Prodromal Schizophrenia

By Martin K James

Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental sicknesses that affect people in many parts of the world. The disorder is normally associated with breakdown of thoughts and being emotionally irresponsible. In many cases, an individual suffering from schizophrenia has delusions, hearing hallucinations and can also be paranoid. Later on the patient becomes socially and occupational dysfunctional. The disorder starts during the age of young adulthood and continues to the whole life of the patient. However, it is worth noting that schizophrenia patients have a shorter lifespan. Their lifespan is shorter by 0.3% to 0.7% when compared with that of normal persons.
Individuals suffering from schizophrenia lack contact with reality and they normally see and hear things that are not in existence. They tend to speak in strange ways and they always feel insecure with imaginations that they are being watched and someone might harm them. This makes patients of schizophrenia to isolate themselves and consequently become irresponsible people. They even refuse to eat or even bath and change their clothes. In some societies, people believe that people with schizophrenia are possessed by demons and consequently they are discriminated by their families and societies.
Schizophrenia is believed to be as a result of genetic, psychological, social, neurological and environmental factors surrounding the patient. According the psychological analysis of recent cases of schizophrenia, some of the modern lifestyles and recreational styles such as drug abuse have contributed greatly to worsening of the condition of patients suffering from this mental disorder. Economic challenges such as financial instability and unemployment are also making many young adults to develop Schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia occurs in stages that continue advancing if no medical measures are taken. However it is worth noting that the disorder is more severe if it developed during the young age of an individual. The first stage of the disorder is the prodromal stage. This is the early stage of schizophrenia. At this stage it is not possible to diagnose schizophrenia since the symptoms are not specific. The next stage is the acute stage where the patient starts developing specific schizophrenia symptoms. This is the active stage of the disorder and the patient after some time the patient advances to the residual stage of schizophrenia has which similar symptoms with prodromal stage.
Although the disorder is chronic it does not mean that individuals suffering from schizophrenia cannot help recover from their illnesses. Research shows that with adequate support from the family members and community members, individuals suffering from schizophrenia can do things by their own and live responsible lives. All that they need is adequate counseling and medication. The condition is easily treatable if it is realized in the early stages when little damage has occurred in the brain.
Therefore parents should be very observant in order to determine when their children are developing schizophrenia so that they can give them the necessary therapy, medication and support. In order to check whether a person is developing schizophrenia, it is important to monitor whether the person like staying alone, he/she is motionless, irrational reasoning, speaks in a strange manner, over sleeping or lack of sleep and poor hygiene. When an individual develops the above symptoms, he/she is likely to develop schizophrenia. It is therefore important to visit a psychiatrist in order to seek further clarification and take the necessary medical measures.

Schizophrenia can be very difficult in the early stage and we do all we can to help you and your close ones by providing as much information as possible.

Mental Illness: The Impact of Stigma

By Sue Shotan

It is no secret that mental illness is surrounded by stigma. There are numerous negative terms used to describe people with mental illness; many of these terms are used in everyday conversation. We are so familiar with them in fact, that most people have no idea that they are furthering the stigma by using them.

Think about some of these common terms: crazy, nuts, wacko, psycho. We use these terms to describe people, ideas, events, etc. but also to label those with legitimate medical conditions. By referring to people this way we casually toss them into a group without really trying to understand them, or their illness.
The fact is that 1 in 4 American adults can be diagnosed with a mental illness in any given year. That's 25% of the adult U.S. population. Chances are you know someone who has a mental illness. Studies have shown that those with mental illnesses can recover faster and better with the support of family and friends. Even so, many people choose to hide their disorders from even their closest family members, co-workers and social circles. Why? Because of stigma.
Stigma makes these individuals feel ashamed of their disorder, fearful of how people's perceptions of them may change. They even fear knowing themselves; which is why it often takes people so long to seek treatment for a mental disorder. When terms like "crazy," "nuts," "wacko," etc. are so predominant, you can see why someone with a diagnosis would be fearful of revealing it.
In this way, stigma hurts an individual already dealing with the pain of a mental illness. But the impact is far greater than just the individual. If stigma prevents someone from seeking help for a mental illness, their illness may become worse. This can affect their family life, job or school performance, and social network. Left untreated, a person may lose their job, family and friends. An astounding number of homeless individuals suffer from mental illness. There are high levels of mentally ill individuals in jails as well (on mostly non-violent charges).
In our society, stigma has an enormous impact. At best, it can cause someone to have to suffer silently with their mental health problem. At its worse, it can cause job loss, family disruption, homelessness and incarceration. Both extremes are unacceptable.
There are many things we can all do to eliminate stigma and create a healthier community. First is to become educated about mental health and the disorders that affect so many people. Stigma often arises from misconceptions and fears. Second is to eliminate negative slang terms. Use "people first" language i.e. "a person with schizophrenia," instead of just "crazy." By learning about mental illness and being respectful of those with these common medical conditions, we can make huge progress towards eliminating stigma.

Sue Shotan is a mental health advocate and educator working in collaboration with community partners to help eliminate stigma, promote awareness, and help improve the lives of those living with mental illness. Sue is currently partnering with Connee Gorman, LLC, a mental health education company, to provide mental health education in the Midwest. Please visit http://www.conneegorman.com to learn more.