heartburn, etc.

For this reason, medication should be taken under the supervision of a specialist. In some cases, if the side effects are pronounced, it is worth replacing the drug with another one, but the doctor should do this.

American scientists have invented a new approach to improve mental abilities in patients with schizophrenia. The conducted studies have established its high efficiency, this gives a chance for a cure to patients who have this difficult diagnosis.

Dr. Brian Miller analyzes therapies for schizophrenia A recent multi-patient study confirms that targeted inflammation suppression combined with standard therapy can improve the cognitive performance of patients with schizophrenia.

Dr. Brian J. Miller, a psychiatrist at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and his colleagues found that the drug tocilizumab, which is regularly prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, can improve the cognitive abilities of patients with schizophrenia. They received two intravenous injections over eight weeks.

Dr. Miller noted that the result adds to the evidence that inflammation plays an important role in patients with schizophrenia and suggests that the treatment of inflammation may be a therapeutic target, at least for cognitive impairment.

Cognitive problems tend to be a major source of dysfunction and disability in these patients and may be one of the earliest symptoms of schizophrenia, Dr.

Approximately 25 to 50 percent of patients may have inflammation in the brain contributing to this dysfunction. The problems range from difficulty remembering composite numbers to impaired executive function that allows them to analyze, organize, and generally manage their lives.

Tocilizumab targets the IL-6 receptor, a protein that helps regulate inflammation that often accompanies people with schizophrenia. Higher levels of IL-6 also lead to shrinkage of the hippocampus, the center of learning and memory in the brain, as well as other psychiatric symptoms.

The five patients enrolled in the study experienced no improvement in overall levels of psychiatric symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, which are more classic well-controlled symptoms of schizophrenia.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin, have been tried in these patients and have been found to tend to be less effective and have multiple mechanisms of action. Dr. Miller emphasized: "If we see an improvement in the course of treatment with this drug, then we know that this is not due to other effects."

Increasing evidence for a role for inflammation in schizophrenia means scientists can routinely check patients' blood levels of C-reactive protein (an indicator of inflammation) and try various anti-inflammatory drugs in addition to antipsychotics.

Are there any pills for schizophrenia, after taking which you can forget about the disease forever. This question worries everyone who has a relative suffering from mental disorders. There are many methods of treatment, drugs, but each of them must be prescribed individually, depending on the patient's condition.

In the complex treatment of some mental disorders, special drugs can be used.

Schizophrenia is one of the most complex and not fully understood diseases. It is difficult for people with mental disorders to determine whether certain strange things are happening in reality or in fact. The disease is accompanied by a violation of thinking, the inability to control one's emotions, communicate adequately and stay in society. The disease has long been considered incurable. It accompanies mankind from time immemorial. Ancient healers described conditions, even created herbal medicines for schizophrenia, but they still could not get rid of the disease forever. But as we know, scientific minds do not stop there, and every generation of psychiatrists has worked to create powerful drugs that can, if not curb the disease, then at least cause a stable remission.

What is schizophrenia

Before starting the treatment of the disease, looking for drugs for schizophrenia, you need to know what kind of disease it is, what are the causes of its occurrence. According to the exact statements of experts, schizophrenia is a violation, a "failure" in the work of the human brain, from which all commands come for execution by the body. For this reason, the patient sees the world differently, his connection with the real state of affairs is lost. A person with mental disorders can hear sounds that do not exist in reality, suffer from hallucinations, mumble incomprehensible things, suffer from persecution mania, etc. Such conditions cause an abnormal quality of life, they cannot feel confident in society, they lose contact with others, they tend to “hide” in their own, limited world.

Who is more prone to illness

Scientists have been studying the disease for many years and found that people from 15 to 35 years old are most susceptible to the disease. And this is understandable. It is during these years that the personality is formed, the first conflicts, the first sexual experience, stress, depression, feelings, and adaptation with the surrounding society arise. Processes in the human body are also of great importance in this. There is a regulation of the hormonal background, which directly affects the mental ability of a person. But there are often cases when a mental disorder accompanies a child from the first days of his life. In these cases, the following can provoke the disease in the womb:

heredity;
alcoholism, drug addiction;
infectious diseases of a pregnant woman;
trauma during childbirth, etc.

People aged 15 to 35 are most susceptible to schizophrenia.

