10 early symptoms of schizophrenia not to be missed

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Be especially attentive to yourself if you are 20-30 years old: people of this age are at increased risk.

Next year, Schizophrenia Symptoms, Patterns and Statistics and Patterns will fall ill with schizophrenia in another 1.5 million people worldwide. True, not all of them will understand this at once.

Why schizophrenia is dangerous

The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that its victims sincerely believe they are healthy and refuse to visit a doctor. Meanwhile, the mental disorder is progressing and it becomes more difficult to treat it.

The ending is so-so: the schizophrenic's behavior changes, he loses friends and support, often remains unemployed, forgets how to engage in basic household self-service. And in the end it becomes simply dangerous for others and for oneself. "Voices in the head" who can order to open the gas in the apartment and bring a match to the stove, or, for example, take revenge on the seller who allegedly sold poisoned bread - this is about them, about schizophrenics.

This mental disorder is impossible to cure completely, Schizophrenia - Symptoms and causes, but it can be corrected so that it does not impair the quality of life of the affected person. And the sooner you start, the higher the chances of success. The main thing in this matter is not to miss the earliest symptoms that indicate the development of a mental disorder.

10 early symptoms of schizophrenia

You need to look closely at yourself already in your youth.

Contrary to stereotypes, schizophrenia is a disease of the young.

The most insidious decade of life is between 20 and 30 years: at this age Schizophrenia: When Do Symptoms Usually Start? most patients are diagnosed with this mental disorder for the first time. In people under 12 and over 40 years of age, the onset of the disease is rare.

The early signs of schizophrenia are diverse. But there are a few general points to highlight in Schizophrenia Symptoms and Coping Tips.

1. Changing hygiene habits

For example, before a person always brushed his teeth twice a day, and for some time now he remembers about the brush only from time to time. If he remembers at all. Or he watched the freshness of his clothes, and now he regularly "forgets" to change his socks.

Also lethargy is a bad symptom. Suppose someone had a habit of taking a shower for 5-10 minutes, and now the same procedure stretches for 20. This is also worth paying attention to.

2. Indifference to the opinions of others

More often than not, the ability not to depend on the opinions of the people around you is even a useful trait. But not always. If a person does not care so much about those who are nearby that he does not hesitate to pick his nose in front of people, or bite his nails, or flaunt his unwashed head for weeks, this is not a good sign.

3. Changing social habits towards self-isolation

This symptom is the easiest to recognize. A person who used to be an extrovert and easily made acquaintances suddenly begins to avoid contact and tries not to leave the house. And if he went out, he hides his eyes and tries to get back as quickly as possible.

Sometimes the desire for social self-isolation is manifested in a passion for religion or philosophical movements.

4. Hostility, suspicion, aggressive reaction to criticism

The person "does not trust anyone." Everyone around “thinks only of themselves”, and “wish him evil”. His convictions are categorical, and any counter arguments are taken with hostility - up to insults and physical aggression. This is how developing mental disorders often manifest themselves.

5. Inappropriate emotions

For example, during joyful events, a person may express indifference or even cry. On the contrary, in tragic moments, he giggles or behaves too lively.

Another option is that emotions completely disappear. A person becomes like a robot, by which you cannot understand whether he is happy or suffering, whether he likes what is happening around him or not. Sometimes impending schizophrenia manifests itself in a complete loss of empathy: the sick person can calmly look at the scenes of torture of animals and people.

6. Loss of expressiveness of gaze and facial expressions

This symptom can be summed up in one phrase - "boring face."

7. Sleep disorders

In any form. For example, a person may suffer from insomnia or, on the contrary, begin to sleep all day long.

8. Problems with attention and concentration

It becomes difficult for a person to concentrate on one task. His attention is constantly scattered, he easily jumps from topic to topic.

9. The emergence of strange or irrational statements

For example, a person suddenly begins to sacredly believe in conspiracy theories. Or he regularly issues maxims like "the boss was late for work today - this is probably because he drank a lot yesterday" or "we will not submit the report tomorrow, because the sun is setting in a cloud, and this is a sign."

It is useless to ask what logic these statements are based on (see the fourth point).

10. Unorganized speech

Common signs of disorganized speech include:

• frequent use of neologisms - invented words that are meaningful only to the one who created them;
• persistence, that is, repeating the same words and statements;
• love to use rhyming words, despite their meaninglessness or offensiveness;
• inability to maintain a conversation on a given topic without going into memories and lengthy reasoning.

What to do if you notice symptoms of schizophrenia in yourself or loved ones

All of the above signs do not necessarily indicate the development of schizophrenia. They can be the result of stress or special circumstances in life. Or maybe you just got it wrong. And, let's say, a person became a recluse and stopped washing his hair simply because he switched to freelancing, where he almost does not need to leave the house, and that's not all.

Still, the symptoms are worth watching. If they become more and more, they are aggravated, it is highly desirable to talk about this at least with a therapist. Better yet, contact a psychotherapist to help determine what is causing the change in lifestyle and thinking.

If schizophrenia is caught early, it may be possible to correct it therapeutically - without the use of medication. More complex cases will require antipsychotic medication.

How not to get schizophrenia

But this is a difficult question. Scientists have not yet fully figured out the mechanisms of the development of the disease. It is assumed that it is provoked by several factors at once - in particular, a genetic predisposition, which is superimposed on some traumatic events.

Here are some things that can increase your risk of developing schizophrenia:

• Malnutrition or viral illnesses carried by the mother during pregnancy.
• Mental or physical abuse experienced during childhood and adolescence.
• An overly active immune system. Its activity can be caused by latent internal inflammation or autoimmune diseases.
• Taking psychotropic substances in adolescence or adolescence.

Unfortunately, there is no surefire way to prevent schizophrenia. All one can do is try to avoid potential hazards. Proceed like this:

• Learn to deal with stress.
• Exercise regularly. Sport has a positive effect on the brain and mental health.
• Give up alcohol, nicotine, drugs.
• Eat healthy foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients.