What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia refers to a mental illness that impacts the ability of a person to think and feel. It also influences his behavior and way of living his life. Individuals with this mental health condition seem to lose touch with reality, making it hard for them to manage their daily life activities compared to individuals without this condition. As per research, this mental illness is initially diagnosed between the ages of 15 to 30. Mostly, it is an episode of psychosis that unveils it and leads to the diagnosis.
Schizophrenia is quite a common mental illness in Pakistan. However, there’s not enough awareness surrounding this problem and it’s about time people get to know about its symptoms, manner of diagnosis, and treatment. In this article, we shall explore the causes and symptoms and common medications offered to patients in Pakistan.
What is Schizophrenia in Urdu?
In Urdu, Schizophrenia is commonly known as “شقاق دماغی” (Shiqaq Dimaghi), characterized by delusions and hallucinations.
Common Symptoms Of Schizophrenia In Pakistan
People suffering from Schizophrenia live in their perceived world and are not cognizant of the realities of life. They construct an image of life that is way different from how regular people perceive their lives. As a result, it tends to affect their behaviors, reactions, and lifestyles. When the individual believes in fixed realities made up solely by him despite clear shreds of evidence of them being false, it is known as persistent delusion. He consistently hears and sees things that do not even exist in reality.
This affects the person’s thinking processes and compulsory actions. Resultantly, when they broadcast their thoughts, they turn out to be jumbled and unclear.
Some negative symptoms are also associated with this mental health disorder including restricted experience with emotions, reduced verbal expression and difficulties in articulating thoughts. This leads to a sense of social withdrawal, showcasing reactions in the form of unusual and unacceptable postures.
Individuals suffering from Schizophrenia also showcase the inability to solve basic problems, have a cognitive thought process, and retain memories. In Pakistan, as there is not enough support available for mental health, people dealing with schizophrenia showcase a persistent worsening of their symptoms with time.
What Are The 5 Main Causes Of Schizophrenia In Pakistan?
The main causes of Schizophrenia in Pakistan are the same as they are across the globe. They include the following:
- The most prominent cause of schizophrenia is believed to be chemical imbalances in the brain, particularly involving neurotransmitters like dopamine and glutamate. Simply put, neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that aid the neurons in communicating with each other at synapses. This way, the signals are transmitted between the brain and the body. When they are imbalanced, the messaging gets disrupted. The inability of the dopaminergic system to work properly leads to schizophrenia.
- Research suggests that prenatal factors such as malnutrition or exposure to infections during pregnancy may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia later in life. This is a major cause of this mental illness, especially in Pakistan where a massive chunk of the population does not receive adequate nutrients.
- The brain has different parts which make the whole bodywork through communication and connection. When the connection between the various parts of the brain is lost, it leads to Schizophrenia.
- Some people are genetically prone to being affected by Schizophrenia. A stressful environment can further trigger it.
- Long-term diseases that impact the working of the brain or autoimmune diseases can lead to Schizophrenia as well.
Is Schizophrenia Treatable?
The simplest answer to this is: Yes.
Through proper medication and therapy, the sufferers can manage their symptoms. However, at the same time, it’s important to mention that this disease has no cure!
How Does Schizophrenia Impact A Person’s Life?
Schizophrenia has a massive effect on the sufferer’s life in numerous manners. It impacts his physical and emotional well-being while negatively impacting his social relations. The combination of delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking, as a result of this mental illness, can lead to anxiety and depression. It increasingly gets tough for the person to maintain healthy social relationships.
The stigma attached to mental health conditions and victimization emerging from it further aggravates the situation, making it impossible for the person to have a normal life.
What Are The Types Of Schizophrenia?
The main types of Schizophrenia are:
- Hebephrenic Schizophrenia
Probably one of the most common types of Schizophrenia, Hebephrenic Schizophrenia is characterized by disorganized thought processes and actions. People dealing with it have disordered speech patterns, leading to making it hard for them to connect with others in a social setting. It also impacts their social behaviors and reactions.
- Paranoid Schizophrenia
As the name states, in this type of Schizophrenia, the sufferer consistently feels and acts suspicious of others. He may also have extensive delusions and hallucinations that may lead to his paranoid behavior.
- Catatonic Schizophrenia
In this type of Schizophrenia, the motor activity of the body gets disrupted. As a result, it gets tough for the person to perform the regular daily activities normally. It is also categorized by purposeless motion and involuntary actions.
- Undifferentiated Schizophrenia
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia has all the symptoms associated with Schizophrenia, but psychologists are unable to place the patient in any of the categories of this disease.
- Cenesthopathic Schizophrenia
Cenesthopathic Schizophrenia impacts the physical aspect of the sufferer. In this type of Schizophrenia, the patient feels unusual sensations in the body that cause a sense of paranoia in him.
What Are The Medications For Schizophrenia In Pakistan?
In Pakistan, this mental illness is treated using a combination of medication and therapy. Schizophrenia is primarily treated with antipsychotic medications. In some cases, mood stabilizers or antidepressants may be prescribed to manage co-occurring symptoms. Alongside these medicines, they are also provided adequate therapies and mental health well-being sessions.
Do We Treat Schizophrenia at Home?
In terms of medical treatment, only a licensed medical specialist can help with the treatment of this mental health disorder. However, by providing support and a positive environment at home, the well-wishers of the patients can surely help him in dealing with this illness. A strong support system is imperative to treat this condition.
What Is The Treatment Duration Of Schizophrenia?
Antipsychotic medication is often required long-term to manage symptoms and prevent relapses, though higher doses may be needed during acute episodes of psychosis. However, the treatment of Schizophrenia is an ongoing process. Mood lifters and therapy sessions have to be continued for extended periods to ensure the proper treatment of this disease.
How to Treat Schizophrenia in Pakistan?
Mental health treatment options in Pakistan face challenges such as limited access in rural areas, stigma, and a shortage of mental health professionals. For the residents of far-flung areas, it’s extremely difficult to reach out to the experts and get mental health problems like Schizophrenia treated. The social stigma attached to psychological issues, lack of specialists, and geographical barriers are some reasons behind it.
SehatYab, an online platform, brings on-board the best psychiatrists and psychologists in Pakistan together to help mental health patients. Online consultation, therapy sessions, and medical services are now reaching the doorsteps of the common man, thanks to this platform.