Schizophrenia and work, can schizophrenics work? Disorganized schizophrenia Mental Health Research Center

Schizophrenia is a psychological disease that can overtake a person in at different ages. Despite this diagnosis, the patient must continue to live and try to adapt to society as much as possible. Work is one of the most important aspects of a person's functioning in society.

Keeping a schizophrenic employed during remission is a good prevention of psychosis. This applies to any type of activity, both physical and intellectual. The patient must undergo social adaptation and realize himself in work so as not to feel inferior. Not all people suffering from this disorder receive a disability group. Very often, a schizophrenic is not aware of his illness and refuses to take medications, not to mention undergoing a medical examination. Thus, work for patients with schizophrenia is not only a way to slow down the development of the disease, but also an urgent need.

The answer to the question whether schizophrenics can work is clearly positive. But who to work with and where is a purely individual matter. Mentally ill people, just like healthy people, have different intellectual levels, different abilities and predispositions, so one patient can work at a construction site, another at a design institute, a third can be a dishwasher, a fourth can be a programmer, a fifth can be a graphic designer.

Let's just say that there are positions to which people are allowed only if they provide a certificate from the IPA. These include specialties that require high responsibility and neuropsychological stress from employees, who have access to weapons, dangerous equipment and units, and chemicals. Schizophrenics are also not allowed to take on any driving professions or work at heights.

All of the above restrictions apply to the employer’s side, but there are some general restrictions on the part of the schizophrenic employee. The patient cannot stand an eight-hour working day - working hours must be reduced. Shift work is not recommended at all - disruption of biorhythms can cause you to come out of remission.

A schizophrenic should not work where his task will be to communicate with people. That is, for example, a patient can be a supply manager or storekeeper, where he will be forced to communicate with a small number of people a couple of times a day, but he cannot be a salesman in a store. Therefore, it is impossible to answer unequivocally who a schizophrenic without a disability can work as.

The manifestations of symptoms in remission and a person’s personal abilities are important. Much depends on who the person was before the disease overtook him. Naturally, the earlier the illness began, the more difficult it is to organize employment for him.

How can a schizophrenic get a job?

The main problem in organizing the work of a patient is that the manifestations of schizophrenia are apathy, loss of motivation and detachment. That is, in addition to searching for a suitable place of work, the patient’s relatives are also forced to influence the schizophrenic to accept and come to terms with its necessity, overcoming pathological indifference.

In order to accomplish this, maintenance therapy for the patient during periods of remission is necessary, this includes both pharmacological and psychotherapy. Only by gaining motivation can we talk about a successful job search.

Is it possible for a person with schizophrenia to find a job? Of course yes. This can be done officially, through the employment center. Moreover, if there is a certain disability group, the legislation regulates which vacancies are suitable. If there is no disability, horizons expand.

Most often, if the job involves responsibility for the lives of other people, a medical examination is required during employment. In all other cases, what is not prohibited is permitted; a person is not obliged to report his diagnosis to the employer. But in fact, it is not possible to hide schizophrenia. Unfortunately, many employers do not find it necessary to accommodate people diagnosed with F20. This is the problem of our intolerant society, the rejection of something strange and incomprehensible.

But work for schizophrenics is “treatment”, which is deprived of by employers who do not want problems.

With official employment through the labor exchange, enterprises that employ disabled people have some benefits, so the chances of getting a job are slightly greater. But in reality, a large percentage of schizophrenics who work, do simple physical labor and got their place thanks to the connections of their relatives. In other situations, the patient may encounter hostility from the team, which will only provoke a worsening of symptoms.

Work for schizophrenics at home

No matter how severe the illness is, in no case should you completely limit the patient from housework. Most often, a schizophrenic can cope with simple physical labor, such as cleaning, washing dishes, cooking, and working in the garden. He may not be doing something very well, but that doesn't matter. The task of his relatives is to support him so that he tries, feels needed and useful. If a person, after falling ill, was unable to keep his previous job, it is especially valuable that he be fulfilled in household chores.

In our age of information technology, the Internet and the possibility of working from home open up great prospects for patients.

This is useful for those who had certain skills before diagnosis. Programmers, architects, engineers can try themselves in the field of freelancing. Remote work is simply an excellent solution for people with social disabilities. Abilities and skills are realized, while communication with strangers is minimized. There are a lot of resources on the Internet that deal with contacting employers with performers in very different fields of activity.

What to do with a schizophrenic at work?

Schizophrenia and working in remission are completely compatible concepts. Many people with such a disappointing diagnosis can be useful employees due to their innovative thinking. History knows examples of brilliant individuals suffering from schizophrenia. But even if the patient hired does not have genius inclinations and he performs simple physical work, try, as an employer, to show maximum patience. Would you be angry at a person with one arm for doing a task slower than someone with two arms? Treat the mistakes and failures in the work of a schizophrenic in the same way.

By employing a sick person, you provide great support to his psychological state, and are simply doing a good deed. Yes, a patient in a psychiatric clinic can be a hassle, yes, he can have a crisis during working hours, but in the absolute majority, schizophrenics are much less dangerous to society than others who do not have mental disorders. You should not imagine a murderer in every sick person. In order to ensure that working together with such a person is safe, just provide for some points, such as what to do if acute psychosis happens to your employee. For example, the telephone number of a psychiatric team should be ready.

A schizophrenic at work during a period of remission is most often harmless, the main thing is not to provoke him on purpose.