Diagnosis of the disease

The disease is difficult to consider from its first moments of manifestation. Basically, oddities in human behavior are explained by transitional age, stress, and depression. Therefore, it is important, especially for parents of children who have strange behavior, to see a doctor in time. It is impossible to leave a disease such as schizophrenia unaffected, therapy undertaken on time will be the key to a long-term remission or the elimination of all factors that will necessarily lead to a serious illness.

The term "schizophrenia" includes a group of mental disorders of various forms and phases of the course. Thanks to the discoveries and detailed studies of the disease, specialists were able to form important ideas about the criteria, classifications of mental illness, and the manifestations of its clinical picture. Now every experienced psychiatrist can make an accurate diagnosis and undertake appropriate treatment. Also, doctors can pay attention in advance to certain processes leading to the development of schizophrenia, thereby preventing a dangerous illness, prescribing adequate therapy for the treatment of schizophrenia.

Symptoms of the disease

According to the testimonies of those who witnessed the first symptoms, the patient behaved somehow wrong, but they did not understand what was happening to him. There are signs by which you can identify a mental disorder that has arisen suddenly or gradually. Therefore, you need to pay special attention to the following points:

hostile attitude towards everyone;
desire to isolate from society;
frequent or prolonged depression;
inability to express one's emotions, inability to cry, laugh at the right moments;
hygiene problems;
frequent insomnia or constant drowsiness;
incoherent speech;
the use of strange, incomprehensible words in the vocabulary;
distraction, forgetfulness;
aggressive reaction to any criticism.

People with mental disorders often appear eccentric, or completely devoid of any emotion. They look untidy, as they stop taking care of themselves. They give up previously favorite activities, the level of grades in school decreases, and efficiency at work worsens.

The main symptoms of the disease are:

hallucinations;
rave;
lack of assembly;
absent-mindedness, lack of assembly;
spontaneous, slurred, uncollected speech.

Symptoms can also be supplemented by other oddities, it all depends on the patient, his character, the form of the disease, etc.

Means for the treatment of schizophrenia

There are many ways that affect the mental state of a sick person. Medicines, surgery, as well as non-traditional and innovative methods are used. Let's start studying the list of drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia with popular names. It includes a list of drugs with neuroleptic, sedative, sedative and other properties.

List of medicines

Quetiapine, the second name is Seroquel. It is used to influence the state in the early stages, relapses, and the acute phase of the disease. Causes long-term remission with regular use, relieves feelings of depression, eliminates mania. The course of treatment is prescribed on an individual basis. Due to the effect of the drug, the patient becomes calm, the feeling of anxiety, depression disappears.
Cyclodol. Mental illness, unfortunately, will have to be treated for life. Most medicines have side effects. The most common problem is a violation of motor functions, parkinsonism - muscle stiffness, tremors, spasms, restlessness, etc. To eliminate problems, it is cyclodol, dimedrol that are used.
Phenazepam. In 40% of cases, in the early stages of the disease, in depressive states, the drug returns a person to normal life. Tension, anxiety are relieved, a person again feels a surge of strength, adapts with society.
Noopept in schizophrenia, reviews of which are constantly left by specialists and patients, has a powerful property to activate metabolic processes in the human brain. Cells are replenished with the necessary amount of oxygen, nootropics are used for brain injuries, cell damage in encephalitis, meningitis, etc.
Rispolept in schizophrenia, it is prescribed for complex forms, acute phases of the disease. The drug causes inhibition of productive symptoms, hallucinations, delusions, excessive aggression or complete apathy are eliminated. Doses and course of treatment are prescribed only by a specialist.
In the malignant form of the disease, in which there is a continuous course of the acute phase of the disease, powerful antipsychotics such as promazine, clozapine, haloperidol.
A simple form of the disease is treated neuroleptics to stimulate the effect from more powerful drugs. Such names as biperiden, trihexinephenidyl, as well as an atypical series are used: olanzapine, risperidone.
With mental disorders accompanied by cerebral edema - subfebrile schizophrenia, is used infusion treatment with the use of insulin-potassium-glucose therapy. It is also necessary to artificially cool with the use of ice packs, diuretic drugs, diazepam tablets, the introduction of hexenekal anesthesia.

