Schizophrenia is a mental condition that affects thought process and behavior. The individual suffers from hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thoughts, and disorderly speech. The person requires professional attention to manage symptoms and reduce complications.
Individuals with a family history of mental disorders are at a higher risk of suffering from schizophrenia; thus, it is essential to be aware of schizophrenia symptoms for an early diagnosis. The symptoms are:
- The individual struggles to differentiate between real and imaginary worlds. The delusions and hallucinations affect the feelings and behavior.
- The flat effect becomes prominent in patients with schizophrenia. It is a state which refers to a lack of emotional expression.
- The individual has disorganized thoughts and speech, which hinders communication.
- The patient remains agitated and unmotivated in completing basic personal tasks.
Therapies for Schizophrenia
There is no cure for schizophrenia; however, psychotherapy and medications are proven effective in managing the symptoms.
The therapies effective for enhancing the quality of life for people diagnosed with schizophrenia are:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: The therapy enables the individual to source on their thought process and behavior. CBT is a type of psychotherapy that helps identify unhealthy patterns affecting overall performance. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to enhance problems solving skills, manage the symptoms and decrease the possibility of relapse.
- Family Education Therapy: The behavior of the patient affects the family members. They struggle to understand the thought process and ways to help the person. It puts a strain on the mental health of other members of the family. Family education therapy allows the members to become aware of the symptoms and ways to manage emotionally stressful events associated with the illness as one unit.
- Assertive Community Treatment: It is a community-based treatment plan for schizophrenic patients. The focus of the therapy is to positively reinforce the patient to change their emotions, feelings, and behavior. The caregivers help the patient follow the treatment to reduce the risk of hospitalization, which can affect the overall functioning.
- Training for Enhancing Social Skills: Learning social skills allows the person to have better personal interactions and maintain healthy professional relationships. The use of techniques such as didactic instruction, role-playing, reinforcement, and supervised interactions allow the individual to divert attention and reduce the severity of the symptoms.
- Group Therapy: Group counseling provides a safe space to vent fears, challenges, and frustration. The support helps the person feel content and enhances intrapersonal skills.
- Self-Help Groups: The individual diagnosed with schizophrenia should join self-help groups. They are proven effective in enhancing work skills,treatment compliance, medication adherence, and interpersonal skills.
- Psychosocial Rehabilitation Therapy: Schizophrenia causes individuals to struggle in their personal and professional life. The isolation affects the relationships, which worsens the symptoms. Psychosocial rehabilitation therapy aims to improve intellectual, social and emotional functioning. The patient learns to be content and confident to manage things in their capacity. Psychosocial rehabilitation therapy includes; independent living training, vocational training, medication management, and job counseling. Learning coping skills allows them to manage and tackle situations by making rational decisions on their own. You can get professional help with Schizophrenia at fitcyhealth.com