Contradicting and entering into discussions is highly discouraged - after all, the patient is completely devoid of criticism of his own opinion, so controversial points in communication can cause conflict in his head. Top tip people interacting with a schizophrenic at work - leave him alone and treat him with patience and understanding.

So, is it possible to work with a diagnosis of schizophrenia? Can! Are there any difficulties with finding employment? Certainly! Nowadays, unemployment is a global problem even for the mentally healthy population, let alone people with disorders. However, work is very important to combat the social dysfunction that is a symptom of the disease.

This video talks about the social adaptation of people with schizophrenia, whether schizophrenics can work and how employers feel about it.

Mental illnesses create a lot of problems for the patient and his loved ones, so it is important how accurate the diagnosis of “schizophrenia” is, how it is made and whether it is possible to remove the depressing inscription in the medical record.

Correct methods for diagnosing mental illness are the key to successful treatment. A professional attitude towards the disease requires long-term observation of the patient - at least 6 months in an inpatient psychiatric facility. The disease is serious and without proper treatment leads to irreversible processes. Moreover, a person suffering from mental disorders, at the moment of exacerbation, can become dangerous to himself and others. But you can’t immediately give up on a suffering person. Often doctors make mistakes and this is understandable - the symptoms of a banal nervous disorders can mislead even an experienced specialist. Therefore, it is important to continue the examination, not read myths about the impossibility of recovery and carefully follow the doctor’s recommendations.

Important: with the right approach, over time the pressing question will become: “How to remove the diagnosis of schizophrenia and you can successfully forget about the illness and start living a normal life.

The diagnosis of schizophrenia can only be made by a qualified doctor

It is not so easy to identify the first signs, that is, the manifestation of the disease. Usually the symptoms are hidden behind sensations that are familiar to many: depression, irritability after stress. Also, the majority mistakenly believes that conditions such as fear, persecution mania and others are a sign of past illnesses, injuries, and conflicts. Therefore, they turn to doctors without missing the first point. But experts say one thing: even if you doubt that this is not a manifestation of schizophrenia, you should still go to the clinic.

Diagnosis of schizophrenia: who makes it?

There are different methods for determining mental illness, and only persons with higher medical education specializing in psychiatry deal with patients of this type. The doctor must have a certificate. To find an experienced doctor, you need to find out about his activities through reviews from former patients. Ideally, a good doctor has his own official website, which displays all the information about his work, diagnostic methods, and treatment methods. An important component is the availability of work in well-known clinics, not only domestic, but also foreign.

Important: a self-respecting specialist always adheres to the confidentiality policy.

When visiting, the doctor conducts a visual examination. The second stage is communication with the patient. Thus, paying attention to the patient’s speech, his behavior, ability to answer certain specific questions, reason, construct sentences, the doctor draws certain conclusions. Then it is mandatory to have a conversation with the sick person’s relatives, who need to be told in detail about how he behaves, what symptoms are alarming and appearing. It is also necessary to identify whether there are other family members who exhibit inappropriate behavior, oddities, speech disorders, etc.

How to diagnose schizophrenia

Some people mistakenly believe that mental disorders can be determined by consulting with a doctor via Skype or in absentia. For an accurate diagnosis and identification of all signs of the disease, an in-person consultation is necessary. The main symptoms include:

• inappropriate behavior;
• impoverishment of speech, incoherence, loss of logic;
• inhibition when thinking, inability to clearly express one’s thoughts;
• loss of logic in reasoning;
• feeling of fear, delusions of persecution, grandeur;
• autism is a closure in one’s own limited world.

If at least two of the listed signs are present, and they are observed for more than 2 months, a trip to a psychiatrist is mandatory. The list of mandatory diagnostic methods includes a test that detects mental disorders.

Diagnosis of schizophrenia involves passing a special test

Test questions

1. Does the patient read other people’s thoughts or express his own out loud?
2. I am sure that the thoughts are imposed from the outside.
3. Someone controls feelings and movements.
4. Delusional ideas and hallucinations arise that are considered incredible from the point of view of common sense. That is, the patient can be confident in his exclusivity and believe that he has special abilities.
5. Incoherent speech, fragmented thoughts, neologisms.
6. Catatonic seizures: the patient’s refusal to communicate, perform tasks, reluctance to answer questions, freezing in a certain, strange position or complete inhibition - stupor.
7. Behavioral disorders: lack of any interests, desire to do what you love, abandonment of goals, withdrawal from society.
8. Loss of emotions, complete indifference to reality, lack of social contacts.

Additional diagnostic methods

Mental disorders, fortunately, are not a common disease. Very often, ordinary people confuse banal depression, stress, fatigue, and adolescence with schizophrenia. It is for this reason that there is a differentiated method for determining the disease, in which all of the listed symptoms are excluded, as well as exogenous signs associated with the consumption of alcohol, drugs, brain diseases, and poisoning. When diagnosing, blood and urine tests are required to identify pathologies that affect the patient’s psyche.

Important: after treatment, as a rule, the diagnosis of schizophrenia is removed and the patient returns to a normal lifestyle. Subsequently, periodic visits to the doctor will be required to determine relapses or establish stable remission.

