Types of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a very controversial mental illness. Known for
exhibiting a variety of symptoms, people with schizophrenia often
experience hallucinations that can effect any of the five senses.
However, because delusions can result from severe cases of a variety of
other mental illnesses, some psychologists and activists argue that the
label should be reclassified to reflect more specific disorders. As it
stands, psychologists generally recognize three main types of schizophrenia: paranoid type, disorganized type, and catatonic type.
Paranoid schizophrenics
are the most well known type of schizophrenics. These people claim to
have visions, mental voices, or other beliefs that do not reflect
reality. For instance, it is common for paranoid schizophrenics to
believe themselves a part of a government conspiracy or another
important but secret agency. John Nash is an example of the select famous people with schizophrenia who
had such paranoid delusions. In other cases, paranoid schizophrenics
may believe themselves to be a reincarnation of a prominent religious
figure. Infrequently, paranoid schizophrenics, often at the behest of
voices in their head, can commit violent acts. This can also be a
result of a lack of emotional connection with others, a common symptom
of schizophrenia.
Disorganized schizophrenia
is one of the lesser known types of schizophrenia. People with this
disorder are characterized by abnormal speech patterns and disorganized
behavior. Their reactions to social situations may not be normal or
appropriate, and are often characterized by an amount of silliness or
indifference. In comparison to the other two major types of
schizophrenia, this type of schizophrenia is known to appear at a young
age, especially in the teen years.
Finally, catatonic schizophrenia
is the last of the major types of schizophrenia. Catatonic
schizophrenics exhibit little to no movement for long periods of time,
and may repeat certain behaviors for extended periods of time. External
actions will have little effect on these people, though they may
maintain waxy flexibility, in
which they freeze into positions in which they are placed in. Variants
on catatonic states exist in which the mentally ill do move about
frequently, but the movement is agitated or purposeless.
Treatment
for schizophrenia can be effective in some cases. Antipsychotics and
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may occasionally work to address some
symptoms. However, many schizophrenics increase their symptoms by
abusing drugs, which may only serve to heighten hallucinations and
other symptoms. Although schizophrenia is a serious mental illness,
some individuals do manage to live with this illness as normally as
possible in society.
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