Schizophrenia by Dr Mitali Soni Loya
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality.
In India schizophrenia is often thought of as some paranormal phenomenon and due to the same reason treatment is not taken in time.
Schizophrenia has following symptoms:
Positive symptoms: “Positive” symptoms are psychotic behaviors not generally seen in healthy people. People with positive symptoms may “lose touch” with some aspects of reality. Symptoms include:
Hallucinations
Delusions
Thought disorders (unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking)
Movement disorders (agitated body movements)
Negative symptoms: “Negative” symptoms are associated with disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors. Symptoms include:
“Flat affect” (reduced expression of emotions via facial expression or voice tone)
Reduced feelings of pleasure in everyday life
Difficulty beginning and sustaining activities
Reduced speaking
Cognitive symptoms: For some patients, the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are subtle, but for others, they are more severe and patients may notice changes in their memory or other aspects of thinking. Symptoms include:
Poor “executive functioning” (the ability to understand information and use it to make decisions)
Trouble focusing or paying attention
Problems with “working memory” (the ability to use information immediately after learning it).
This video by Dr Mitali Soni Loya Psychiatrist Bhopal aims at explaining schizophrenia in a simple language so as to make people understand it better and take treatment in time.