Phenazepam returns people to normal life in the early stages of the disease

Modern psychopharmacotherapy includes a long list of the latest treatment drugs, thanks to which it is possible to improve the quality of life not only for the schizophrenic sufferer, but also for those around him. It's no secret that a sick person can be potentially dangerous. It is people with such a disease that are included in the list of the most dangerous criminals, maniacs. Due to the aggression and incontinence of mentally suffering persons, conflicts and troubles most often arise.

Treating schizophrenia with hunger and medication

Modern methods of influencing the suppression of mental disorders include non-traditional approaches. For greater effect, specialists combine taking drugs from a large and varied list, as well as physical methods. A unique innovation is very popular, in which the patient becomes many times better.

Important: this method has its opponents. Whether to use it or not should be decided only by a specialist with experience in this treatment tactic.

Treatment of schizophrenia by fasting

Doctors, innovators of psychiatry, decided to put patients on a certain diet. Apparently, heavy, fatty, spicy, fried, smoked food causes slagging of the body. Metabolic processes are inhibited, brain cells die, and the mental function of a person is disturbed. Non-drug treatment affects the early stage of the disease.

The therapy includes several important factors: the inclusion of fermented milk products in the diet with the combination of a strict daily regimen and the determination of the stage of the disease, the form. No wonder there is an assertion that a fresh sore heals faster. You can also include fresh fruits, vegetables, steamed dishes in the diet. An important component of a healthy diet is white fish, which contains Omega-3 fatty acids, trace elements that help improve metabolic processes throughout the body.

Innovative treatments for schizophrenia

In psychotherapy, methods such as the use of stem cells and insulin coma began to be used. The first method gives amazing results. The study of immature cells began in the 20th century. As it turned out, unique particles are able to completely transform into the cells of the organ next to which they are located. And completely healthy. They can completely degenerate into brain cells responsible for the mental, mental properties of a person.

The use of stem cells is quite relevant in modern psychiatry

Insulin coma has been used for many years. The patient is injected with a certain amount of the drug, after which he enters a soporous state. The dose and time spent in a coma is determined by the attending physician. For treatment, the patient is allocated a separate ward and medical personnel. The patient is taken out of the state by drinking sweet tea, an injection of glucose.

How is schizophrenia treated in Russia

In recent years, a lot of psychiatric clinics have been opened in Russia, where various methods of treatment are used that have the maximum effect. First of all, experts point out that it is necessary to detect pathology at an early stage. Therefore, great emphasis is placed on the qualitative diagnosis of the disease. An anamnesis is carried out, information is collected about the patient's behavior, a council of experienced doctors who have practiced in the best clinics in the world is going to.

Prevention of mental illness

Modern medicine does not have preventive measures, which could be guaranteed to prevent the disease. But there is an opportunity to influence the psychological maturation of the child in order to minimize the risk of developing mental disorders due to stress, depression, puberty, social adaptation, etc.

Complete harmony should reign in the family, parents should absolutely not conflict, scandal in front of their beloved child.
It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, take drugs during pregnancy and before the conception of a child.
It is not recommended to have loud parties with alcohol at home.
Spend as much time as possible with your child, organize active holidays in the bosom of nature more often, do a common exciting thing.
Try to make contact with the child, call him for frank conversations more often, eliminate the child's secrecy.
At the first signs: silence, frequent depression, detachment, isolation, contact a specialist.

Important: even hints of a child's suicide should not be overlooked. This is one of the main symptoms of mental pathology.

Is schizophrenia curable?

There is still no definite answer to this question. Most doctors are still sure that this is not a disease, but a state of mind of a person, his features, which can be influenced by drugs or non-drug methods. The problem may relate to an illness in the acute phase, a complex form, a special type of classification. But still there are innovations, thanks to which one can hope both the patient and his relatives for a complete cure.

After the use of stem cells and lobotomy, the patient's remission is prolonged

There is electroshock method, insulin coma, surgical lobotomy, stem cell therapy and a number of unique drugs that create a long period of remission. In any case, work is being done regularly, and scientists are working daily to create a type of treatment in which you can breathe a sigh of relief and forget about mental disorders.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder due to internal disturbances in the body, characterized by pathological behavior, emotions, attitudes towards people, inadequate perception of the surrounding world and reality.

The development of the disease is not associated with the influence of external factors, it can have a paroxysmal or continuous course.

With the disease, there are difficulties with communication in a person at various stages of life - from early childhood to old age, from the period of attending school to working in a team.