Diagnosis of schizophrenia: how to remove it

An accurate diagnosis of a mental disorder requires powerful interventions using a variety of methods. Modern psychiatry has a number of excellent neuroleptics and nootropics, thanks to which there is a specific answer to the pressing question - “Is it possible to remove the diagnosis?” - yes, it’s possible. The following medicines are effective:

• quetiapine;
• phenazepam;
• cyclodol;
• rispolept;
• haloperidol;
• clozapine;
• promazine, etc.
• Insulin coma. When a certain dose of the drug is administered, the patient’s disease progression is inhibited. Depending on the phase and form of the disease, the doctor prescribes the time and dose of insulin. The procedure is carried out only in a hospital hospital setting and under the strict supervision of medical staff and the attending physician.
• Stem cells. Thanks to the innovations of modern specialists, it was possible not only to induce stable remission, but also to cure mental illness. Immature cells in the human body are capable of acquiring the functions and forms of the organs next to which they are located. But they do not contain pathologies that cause disease.

Stem cell treatment is often practiced to remove the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

A stir in psychiatry was caused by the discovery of gene therapy by scientists from an Irish university. Judging by their beliefs, schizophrenia is caused by the combination of only 4 types of genes, if you eliminate this problem, you can remove the diagnosis of “schizophrenia” and forget not only about mental disorders, but also epilepsy, depression and other ailments associated with impaired brain function .

How to remove the diagnosis of schizophrenia from a psychiatrist

In order to no longer have an unpleasant diagnosis in your medical record, you need to be patient and go through certain stages. First of all, a psychiatrist observes the patient for 5 years. In this case, the patient should not have a relapse and maintain stable remission. Taken into account complete absence mental disorders requiring treatment, hospitalization and medication.

To remove the diagnosis of “schizotypal disorder”, you need to submit an application to the psychoneurological dispensary addressed to the chief physician and undergo an examination. The patient needs to be hospitalized for a period of 2 to 3 weeks without an appointment drug treatment. Testing and methods for differential diagnosis of the condition are carried out, after which the diagnosis is removed or not.

How to remove the diagnosis of “schizotypal disorder” without the consent of the attending physician? In cases where the subject does not agree with the psychiatrist’s conclusions, it is possible to file a claim in court and undergo additional examination with re-examination. Additionally, a commission of other specialists in psychiatry works and a conclusion is written, which is sent to the PND at the patient’s place of residence (registration).

Schizophrenics tend to suffer from multiple personality disorder

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia - how to move on?

The disease is not scary, as it is portrayed by ordinary people and amateurs who do not understand much about medicine. It is because of them that the life of a sick person changes for the worse. Mental anguish and complete disappointment also torment the patient’s loved ones. There is a term “self-stigmatization”, in which a person learns about his illness and puts a “fat cross” on the future. Unfortunately, suicidal acts are often committed. We invite you to familiarize yourself with myths that are easily debunked:

• Schizophrenia is a severe form of mental illness. The disease is a mysterious type of disease and most doctors have not yet decided whether it is a condition or a disease. But by consulting a doctor in time, you can quickly return to normal and continue a quality existence.
• All schizophrenics suffer from a split personality. This symptom is in rare cases accompanies the disease. If it does arise, it is not necessary that the person will behave aggressively; more often, stable positive actions towards others arise, and they manifest themselves in a mild form.
• A sick person will definitely become weak-minded. With timely treatment, no severe consequences will not come. On the contrary, it is possible to concentrate internal potential and develop special abilities.

Important: among former PND patients there are often musicians, artists, designers, mathematicians, chess players, etc.

• Schizophrenia is a socially dangerous disease. Firstly, the disease is not at all contagious. Even the genetic nature of mental disorders is questioned by most experts. Secondly, aggressive people are rarely found among patients, and if adequate therapy has been completed, then you don’t have to think about problems. Among healthy members of society, there are many more individuals with aggression, anger and misconduct.
• The disease is incurable. According to researchers, in about a quarter of cases, patients experience only one mental breakdown without relapse. Only a small proportion of patients suffer from the disease in later life, and only if treatment is refused.
• In case of mental illness, the patient will be admitted to a clinic for the rest of his life. Doctors do not need to keep a healthy person in the hospital whose condition has been cured in a short period. It is enough to continue to be observed by a doctor and follow the recommendations of a specialist.

Schizophrenia is considered a socially dangerous disease

Nowadays, diseases of any complexity can be cured, and if they arise very complex shape, then there are additional, more radical methods of treatment. The problem also lies in the fact that after diagnosis, the patient withdraws into himself and refuses to communicate with others, which aggravates the condition. The main thing is not to panic, to take adequate measures in time with an experienced doctor. The success of treating mental pathologies directly depends on the mood of the patient and his family, which has been proven many times by official medicine.

This chronic illness, which progresses from attack to attack, or occurs continuously. Schizophrenia is characterized by a combination of ideas that do not correspond to reality (persecution, poisoning, exposure to “aliens” or “witchcraft”) and hallucinations (“voices”, “visions”). Sometimes the disease hardly manifests itself outwardly, but the person gradually becomes unemotional, callous, and loses interest in everything, even in his beloved activities and hobbies.

An experienced psychiatrist diagnoses and treats patients with schizophrenia.

How do you know if you have schizophrenia? In addition to talking with a psychiatrist, there are laboratory methods diagnostics - for example, Neurotest. It helps the doctor confirm the diagnosis and show the severity of schizophrenia. What symptoms and signs can be identified in an adult?

Modern diagnostics

A sharp change in interests - a passion for psychology, philosophy, a deep interest in religion in a previously unbelieving person, an awareness of the uselessness of friends and parents, the meaninglessness of life. These are some of the first signs of progressive schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is one of the most complex and controversial mental illnesses. It can be similar to neurosis, depression, and even sometimes dementia.

