What is schizophrenia?
Mrs. L. was a patient in hospital that I was asked to see because she was thinking strangely. She was very quiet, withdrawn and suspicious of me. When I asked her what was the reason that she was in hospital, she replied, "I'm rotting inside because I was standing too close to wallpaper that was peeling off the wall." She had clearly lost contact with reality but I needed to know how firmly convinced of her delusion she was. I asked her if this had ever happened before. She answered, "Yes it had but she had acted quickly and saved her own life." "And how did you do that?" I responded. She showed me a twelve inch scar across her neck. "When the poison was beginning to move towards my head, I cut my neck to let the poison out and saved my life!" She was clearly quite convinced of her diagnosis and of the treatment she needed. I cringed as I thought of the doctors who had to close such an enormous life threatening neck wound, while she was so proud of her life saving procedure. Mrs. L. was schizophrenic and demonstrating psychotic delusional thinking.
Schizophrenia is a very misunderstood condition and it is not "split personality." It is a "psychotic" disorder, rather than a mood disorder, which means that there is a loss of contact with reality. It is caused by a different type of chemical imbalance than a mood disorder. Schizophrenia is a thought disorder where one loses the ability to tell what is real and what is imaginary. If you refer back to my diagram in figure 1, this disorder is a chemical imbalance in the orientation part of the brain but it can also affect the mood control centre to cause mood symptoms as well.
Schizophrenia usually begins in young adults like the other mood disorders. It affects two percent of the population which makes it more common and far more disabling than diabetes. Like the mood disorders, it tends to be a recurring condition.
Schizophrenics often feel that they are being watched, followed or persecuted. They may hear voices and see things that no one else can. They often have peculiar beliefs that have no basis in reality and their thoughts seem very scattered and disorganized. They are commonly very withdrawn, emotionless and suspicious. A more complete list of symptoms will be found in the Mood Disorder Self Test.
Delusional psychotic thinking
Schizophrenia is a more difficult condition to treat than the mood disorders and the medications, called antipsychotics, tend to have more side effects. Antidepressants and mood stabilizers can also be used in schizophrenia if there are many depressive thoughts or wide mood swings along with the psychosis. Antipsychotics are also used in mood disorders when the person is having symptoms of psychosis along with their mood symptoms.
We must be very compassionate and supportive to Schizophrenics and their families to keep the sufferer encouraged and in treatment to prevent relapses.
There are very helpful support groups for patients and families to encourage and inform those who suffer with this condition.
The text of this section contains excerpts from "Healthy Moods".
Illustrations by Rev. Jim Keddy
For more information visit Answers to common mental health questions.
Copyright Dr. Grant Mullen. No part of this website can be reproduced without the written permission of the author and publisher.