According to statistics, every 5-6 people out of 1000 are susceptible to schizophrenia. Gender does not matter, although in men the disease manifests itself at an earlier age - from 15 years old, in women from 25 years old. Pathology is usually found in people from 15 to 30 years old. Out of 100 people with schizophrenia, about 10 decide to commit suicide.

Pathology affects a person for the rest of his life. At the same time, many symptoms can be completely eliminated with the right combination of traditional and alternative treatment, which only a highly qualified psychiatrist can select.

Interesting! Not all people with pathology suffer from dementia. Schizophrenics can have varying levels of intelligence, from low to very high. There are known great historical figures suffering from a mental disorder, who were able to achieve significant success and recognition of others - the writer N.V. Gogol, mathematician D. Nash, chess player B. Fisher and many others.

In pathology, thinking and perception of a person suffer while maintaining the normal functioning of memory and intelligence. The brain of schizophrenics is able to correctly perceive information, but the cortex of the organ cannot process it correctly.

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Causes

The exact reasons for the development of this mental illness have not been identified. Scientists have put forward a number of factors that increase the likelihood of pathology:

hereditary predisposition. If close relatives have the disease, schizophrenia appears in 10% of cases. When diagnosing a pathology in one of the identical twins, the probability of a violation in the second increases to 65%. There is a version that one hereditary factor is not enough for the development of a mental disorder, a combination of several causes is necessary.
Childhood upbringing. One of the assumptions for the occurrence of schizophrenia is the lack of attention of parents to their children.
Pathologies of intrauterine development, mainly the impact on the child of infections.
Bad habits. The use of amphetamines exacerbates the symptoms of mental illness. The use of hallucinogenic and stimulant drugs, including smoking, can provoke the development of the disorder.
Social factors. Scientists argue about the relationship of loneliness or stressful situations caused by a negative social position with the manifestation of schizophrenia.
Disorders of chemical brain processes. The makings of pathology can be laid down during fetal development, but appear only during puberty.

Symptoms of the disorder

In the early stages of the pathology, symptoms can be mild and often go unnoticed. At the same time, the achievement of an effective result is possible only with the treatment started in the early stages of a mental disorder. Therefore, it is important not to miss this moment until the disease has passed into more severe forms.

Manifestations can be very diverse. The main symptoms of schizophrenia are:

negative signs- lack of emotions and pleasure from something, estrangement from social life and self-isolation, fading desire for self-care;
positive manifestations- a person hears voices in his head, raves, feels being watched from the side;
unexpected mood swings- from joy to depression;
cognitive symptoms- Difficulties with processing even elementary information, impaired thinking and memory.

There are certain signs of schizophrenia that are observed in males:

aggressiveness;
self-isolation from society;
the emergence of voices in the head;
persecution mania.

Features of the manifestation of the disease in women are:

frequent reflection;
persecution mania;
rave;
hallucinations;
conflicts against the background of social interests.

Signs of a mental disorder in men are most often permanent, in women they manifest themselves in the form of unexpected attacks. For male schizophrenics, there is an increased addiction to alcoholic beverages.

You can suspect the presence of the disease in children by the following symptoms:

Rave.
Irritability.
hallucinations.
Aggressiveness.
Movement disorders.

It is important for parents to distinguish the violent fantasy and character traits of the baby from pathological disorders. A specialist from the age of 2 years can determine the presence of a disease in children.

In adolescence, schizophrenics are marked by aggressiveness, poor academic performance and isolation.

In severe forms of the disease, severe dementia is manifested.

Diagnosis of schizophrenia

To make the correct diagnosis, psychiatrists use several effective methods:

questioning the patient and his relatives;
conducting psychological tests;
virological research;
sleep monitoring at night;
scanning of cerebral vessels;
conducting a neurophysiological examination;
electroencephalography;
analyzes in the laboratory.

Based on all the results obtained, the specialist makes a diagnosis and selects the most effective method of treating the patient.

it is not recommended to leave the patient alone, which will aggravate his situation and worsen his well-being;
stressful situations that can cause negative emotions in a schizophrenic should be excluded;
perform constant airing of the premises in any weather;
patients are forbidden to use alcoholic beverages, drugs, should stop smoking;
it is recommended to take regular walks on quiet streets away from noisy roads;
it is desirable to go in for sports, swimming is especially useful, normalizing blood circulation, energizing and increasing muscle tone;
the intake of vitamins and nutrients with food is important;
it is recommended to find a job and a hobby to reduce the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts;
in sunny weather, a hat should be used to prevent overheating;
it is necessary to observe the sleep and wakefulness regime, the lack of rest worsens the condition;
do not drink strong tea, coffee and energy drinks.