The prognosis for schizophrenia is often unfavorable due to the frivolous attitude of the patients themselves to the disease. Medicines must be taken continuously and not stopped without the doctor’s knowledge, even if all symptoms have disappeared. At modern methods With diagnosis and treatment, you can achieve stable remission, keep your job and live a full life.

How to determine schizophrenia in a person?

Closedness, apathy (indifference to everything) and distrust of others are constantly growing. Anxiety in schizophrenia can be identified as the first manifestation. This anxiety appears for no particular reason (the mother is constantly worried about the child, the person is always worried about work, although he is successful) and fills absolutely everything. A person cannot think about anything and has problems sleeping. Anxiety can be a symptom of neurosis, so it is important to conduct a differential diagnosis from a specialist.

Patients often think about philosophical and scientific topics that do not correspond to their knowledge and education. They may jump from thought to thought, the logical connection is broken, it is impossible to understand the main idea of ​​the story, the arguments and conclusions do not correspond to each other.

External diagnosis of schizophrenia can be carried out psychiatrist at first appointment- He needs to carefully examine the patient and conduct a detailed interview. For the diagnosis, not only current complaints are important, but also what happened before: the mother’s pregnancy, the child’s development, childhood traumas and infections, stress and conflicts that existed before the illness.

TO additional methods How to test a person for schizophrenia include:

1. Pathopsychological examination by a clinical psychologist;
2. Instrumental and laboratory methods: Neurotest and.

Main signs (criteria) of schizophrenia

The diagnosis is made based on international classification diseases (ICD-10). Schizophrenia is presented in section F20. Main criteria:

1. Open mindedness - someone invests them or takes them away, others know what a person is thinking about.
2. Impact ideas - a person is sure that someone controls his thoughts, actions, body movements, he is at the mercy of secret services, aliens or sorcerers.
3. "Voices" in my head or television that comment or discuss human behavior.
4. Other ridiculous ideas - about the ability to control the weather or communicate with otherworldly forces, about kinship with famous political or religious figures. The content of these ideas may vary depending on the person’s beliefs and events in society.

Diagnosing hallucinations in schizophrenia is not always easy. The patient sometimes does not realize that these are manifestations of the disease and does not tell anyone about them.

Hallucinations in schizophrenia often occur inside the head or body - these are “voices”, the insertion or withdrawal of thoughts, unusual burning sensations, tingling sensations.

Headache in schizophrenia is often accompanied by a feeling of influence from the outside - it is caused by ill-wishers or alien beings, using complex technologies (laser, radiation) or witchcraft:

• burning in the head;
• feeling of bursting from the inside;
• feeling of squeezing of the head;
• difficulty thinking;
• a feeling of heaviness in the temples and the back of the head.

Weakness in schizophrenia may be a manifestation of exhaustion nervous system during or after an attack, or can accompany the disease constantly and go away only with adequate treatment with antipsychotics.

Sleep disturbances in patients with schizophrenia may indicate the onset of an exacerbation. Sleep becomes restless, unproductive, and daytime sleepiness plagues you. This problem is especially troubling for patients with comorbid depression and anxiety. Diagnosis of insomnia in schizophrenia is carried out by an experienced psychiatrist.

Diagnosis of schizophrenia - methods for identifying the disease

The following methods are used for diagnosis:

1. Clinical and anamnestic examination.
2. Pathopsychological study.
3. Instrumental and laboratory methods - Neurotest and Neurophysiological test system.

Clinical and anamnestic examination conducted by a psychiatrist at the reception. It identifies symptoms, obvious and hidden, records a person’s complaints and clarifies the causes of the disorder. Although schizophrenia begins due to disruption of connections between nerve cells, external conflicts and difficult situations (overload, stress) can aggravate the disease and delay recovery.

Modern diagnostic methods in psychiatry include Neurotest and Neurophysiological test system.

Neurotest - This is an analysis of certain markers (indicators) of inflammation in the blood, the level of which is in direct proportion to the severity of the condition. The study requires a few drops of capillary blood (from a finger). The analysis helps confirm the diagnosis in doubtful cases and shows how effective the treatment is. This way, the doctor can quickly prescribe another drug if necessary..

Neurophysiological test system is the study of human reactions to certain stimuli, light and sound. Based on the movement of the eyes, the speed of response and the extent to which a person’s indicators deviate from the norm, the doctor makes a conclusion. NTS can accurately confirm the diagnosis, unlike EEG in schizophrenia.

Changes in the brain in schizophrenia are minor. Does MRI show schizophrenia? Some doctors of science can recognize its signs on a tomogram, but they do not make a diagnosis based on one study - the diagnosis must be comprehensive.

Clinical psychologist conducting pathopsychological study of schizophrenia. This is a series of tests on logic, attention, memory, problem solving, questions that relate to emotional and volitional sphere. It can be short and detailed. The psychologist does not make a diagnosis, but his conclusion is important for differential diagnosis with other mental illnesses.

In difficult cases, consultations with a neurologist or a functional diagnostics doctor are indicated. In private clinics, there are also consultation forms of examination with the participation of doctors of science and doctors of the highest category. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is made only after a complete diagnosis and if international criteria are met.

As soon as the diagnosis of schizophrenia is no longer in doubt, the doctor begins treatment. It consists of:

1. Drug treatment- with the help of modern neuroleptics (antipsychotics), tranquilizers, antidepressants, nootropics.
2. Psychotherapy- when the symptoms subside, psychotherapy is recommended to the patient to consolidate the result. The psychotherapist can use it in individual, family and group formats.

Duration and consistency are important in treatment, then we can talk about lasting recovery. .

