Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder, which consists of a range of symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, and/or negative symptoms such as avolition. It involves odd perception, actions and thoughts. It also consists of psychosis, that is, a loss of contact with reality.
In schizophrenia, three general symptom patterns are present:
- Positive symptoms (Delusions and hallucinations)
- Negative symptoms (Apathy, anhedonia, alogia, affective flattening)
- Cognitive symptoms (Disorganized speech, strange behavior)
Positive symptoms reflect an excess in behaviors such as delusions and hallucinations. Delusions refer to false beliefs held firmly on inadequate grounds. There is a disturbance in the content of thoughts. Some of the most common delusions in schizophrenia are thought broadcasting (someone is broadcasting one’s private thoughts to others), thought withdrawal (someone has robbed one’s thoughts), and delusions of reference (some normal environment such as a television is believed to have special meaning that is intended for the person)
On the other hand, hallucinations involve the perception of stimuli in the absence of an external stimuli. The different types of hallucinations are auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile or gustatory. Auditory hallucinations are the most common hallucinations.
Negative symptoms involve an absence in behaviors. Some of the common negative symptoms are apathy (feeling of indifference), anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), alogia (poverty of speech) and affective or emotional flattening.
The treatment of schizophrenia involves a combination of medications and psychotherapy. The goals of the treatment process are to manage symptoms and increase adaptive functioning so that the person can function effectively in their life. Some of the psycho-social approaches involve family therapy, social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy and cognitive remediation.
In family therapy, the clients and their families are given psycho-education about schizophrenia, and their communication and coping skills are worked on. Social skills training aims to equip clients with skills they need to function effectively in their daily lives. This involves self-care skills, communication skills, and employment skills. Clients learn these skills, and based on the feedback they get, they practice and apply the skills in the real-world setting.
Cognitive remediation training helps clients with improving their executive functioning skills, as well as their attention and memory. On the other hand, cognitive behavioral therapy addresses the nature of the client’s delusions and hallucinations, and the evidence for the same is examined.
If you or your loved one are showing symptoms of schizophrenia, reach out to Veda Rehab and Wellness Center at +8151830000. Our team of expert and trained psychiatrists and psychologists will guide you to learn skills that you require to live a fulfilled, functional life.
Written by:
Monalisa Kar
In-house Psychologist
Veda Rehab and Wellness Center