Traditional medicine treatments for schizophrenia include:

Medications.
Insulin coma therapy - the introduction of an increased dose of insulin for the onset of glycemic coma. In the modern world, the method is used very rarely.
Electroconvulsive therapy is the conduction of electrical impulses through the brain.
Social correction is the improvement of the patient's living conditions and the establishment of his communication and contact with other people.
Teaching family members how to interact and help the schizophrenic.
Psychotherapy - facilitates the general condition of the patient, is used as an addition to complex treatment.
Surgical intervention is used rarely and in exceptional cases.

None of the methods of modern therapy is able to completely cure schizophrenia. Treatment is aimed at preventing recurrence of seizures.

How to treat folk remedies?

A positive effect on the condition of a person suffering from schizophrenia is provided by folk methods of treatment using natural ingredients. Before using any prescription, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.

The most effective traditional medicine for mental disorders are:

In 1 glass of boiled water, dissolve 1 tablespoon coriander. The remedy must be insisted and consumed in the morning or when a fit of hysteria occurs.
1 tablespoon chopped valerian root mixed with 100 grams of vodka, infused for 10 days. The daily dose is 5 drops. Alcohol tincture helps to get rid of unreasonable feelings of anxiety.
Dry hop cones and blackberry leaves mixed in equal proportions - 1 teaspoon. The healing mixture is poured with 2 cups of boiled water and left to infuse all night. At the end, the drug is filtered and taken ½ cup up to 4 times a day. The decoction strengthens the nervous system and serves as a measure of stress prevention.
1 tablespoon viburnum bark combined with boiled water in the amount of 1 cup, the mixture is infused for 30 minutes and carefully filtered. The remedy is drunk 30 minutes before meals, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
In 3 liters of water you need to add 50 grams of chopped swamp cleaner, put the mixture on medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes with the lid closed. The resulting broth should be poured into a bath with a water temperature of 36-38 degrees. Taking therapeutic baths before a night's sleep helps to improve coordination of movements.
It is useful to sleep on a pillow that is prepared at home by adding healing herbs inside - oregano, hops, mint and thyme.
Linen bag with bay leaf can be hung around the patient's neck to eliminate nightmares.

All folk recipes are aimed at eliminating the negative symptoms of pathology, and not at completely getting rid of mental illness.

A favorable prognosis for schizophrenia depends on the following factors:

late age of onset of symptoms of the disease;
female;
good social and professional adaptation before the onset of the disease;
acute onset of a psychotic episode;
weak manifestation of negative symptoms;
absence of frequent and prolonged hallucinations.

The sooner a mental illness is detected, the more successful the result of a therapeutic intervention, including traditional and folk methods, will be. Of particular importance in this case are those around and close to a person with schizophrenia, who should support the patient and help him avoid nervous breakdowns and depression.

- a mental disorder, accompanied by the development of fundamental disorders of perception, thinking and emotional reactions. Differs in significant clinical polymorphism. The most typical manifestations of schizophrenia include fantastic or paranoid delusions, auditory hallucinations, impaired thinking and speech, flattening or inadequacy of affects, and gross violations of social adaptation. The diagnosis is established on the basis of an anamnesis, a survey of the patient and his relatives. Treatment - drug therapy, psychotherapy, social rehabilitation and readaptation.

Causes of schizophrenia

The causes of occurrence have not been precisely established. Most psychiatrists believe that schizophrenia is a multifactorial disease that occurs under the influence of a number of endogenous and exogenous influences. There is a hereditary predisposition. In the presence of close relatives (father, mother, brother or sister) suffering from this disease, the risk of developing schizophrenia increases to 10%, that is, about 20 times compared with the average risk in the population. However, 60% of patients have an uncomplicated family history.

Factors that increase the risk of developing schizophrenia include intrauterine infections, complicated delivery, and time of birth. It has been established that people born in spring or winter are more likely to suffer from this disease. They note a stable correlation between the prevalence of schizophrenia and a number of social factors, including the level of urbanization (urban residents get sick more often than rural residents), poverty, unfavorable living conditions in childhood, and family relocations due to unfavorable social conditions.