Modern diagnostics

We have prepared detailed information for each method - with scientific justification, description of research and cost (there are special offers).

For schizophrenia, the most significant are the peculiar disorders that characterize changes in the patient’s personality. The severity of these changes reflects the malignancy of the disease process. These changes affect all mental properties of the individual. However, the most typical are intellectual and emotional.

Intellectual disorders manifest themselves in various types of thinking disorders: patients complain of an uncontrollable flow of thoughts, their blockage, and parallelism. Schizophrenia is also characterized by symbolic thinking, when the patient explains individual objects and phenomena in his own, meaningful meaning only for him. For example, he regards a cherry pit as his loneliness, and an unextinguished cigarette butt as his dying life. Due to a violation of internal inhibition, the patient experiences gluing (agglutination) of concepts.

He loses the ability to distinguish one concept from another. The patient grasps a special meaning in words and sentences; new words appear in speech - neologisms. Thinking is often vague; statements seem to slip from one topic to another without a visible logical connection. Logical inconsistency in statements in a number of patients with far-reaching painful changes takes on the character of speech fragmentation of thinking in the form of “verbal hash” (schizophasia). This occurs as a result of the loss of unity of mental activity.

Emotional disturbances begin with the loss of moral and ethical properties, feelings of affection and compassion for loved ones, and sometimes this is accompanied by hostility and malice. Interest in what you love decreases and eventually disappears completely. Patients become sloppy and do not observe basic hygienic self-care. An essential sign of the disease is also the behavior of patients. An early sign it may be the appearance of autism: isolation, alienation from loved ones, oddities in behavior (unusual actions, a manner of behavior that were previously unusual for the individual and the motives of which cannot be associated with any circumstances). The patient withdraws into himself, into the world of his own painful experiences. The patient’s thinking is based on a perverted reflection of the surrounding reality in the consciousness.

During a conversation with a patient with schizophrenia, when analyzing their letters and writings, in a number of cases it is possible to identify their tendency to reasoning. Reasoning is empty philosophizing, for example, the ethereal reasoning of a patient about the design of an office table, about the expediency of four legs for chairs, etc.

In the early stages of this disease, emotional changes such as depression, guilt, fear, and frequent mood swings may occur. At later stages, a decrease in the emotional background is characteristic, in which it seems that the patient is not able to experience any emotions at all. In the early stages of schizophrenia, depression is a common symptom. The picture of depression can be very clear, long-lasting and observable, or it can be disguised, implicit, the signs of which are visible only to the eye of a specialist.

Emotional and volitional impoverishment develops a certain time after the start of the process and is clearly expressed with an exacerbation of painful symptoms. Initially, the disease may have the character of a dissociation of the patient’s sensory sphere. He can laugh during sad events and cry during joyful ones. This state is replaced by emotional dullness, affective indifference to everything around and especially emotional coldness towards loved ones and relatives.

Emotionally - volitional impoverishment is accompanied by lack of will - abulia. Patients do not care about anything, are not interested in anything, they have no real plans for the future, or they talk about them extremely reluctantly, in monosyllables, without showing any desire to implement them. The events of the surrounding reality hardly attract their attention. They lie indifferently in bed all day long, are not interested in anything, do nothing.

A change in the interpretation of the environment associated with a change in perception is especially noticeable in initial stages schizophrenia and, judging by some studies, can be detected in almost two thirds of all patients. These changes can be expressed both in increased perception (which is more common) and in its weakening. Changes related to visual perception are more common. Colors appear more vibrant and shades appear more saturated. The transformation of familiar objects into something else is also noted. Changes in perception distort the outlines of objects and make them threatening. The color shades and structure of the material can seem to transform into each other. The heightened perception is closely related to the overabundance of incoming signals. The point is not that the senses become more receptive, but that the brain, which usually filters out most of the incoming signals, for some reason does not do this. Such a multitude of external signals bombarding the brain makes it difficult for the patient to concentrate and concentrate. According to some reports, more than half of patients with schizophrenia report disturbances in attention and sense of time.

A significant group of symptoms in the diagnosis of early schizophrenia are disorders associated with difficulty or inability to interpret incoming signals from the outside world. Auditory, visual and kinesthetic contacts with the environment cease to be understandable to the patient, forcing him to adapt to the surrounding reality in a new way. This can be reflected both in his speech and in his actions. With such violations, the information received by the patient ceases to be integral for him and very often appears in the form of fragmented, separated elements. For example, when watching television, the patient cannot watch and listen at the same time, and vision and hearing appear to him as two separate entities. The vision of everyday objects and concepts - words, objects, semantic features of what is happening - is disrupted.

Various peculiar senestopathic manifestations are also typical for schizophrenia: discomfort in the head and other parts of the body. Senestopathies are fanciful in nature: patients complain of a feeling of distension of one hemisphere in the head, dry stomach, etc. The localization of senestopathic manifestations does not correspond painful sensations, which can be due to somatic diseases.

The strongest impression on others and on the entire culture as a whole, which is expressed even in dozens of works on this topic, is made by the delusions and hallucinations of a patient with schizophrenia. Delusions and hallucinations are the most well-known symptoms of mental illness and, in particular, schizophrenia. Of course, it should be remembered that delusions and hallucinations do not necessarily indicate schizophrenia and schizophrenic nosology. In some cases, these symptoms do not even reflect general psychotic nosology, being a consequence, for example, acute poisoning, severe alcohol intoxication and some other painful conditions.

