Schizophrenia

What is Schizophrenia? 

- It is abnormal behaviour and a decreased ability to understand reality. Schizophrenia is defined as a split in mind characterized by disturbance in thinking emotional violation and in concentrations in presence of clear consciousness.

Facts you should know:-

1. Schizophrenia is one of the most serious and frightening of all mental illnesses. 

2. No other disorder arouses as much anxiety in the general public, the media, and doctors. 

3. Schizophrenia was discovered by Eugen Bleuler in 1908

4. The exact cause of Schizophrenia is not known yet. 

5. Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that can last for years or be lifelong. 

6. More than 1 million cases per year (India). 

• 7. The first signs of schizophrenia usually appear in adolescence.

What are the symptoms one may get? 

• Very Important:- 

1. Delusion: the delusion of persecution, Delusion of Reference and delusion of infidelity. 

NOTE: Delusions are also known as positive symptoms. 

2. Hallucinations: auditory hallucinations (weird noise that doesn't exist), Visual hallucinations (seeing things that don't exist). 

3. Negative Symptoms: Avolitions, Anhedonia, lack of interest in talking and loneliness. 

Other symptoms:- 

• social isolation, agitation, aggression, repetitive movement, self-harm, thought disorder.

• Amnesia, mental confusion, slowness in activities, superstitious mind, detachment.

• Anxiety, apathy, discontent, Paranoia, depression, fear, rapid and frenzied speaking.

• fatigue, lack of emotional response, and memory loss. 

Causes of schizophrenia:- 

1. Large or increased amount of excretion of dopamine in the brain or excessive neural activity or a chemical imbalance in the brain, disturbance of dopamine and serotonin. 

2. Genetics: genetics aspect is more significant and estimated to make an 80% contribution to determine its presence. Having direct relations (first degree) with the person having the same disorder or condition. For example- parents a sibling or relatives.

3. Environmental Factors: stress- financial, workload or death of loved ones. 

Treatments for schizophrenia:- 

1. Antipsychotic: medicines can help ease from many symptoms. It takes four to six weeks for a medicine to work and show effects on schizophrenia. The duration of treatment should be at least 1 to 2 years for first type symptoms.

Check out some commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia:

• Abilify (aripiprazole)

• Risperdal (risperidone)

• Zyprexa (olanzapine)

• Seroquel (quetiapine)

• Clozaril (clozapine)

• Symbyax (olanzapine/fluoxetine)

• Geodon (ziprasidone)

Common side effects of medications for schizophrenia include weight gain, drowsiness, shaking of the hand, the formation of more sputum.

2. Injections: for the people who don't like to consume drugs or medicines can take injections once in a month or in two weeks. This is an effective method for the treatment of schizophrenia. 

Anxiety Disorder

What is Anxiety Disorder? 

- A mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry anxiety and fear. 

• Anxiety disorder is treatable by medical professional help. 
• Anxiety disorder is experienced by more than 10 million people per year (India?)

Everyone feels anxious now and then, occasional anxiety is ok, and does not have any hard effects on your mental health or emotions but the anxiety disorder are totally different. This Disorder is a mixture of constant anxiety, fear, and worries this excessive effect can make you skip school, work, family, and get-togethers.

The symptoms one may have:- 

• behavioral: hypervigilance, irritability, or restlessness. 

• Cognitive: lack of concentration, racing thoughts, or unwanted thoughts. 

• Whole body: fatigue or sweating. 

• Also common: anxiety, excessive worry, stress, fear, feeling of impending doom, insomnia, nausea, trembling, and palpitation. 

7 Different Types of Anxiety Disorder:- 

1. Generalized anxiety disorder: When you feel excessive unrealistic worry and tension for little or no reason. 

2. Panic disorder: You feel sudden and intense fear that brings on a panic attack, during the attack you make feel a breakout and sweat and having chest pain or pounding heartbeat sometimes you may feel like you are choking or having a heart attack. 

3. Social anxiety disorder: It is also known as 'social phobia' it is when you feel excessive worry or self-consciousness about everyday social issues or situations. You don't know how to react and you end up and judging other people or being embarrassing or ridiculous. 