Many researchers point to the presence of early traumatic experiences, neglect of vital needs, sexual or physical abuse suffered in childhood. Most experts believe that the risk of schizophrenia does not depend on the style of upbringing, while some psychiatrists point to a possible association of the disease with gross violations of family relationships: neglect, rejection and lack of support.

Schizophrenia, alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse are often closely related, but it is not always possible to track the nature of these relationships. There are studies pointing to the connection of exacerbations of schizophrenia with the use of stimulants, hallucinogens and some other psychoactive substances. However, an inverse relationship is also possible. When the first signs of schizophrenia appear, patients sometimes try to eliminate unpleasant sensations (suspicion, mood deterioration and other symptoms) by using drugs, alcohol and drugs with a psychoactive effect, which entails an increased risk of developing drug addiction, alcoholism and other addictions.

Some experts point to a possible connection of schizophrenia with abnormalities in the structure of the brain, in particular, with an increase in the ventricles and a decrease in the activity of the frontal lobe, which is responsible for reasoning, planning and decision-making. Patients with schizophrenia also show differences in the anatomical structure of the hippocampus and temporal lobes. At the same time, the researchers note that the listed disorders could have arisen secondarily, under the influence of pharmacotherapy, since most of the patients who participated in the studies of the structure of the brain had previously received antipsychotic drugs.

There are also a number of neurochemical hypotheses linking the development of schizophrenia with impaired activity of certain neurotransmitters (the dopamine theory, the keturene hypothesis, the hypothesis that the disease is related to disorders in the cholinergic and GABAergic systems). For some time, the dopamine hypothesis was especially popular, but later many experts began to question it, pointing to the simplified nature of this theory, its inability to explain clinical polymorphism and many variants of the course of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia classification

Based on clinical symptoms, the DSM-4 distinguishes five types of schizophrenia:

paranoid schizophrenia- there are delusions and hallucinations in the absence of emotional flattening, disorganized behavior and thinking disorders
Disorganized schizophrenia(hebephrenic schizophrenia) - thinking disorders and emotional flattening are detected
Catatonic schizophrenia- psychomotor disorders predominate
Undifferentiated schizophrenia- psychotic symptoms are detected that do not fit into the picture of catatonic, hebephrenic or paranoid schizophrenia
Residual schizophrenia- there is a mild positive symptomatology.

Along with those listed, two more types of schizophrenia are distinguished in the ICD-10:

simple schizophrenia- gradual progression of negative symptoms in the absence of acute psychoses is revealed
Post-schizophrenic depression- occurs after an exacerbation, characterized by a steady decrease in mood against the background of mild residual symptoms of schizophrenia.

Depending on the type of course, domestic psychiatrists traditionally distinguish between paroxysmal-progredient (coat-like), recurrent (periodic), sluggish and continuously ongoing schizophrenia. The division into forms, taking into account the type of course, allows you to more accurately determine the indications for therapy and predict the further development of the disease. Taking into account the stage of the disease, the following stages of the development of schizophrenia are distinguished: premorbid, prodromal, first psychotic episode, remission, exacerbation. The end state of schizophrenia is a defect - persistent deep thinking disorders, reduced needs, apathy and indifference. The severity of the defect can vary significantly.

Symptoms of schizophrenia

Manifestation of schizophrenia

Typically, schizophrenia manifests during adolescence or early adulthood. The first attack is usually preceded by a premorbid period of 2 or more years. During this period, patients experience a number of non-specific symptoms, including irritability, mood disturbances with a tendency to dysphoria, bizarre behavior, sharpening or perversion of certain character traits, and a decrease in the need for contact with other people.

Shortly before the onset of schizophrenia, a period of prodrome begins. Patients are increasingly isolated from society, becoming scattered. Short-term disorders of the psychotic level (transient overvalued or delusional ideas, fragmentary hallucinations) are added to nonspecific symptoms, turning into a full-blown psychosis. The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into two large groups: positive (something that should not be normal appears) and negative (something that should be normal disappears).

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia

hallucinations. Usually in schizophrenia, auditory hallucinations occur, while the patient may think that the voices sound in his head or come from various external objects. Voices may threaten, command, or comment on the patient's behavior. Sometimes the patient hears two voices at once arguing with each other. Along with auditory, tactile hallucinations are possible, usually of a pretentious nature (for example, frogs in the stomach). Visual hallucinations in schizophrenia are extremely rare.