Delirium is a false judgment (inference) that arises without an appropriate reason. It cannot be dissuaded, despite the fact that it contradicts reality and all the previous experience of the sick person. Delusion resists even the most compelling argument, which makes it different from simple errors of judgment. According to the content, they distinguish: delusions of grandeur (wealth, special origin, invention, reformation, genius, love), delusions of persecution (poisoning, accusations, robbery, jealousy); delirium of self-abasement (sinfulness, self-blame, illness, destruction of internal organs).

One should also distinguish between unsystematized and systematized delirium. In the first case, we are usually talking about such an acute and intense course of the disease that the patient does not even have time to explain to himself what is happening. In the second, it should be remembered that delusion, having the nature of self-evident for the patient, can be disguised for years under some socially controversial theories and communications. Hallucinations are considered a typical phenomenon in schizophrenia; they complete the spectrum of symptoms based on changes in perception. If illusions are erroneous perceptions of something that really exists, then hallucinations are imaginary perceptions, perceptions without an object.

Hallucinations are one of the forms of impaired perception of the surrounding world. In these cases, perceptions arise without a real stimulus, a real object, have sensory vividness and are indistinguishable from objects that actually exist. There are visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile hallucinations. At this time, patients really see, hear, smell, and do not imagine or imagine.

The hallucinating person hears voices that do not exist and sees people (objects, phenomena) that do not exist. At the same time, he has complete confidence in the reality of perception. In schizophrenia, auditory hallucinations are the most common. They are so characteristic of this disease that, based on the fact of their presence, the patient can be given a primary diagnosis of “suspicious schizophrenia.” The appearance of hallucinations indicates a significant severity of mental disorders. Hallucinations, which are very common in psychoses, never occur in patients with neuroses. By observing the dynamics of hallucinosis, it is possible to more accurately determine whether it belongs to one or another nosological form. For example, with alcoholic hallucinosis, “voices” talk about the patient in the third person, and in schizophrenic hallucinosis, they more often turn to him, comment on his actions or order him to do something. It is especially important to pay attention to the fact that the presence of hallucinations can be learned not only from the patient’s stories, but also from his behavior. This may be necessary in cases where the patient hides hallucinations from others.

Another group of symptoms characteristic of many patients with schizophrenia is closely related to delusions and hallucinations. If a healthy person clearly perceives his body, knows exactly where it begins and where it ends, and is well aware of his “I,” then the typical symptoms of schizophrenia are distortion and irrationality of ideas. These ideas in a patient can fluctuate over a very wide range - from minor somatopsychic disorders of self-perception to the complete inability to distinguish oneself from another person or from some other object in the outside world. Impaired perception of oneself and one’s “I” can lead to the patient no longer distinguishing himself from another person. He may begin to believe that he is, in fact, the opposite sex. And what is happening in the outside world can rhyme for the patient with his bodily functions (rain is his urine, etc.).

A change in the patient’s general mental picture of the world inevitably leads to a change in his motor activity. Even if the patient carefully hides the pathological symptoms (the presence of hallucinations, visions, delusional experiences, etc.), it is nevertheless possible to detect the appearance of the disease by its changes in movements, when walking, when manipulating objects and in many other cases. The patient's movement may accelerate or slow down without any apparent reason or more or less clear possibilities to explain this. Feelings of clumsiness and confusion in movements are widespread (often unobservable and, therefore, valuable when the patient himself shares such experiences). The patient may drop things or constantly bump into objects. Sometimes there are short “freezes” while walking or other activity. Spontaneous movements (signaling hands when walking, gesturing) may increase, but more often they acquire a somewhat unnatural character and are restrained, since the patient seems to be very clumsy, and he tries to minimize these manifestations of his awkwardness and clumsiness. Repetitive movements include tremors, sucking movements of the tongue or lips, tics, and ritualistic movement patterns. An extreme variant of movement disorders is the catatonic state of a patient with schizophrenia, when the patient can maintain the same position for hours or even days, being completely immobilized. The catatonic form occurs, as a rule, in those stages of the disease when it was advanced and the patient did not receive any treatment for one reason or another.

Catatonic syndrome includes states of catatonic stupor and agitation. Catatonic stupor itself can be of two types: lucid And oneiroid.

Lucid catatonia occurs without clouding of consciousness and is expressed by stupor with negativism or numbness or impulsive agitation. Oneiric catatonia includes oneiric stupor, catatonic agitation with confusion, or stupor with waxy flexibility.

At lucid in stupor, the patient retains elementary orientation in the environment and its assessment, while in oneiroid the patient's consciousness is changed. Patients with lucid stupor, after emerging from this state, remember and talk about the events that took place around them during that period. Patients with oneiric conditions report fantastic visions and experiences that they were in the grip of during a stuporous state. Catatonic excitation is senseless, undirected, sometimes taking on a motor character. The patient’s movements are monotonous (stereotypy) and are essentially subcortical hyperkinesis; aggressiveness, impulsive actions, negativism are possible; facial expression often does not correspond to the pose (facial asymmetries may be observed). In severe cases, there is no speech, the excitement is mute, or the patient growls, hums, shouts out individual words, syllables, or pronounces vowels. Some patients exhibit an uncontrollable desire to speak. At the same time, the speech is pretentious, stilted, there are repetitions of the same words (perseveration), fragmentation, and meaningless stringing of one word onto another (verbigeration). Transitions from catatonic excitation to a stuporous state and vice versa are possible.