4. Specific phobias: You feel intense fear of specific objects or situations such as by height or by flying. 

5. Agoraphobia: You have an intense fear of being in a place where it is hard to escape or to get any medical occurrence or help, you may feel anxiety when being on an airplane or public transportation or standing in a line or walking in a crowd. 

6. Separation anxiety: You feel scared and anxious when you are separated or gets separated. You feel fearful when a person you're too close with leaves you or your sight. 

7. Medication-induced anxiety disorder: Use of certain medications or illegal drugs when withdrawal from them can cause trigger some symptoms of anxiety disorder. 

Causes of anxiety disorder:- 

1. Genetics: anxiety disorder may occur due to any of your parents or relative, possibly with the same condition can be the cause of it. 

2. Stress: this refers to stressful events you are living or have seen through. For example- childhood abuse & neglect, death of a loved one's or being attacked or seen any kind of violence. 

3. Drug withdrawal or misuse: if you are addicted to drugs and your withdrawal from it, may cause panic attacks and anxiety disorder due to abrupt change, cancellation, or deduction. 

4. Medical issues: heart and lung conditions can cause anxiety disorder or can make it worse. 

NOTE: You should seek medical attention and physical exams to check if other conditions are occurring. 

Risk Factors in anxiety disorder:- 

These are some Rick Factors aka other important symptoms

1. Low self-esteem: negative thoughts or perception about self is harmful and can lead to a Panic attack or Social Anxiety Disorder. 

2. Substance Abuse: the use of alcohol and drugs can make you get Anxiety Disorder. 

3. Childhood or sexual abuse: emotional, physical, or sexual abuse are also responsible and risk factors for getting Anxiety Disorder. 

4. Mental health issues: having another mental disorder. For example- depression and bipolar disorder. 

Treatment for Anxiety Disorder:- 

There are many treatments to reduce and manage symptoms of anxiety disorder. Usually, people with anxiety disorder should consume medicine and go to the doctor

1. Consumption of Medicines: Different types of drugs (medicines) are used for the treatment of Anxiety disorders. 

NOTE: You can talk to your doctor or psychiatrists about the advantage or disadvantages and side effects of each medicine to decide which one is best or suitable for you.

 •Antidepressants: Modern antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs) are typically the first drugs prescribed to someone with an anxiety disorder. Examples of SSRIs are escitalopram (Lexapro) and fluoxetine (Prozac). SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta)and venlafaxine (Effexor).

•Bupropion: This is another type of antidepressant commonly used to treat chronic anxiety. It works differently than SSRIs and SNRIs.

•Other antidepressants: These include tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). [They are less commonly used because side effects, like drops in blood pressure, dry mouth, blurry vision, and urinary retention, can be unpleasant or unsafe for some people.]

•Benzodiazepines: Your doctor may prescribe one of these drugs if you’re having persistent panicked feelings or anxiety. They help lower anxiety. Examples are alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin). They work quickly, but you can become dependent on them. Usually, they’re meant to be an add-on to your anxiety disorder treatment and you shouldn’t take them for a long time. 

•Beta-blockers: This type of high blood pressure drug can help you feel better if you’re having physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a racing heart, trembling, or shaking. A beta-blocker may help you relax during an acute anxiety attack.

•Anticonvulsants: they are used to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy, these drugs also can relieve certain anxiety disorder symptoms. 

•Antipsychotics: Low doses of these drugs can be added to help make other treatments work better. 

•Buspirone (BuSpar): This anti-anxiety drug is sometimes used to treat chronic anxiety. You’ll need to take it for a few weeks before seeing full symptom relief. 

2. Psychotherapy: This is a type of counseling that helps you learn how your emotions affect your behaviors. It is also known as talk therapy. A trained mental health specialist listens and talks to you about your thoughts and feelings and suggests ways to understand and manage them and your anxiety disorder.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This common type of psychotherapy teaches you how to turn negative, or panic-causing, thoughts and behaviors into positive ones. You’ll learn ways to carefully approach and manage fearful or worrisome situations without anxiety. Some places offer family CBT sessions.

Managing Anxiety Disorder Symptoms:-

These tips may help you control your symptoms: