My very good friend told me the other day that her Aunt was diagnosed as schizophrenic. She was calling her at all hours of the night, talking about monsters coming to get her and that people were looking in her windows. After several trips to her home, to help her with the intruders, she suggested that she go and see a doctor. The doctor said that she has paranoid schizophrenia and that she most likely will have to be on medication the rest of her natural life. She is 42 years old.
After a long conversation with my friend about the new diagnosis, we were trying to obtain information on how to deal with family members or how to help the family member deal with this disease.
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder and the cause of it is still unknown to physicians. There are several theories such as depression, stress, traumatic issues, but there is really no known cause. Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic (long-term) brain disorder which interferes with your ability to think clearly, separate fantasy from reality, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to other people.
So what does one do to help someone that is clearly removed from reality? Patient Health International says that antipsychotic medicines can help to treat many of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Counseling, social and family support and rehabilitation are also vital to successful therapy. With antipsychotic medications, the patient may be able to function in real life although; many schizophrenics are prone to relapses if not medicated and are at a high risk to develop substance abuse issues.
Since there is no clear cause for schizophrenia, there is really no way to prevent the disease. It usually occurs in middle aged men although, as my story indicates, it also occurs in woman.
The Mayo Clinic provides some information on schizophrenia and that link can be found here http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/paranoid-schizophrenia/DS00862/DSECTION=coping%2Dand%2Dsupport.
Do you have any family members that are dealing with this disease? Do you have any suggestions on dealing with a person diagnosed with schizophrenia?