Hebephrenic syndrome is close to catatonic both in origin and in manifestations. Characterized by excitement with mannerisms, pretentiousness of movements and speech, and foolishness. Fun, antics and jokes do not infect others. Patients tease, grimace, distort words and phrases, tumble, dance, and expose themselves. Transitions between catatonia and hebephrenia are observed.

Changes in the behavior of patients with schizophrenia are usually a reaction to other changes associated with changes in perception, impaired ability to interpret incoming information, hallucinations and delusions, and other symptoms described above. The appearance of such symptoms forces the patient to change the usual patterns and methods of communication, activity, and rest. It should be borne in mind that the patient, as a rule, has absolute confidence in the correctness of his behavior. Absolutely absurd, from the point of view of a healthy person, actions have a logical explanation and conviction that they are right. The patient’s behavior is not a consequence of his incorrect thinking, but a consequence of a mental illness, which today can be quite effectively treated with psychopharmacological drugs and appropriate clinical care.

It is believed that a person diagnosed with schizophrenia has mental disorders that accompany him throughout his life. However, this is not quite true. If the disease is diagnosed at an early stage of development and all necessary measures are taken to treat this disease, then there is a possibility that the person will live a normal, full life.

Is there a cure for schizophrenia?

There is an established opinion in society that it is impossible to recover from schizophrenia and that it is a stamp for life. In fact, you shouldn’t be so skeptical about this diagnosis. So is schizophrenia curable? To answer the question, it is recommended to look at this diagnosis from a different angle. Namely, treat this disease like any other chronic illness. As an example, consider a disease such as diabetes. Humanity has not come up with a way to get rid of it, but there are certain rules, following which, a person can lead a normal life and keep his body in good shape. So is schizophrenia treatable or not? When answering this question, it is necessary to take into account that if you learn to follow certain rules, then it will become possible to exercise control over your condition.

Each person is individual, and schizophrenia has its own characteristics. U different people they can manifest themselves in different ways. There are statistics that one in five people with schizophrenia gets better after five years. At this stage, you should understand what improvement means and whether schizophrenia is treatable. Let's figure it out now.

How do improvements in this disease manifest themselves?

First, it should be understood that improvement is a long-term process in a disease such as schizophrenia. Psychiatry identifies several aspects of this condition. Secondly, you need to know that the recovery process implies a person’s desire to constantly work and achieve their goals. During this period, the patient will experience both normalization of the condition and exacerbation of the disease. An important point is the support of loved ones who can provide the help you need at the moment when it is necessary for a person diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Psychiatry says that improving the condition of a person who is sick with this disease means minimizing the symptoms of the disease and preventing attacks. It is also necessary to establish a normal perception of reality for the patient, thanks to which he will be able to lead a normal life.

What influences the positive outcome of treatment?

And women are usually the same. But there are also differences. They lie in the fact that the symptoms of schizophrenia in men are more aggressive and frightening. They need the attention and understanding of loved ones.

They have a softer character. Hallucinations occur. An interesting fact is that this disease can be triggered by childbirth. When answering the question of whether schizophrenia can be treated in women, it should be taken into account that this is a hereditary disease. And it is treatable to the same extent as in men. But if we talk about whether schizophrenia can be treated in adolescents, the important point here is the early diagnosis of the disease.

Facts to pay attention to during treatment

It's worth saying that modern medicine does not offer any specific methods by which a person can be cured of schizophrenia. But this disease is treatable. There are also ways to prevent attacks and exacerbations of the disease. If the patient has the right attitude and strives for recovery, then he has every chance of becoming a full-fledged member of society and leading a normal lifestyle, working, etc.

If a person is diagnosed with schizophrenia, this does not mean that he needs to constantly be in a hospital. With the correct and timely approach to treatment, the patient will be able to avoid crisis situations in which medical examination of the patient and keeping him under observation may be necessary. It should be remembered that in any situation there is hope for recovery. The main thing is not to be discouraged, but to take certain actions. Thanks to them, you can achieve the desired results.

Non-medical methods for diagnosing varonia

There is a test for schizophrenia that you can take. Please note that this test is not a basis for making a diagnosis. It shows whether a person is predisposed to such a disease or not. The test for schizophrenia presents a set of questions. By answering them, a person gains a certain number of points. The developers of the test have determined the norm. It is believed that if a person has scored points and they do not exceed a certain amount, then he is not prone to schizophrenia. The test is psychological in nature.

The questions are quite simple, for example, “do your relatives irritate you” or “do you have obsessive thoughts” and so on. In addition to the test method, where you need to answer questions, there is a test optical illusion. It's called Chaplin's mask. It is assumed that healthy people can see Chaplin's bulbous face on both sides of the mask. And those who are prone to mental illness see the second side of the mask as concave. These methods do not have any medical accuracy.

Treatment methods for schizophrenia. Patient participation in the therapy process

First of all, it is necessary that the person is correctly diagnosed. The staging process requires a fairly long period of time. Since the symptoms of this disease can overlap with other human mental disorders. Making a diagnosis requires time to monitor the patient. In addition, it is better if it is done by someone who has experience in treating such people.

Therefore, at the first suspicion of schizophrenia or a mental disorder, you should consult a doctor. This should be done. Since for effective treatment a correct diagnosis is necessary. And based on this, they will prescribe a treatment regimen for the disease. If the diagnosis is made accurately, then therapy will be effective.

There are cases when a person who does not realize this himself resists what he is told that he is not entirely healthy. But relatives who see mental abnormalities need to see a doctor. If a person himself notices this kind of problem in his body, then he is also recommended to seek medical help.