Delusional disorders. In delusional influence, the patient believes that someone (enemy intelligence, aliens, evil forces) influences him with the help of technical means, telepathy, hypnosis or witchcraft. With delusions of persecution, a schizophrenic patient thinks that someone is constantly watching him. The delusion of jealousy is characterized by an unshakable conviction that the spouse is unfaithful. Dysmorphophobic delirium is manifested by confidence in one's own deformity, in the presence of a gross defect in some part of the body. With delusions of self-blame, the patient considers himself guilty of the misfortunes, illnesses or death of others. In delusions of grandeur, the schizophrenic believes that he occupies an exceptionally high position and / or possesses extraordinary abilities. Hypochondriacal delusions are accompanied by a belief in the presence of an incurable disease.

Obsessions, disorders of movement, thinking and speech. Obsessive ideas - ideas of an abstract nature that arise in the mind of a patient with schizophrenia against his will. As a rule, they are global in nature (for example: “what happens if the Earth collides with a meteorite or deorbits?”). Movement disorders manifest as catatonic stupor or catatonic excitation. Disorders of thinking and speech include obsessive sophistication, reasoning and meaningless reasoning. The speech of patients suffering from schizophrenia is replete with neologisms and overly detailed descriptions. In their reasoning patients randomly jump from one topic to another. With gross defects, schizophasia occurs - incoherent speech, devoid of meaning.

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Emotional disorders. social isolation. Emotions of patients with schizophrenia are flattened and impoverished. Often there is hypothymia (sustained decrease in mood). Hyperthymia (sustained increase in mood) occurs less frequently. The number of contacts with others decreases. Patients suffering from schizophrenia are not interested in the feelings and needs of loved ones, stop attending work or school, prefer to spend time alone, being completely absorbed in their experiences.

Disorders of the volitional sphere. Drifting. Drift is manifested by passivity and inability to make decisions. Patients with schizophrenia repeat their usual behavior or reproduce the behavior of others, including asocial behavior (for example, they drink alcohol or take part in illegal actions), without feeling pleasure and without forming their own attitude to what is happening. Volitional disorders are manifested by hypobulia. Needs disappear or decrease. The range of interests narrows sharply. Decreased sex drive. Patients suffering from schizophrenia begin to neglect the rules of hygiene, refuse to eat. Less often (usually in the initial stages of the disease), hyperbulia is observed, accompanied by an increase in appetite and sexual desire.

Diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia

The diagnosis is established on the basis of an anamnesis, a survey of the patient, his friends and relatives. The diagnosis of schizophrenia requires the presence of one or more criteria of the first rank and two or more criteria of the second rank, defined by ICD-10. The criteria for the first rank include auditory hallucinations, the sound of thoughts, fanciful delusions and delusional perceptions. The criteria for schizophrenia of the second rank include catatonia, thought interruption, persistent hallucinations (other than auditory), behavioral disturbances, and negative symptoms. Symptoms of the first and second rank should be observed for a month or more. To assess the emotional state, psychological status and other parameters, various tests and scales are used, including the Luscher test, the Leary test, the Carpenter scale, the MMMI test and the PANSS scale.

Treatment for schizophrenia includes psychotherapy and social rehabilitation activities. The basis of pharmacotherapy are drugs with antipsychotic action. Currently, preference is more often given to atypical antipsychotics, which are less likely to cause tardive dyskinesia and, according to experts, can reduce the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. To reduce the severity of side effects, antipsychotics are combined with other drugs, usually mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines. If other methods are ineffective, ECT and insulin coma therapy are prescribed.

After the reduction or disappearance of positive symptoms, a patient with schizophrenia is referred for psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to train cognitive skills, improve social functioning, help with awareness of the characteristics of one's own condition and adaptation to this condition. Family therapy is used to create a favorable family atmosphere. Conduct training sessions for relatives of patients with schizophrenia, provide psychological support to relatives of patients.

Prognosis for schizophrenia

The prognosis for schizophrenia is determined by a number of factors. Favorable prognostic factors include female sex, late age of onset, acute onset of the first psychotic episode, mild negative symptoms, absence of prolonged or frequent hallucinations, as well as favorable personal relationships, good professional and social adaptation before the onset of schizophrenia. Social attitude plays a certain role – according to research, the absence of stigmatization and the acceptance of others reduces the risk of relapse.