A Clear Picture
Life seems simple for most people ??? wake up in the morning next to the beloved spouse, get some coffee, and go to work. After a hard day???s work, they would return home and relax in front of the television, while dinner is getting ready. This paints a picture of calmness on the surface, but what hides behind this fa??ade?
As we all know, life is much more complicated, and some people would find coping mechanisms to help them deal with everything when life hits hard. Other people would fight the good fight by taking control of their problems with viable solutions. What about the people that are not in control of their own life?
People suffering from mental illness or clinical disorders cannot simply flip a switch and be ???normal???. These people are all around us, and society forces them into exile most of the time. It is difficult for a ???normal??? person to truly understand what mental illness means with regards to the sheer impact it has on someone???s life, not to mention the treatment involved. To better understand such a mental state, we will be focusing on a disorder called schizophrenia.
The Definition of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a disorder that affects a person???s ability to think, feel, and behave clearly. Suddenly, a clear picture on life becomes distorted. Treatment is highly advised to help deal with all the symptoms. Bipolar disorder and multiple personality disorder are commonly mistaken for being the same as schizophrenia, which is not the case.
This chronic disorder would cause a person to have thoughts and experiences that are not in touch with reality ??? leading to a disorganisation of speech and behaviour. As a result, this person shows decreased participation in daily activities as well. Concentration can be difficult to maintain, which leads to a struggle with clear memory. Like other chronic mental disorders, schizophrenia???s exact causes are unknown. Certain aspects can play a role, with a combination of altered brain chemistry and structure, genetics, and the immediate environment being viable conditions.
Symptoms
With every mental disorder, there are certain unique symptoms that would be forced to the surface. With schizophrenia, common symptoms include a false belief of superiority, a lack of emotional response, and fatigue that leads to impaired motor skills. Other behavioural symptoms can include social isolation, self-harm, aggression, and compulsive behaviour.
Cognitive and psychological symptoms include hallucination, paranoia, amnesia, and religious delusion. People suffering from this disorder, can develop a feeling that an ordinary event had a special sense of personal meaning to them, and might also believe that certain thoughts are not their own ??? referencing their hallucination or delusion, and turning it into something viable for them.
Schizophrenia also has a big influence on a person???s mood and speech. Circumstantial and incoherent speech patterns, coupled with rapid and frenzied speaking, make it very difficult to establish a clear sense of communication. Adding to this, is the influence schizophrenia can have on a person???s mood ??? with anger and anxiety being at the top of that list. A loss of interest, a struggle to find pleasure and satisfaction in activities, and a general discontent can lead to inappropriate emotional responses and elevated moods.
Treatment
Treatment for a disorder like schizophrenia, does not work to a place where the disorder is completely cured, but rather works to a place similar to any other chronic illness. It can last for months and even years on end, and treatment should adapt to the needs of the patient over the needs of fighting the illness head-on.
At Beethoven Recovery Centre, we can provide the treatment needed for a chronic disorder such as schizophrenia ??? with our treatment tailored specifically for every patient respectively. Our psychiatric hospital can admit people from the age of 16, and features a therapy programme capable of bringing our patients back to a healthy state of life. This will not only provide a support system for our patients, but also equip them with the necessary information regarding their mental illness and how to handle it in their daily lives.
If you are looking for more information about our facilities and services, feel free to browse our website or contact us directly. Beethoven Recovery Centre is here to help you fight the good fight, telling you that you are not alone in this world.