A sick person needs to know that treating schizophrenia requires an integrated approach. This disease cannot be cured simply by taking medications. In addition, it is necessary to ensure communication with doctors, relatives, and have psychological support from loved ones. It is important not to drop out of society, but to continue communicating with people around you. You should also lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right. Under in a healthy way life means following a daily routine, walking, and exercising.

Another important factor that will ensure the recovery process in schizophrenia is that the patient is an active participant in the treatment. The patient needs to tune in to participate in this process, talk through his feelings from taking this or that drug, talk about his well-being and share his emotional mood with loved ones and the attending physician.

The course of schizophrenia and the patient’s mood for recovery

First of all, you should not fall into despair. If there are people around a person who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia who believe that this illness is incurable, then you should not communicate with them. It is better that those for whom this person remains an individual, regardless of illness, are present. You need to constantly maintain a relationship with your doctor. It is recommended to monitor the dosage medicines prescribed by the psychiatrist. If a patient has concerns that he has been prescribed a dose of medication that is too high or, conversely, too small, then he should definitely talk to his doctor. He needs to voice his concerns about this. You should also clarify what are possible side effects from taking this or that drug. It is important for the patient to be honest with himself and the psychiatrist. If the patient observes side effects, then you need to tell the doctor about this and change the treatment regimen or change the amount of the drug. The patient should know that determining the dosage of medications is a joint effort between the doctor and the patient. Therefore, you need to take an active part in it.

Also, a person diagnosed with schizophrenia should learn to use special therapy, which includes the ability to control the symptoms of this disease. Namely, if the patient has any obsessive thoughts or hears extraneous voices, then through special therapy he can switch and lead himself away from these conditions. The patient should also learn to motivate himself to do something.

For schizophrenics, setting and achieving goals is an important part of the recovery process. Under no circumstances should you give up society.

Patient support

Those patients who receive support from relatives and other close people are very lucky. The participation of others in the treatment process is an important component of recovery. It has also been found that when the patient is surrounded by understanding and kindness, the occurrence of relapses is minimized.

A person who is ill is advised to talk with relatives and friends who, in his opinion, can help if attacks of schizophrenia occur. It is necessary to explain to them what type of help is expected from them. As a rule, when people ask for help, they are met. Especially when it comes to health. With support, it will be easier for a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia to cope with the illness.

Another important factor that will contribute to recovery is work. It is better for people with mental disabilities to work. If, of course, the state of health allows and there is no disability due to schizophrenia. Voluntary labor can be used. There are communities of people suffering from this disease. To avoid this, it is recommended to join them. Visiting temples helps some people. You need to create a favorable environment around yourself. The same rule can be followed by healthy people. The difference is that a mentally healthy person can cope with stress or psychological discomfort. And it is better for a person with disabilities to avoid situations that could cause a relapse.

A favorable circumstance for the patient is living with a family. Love and understanding of loved ones are one of the main positive factors for recovery from schizophrenia. Under no circumstances should you consume alcohol or drugs. Since they have a negative effect on the body of a sick person.

People diagnosed with schizophrenia are prescribed antipsychotic medications. It should be remembered that the treatment of this disease is complex. Therefore, taking medications is one of the components of therapy.

You also need to understand that the data medicines do not treat a person for a disease such as schizophrenia. Their action is aimed at eliminating the symptoms of this disease, such as hallucinations, delusions, obsessive thoughts, chaotic thinking, etc.

Taking these drugs will not ensure a person’s entry into society, setting any goals or motivating them to take certain actions.

Negative effects of drugs

Also, this type of drug has a number of associated manifestations:

1. Drowsiness.
2. Prostration.
3. Chaotic movements may occur.
4. Excess weight appears.
5. Sexual function is lost.

If these manifestations interfere with normal life, you should consult a doctor and reduce the dose of drugs or change the treatment regimen.

It is not recommended to reduce the amount of medication on your own or switch to taking another drug. This can be harmful to health, cause relapse, etc. Therefore, a consultation with a psychiatrist is required.

How to find the optimal drug?

The main task in finding the right medicine for schizophrenia is that it has the desired effect, and side effects were kept to a minimum. It should also be taken into account that a person takes such drugs for a long time, sometimes for life. Therefore, you need to be very careful when choosing. If necessary, change to another medicine.

The difficulty in choosing an antipsychotic drug is that it is unclear how it will affect the body and what side effects may occur. Therefore, the process of selecting a drug can be quite long and complex. It is also necessary to choose the right dosage for each individual patient.

As a rule, improvement in the patient’s condition after starting to take medications occurs after one and a half or two months. There are cases when a person feels better after a few days. When there is no positive dynamics even after two months, you need to either increase the dose or change the drug.

So is schizophrenia completely curable? Cannot be guaranteed 100%. But it is possible to remove its symptoms.

What types of medications are prescribed for schizophrenia?

Currently, drugs prescribed for this disease can be divided into two groups. Namely, medicines of the old generation and the new. The first drugs include antipsychotics. And for new ones - atypical drugs.

Neuroleptics have been known for a long time; they eliminate hallucinations, obsessive thoughts, etc. But they have drawbacks. They can cause unpleasant symptoms such as:

1. Anxiety.
2. Slowness.
3. Unsteady gait.
4. Pain in the muscles.
5. Temporary paralysis may occur.
6. Spasms.
7. Chaotic movements.

The new generation of drugs is called atypical antipsychotic drugs. IN last years they are used more often to treat this disease. This is due to the fact that from taking these funds side effects far less.