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Paranoid Schizophrenia                              Subtype

If you said that schizophrenia is among the least understood brain disorders, you wouldn't be too far away from the truth. And when you look at the understanding of schizophrenia among the general public, you will see that it is completely misunderstood. For example, many people believe that schizophrenia means having a split personality. This is not true at all. The term is actually meant to explain the way in which a person thinks, i.e., a split mind, not a split personality. This term was coined so that it could be distinguished from other similar disorders like Alzheimer's disease. 

 

The main cause of schizophrenia remains a mystery till this date. All we know is that it affects the brain severely. Schizophrenia can very easily be diagnosed nowadays; there are multiple tests and MRI scans which can be conducted for doing so. The most common causes have been related to genetics & brain chemistry although no one has been able to join the dots on this yet. Drug abuse may lead to schizophrenia as well. Therefore, it is very important that schizophrenic people are kept away from any recreational drugs.
 

Even though having a family history of schizophrenia increases a person’s chances of contracting the disorder, stress and anxiety can trigger it as well.
 

Auditory and visual hallucinations are commonplace in schizophrenia. But they do not occur each and every time. Some of the other symptoms include the inability to assess the environment rationally or the inability to understand the world around them. These symptoms usually lead to extreme lack of trust and paranoia.
 

There are 5 types of schizophrenia. The first is called paranoid schizophrenia subtype. Patients suffer from delusions where others are conspiring against them and these are accompanied by auditory hallucinations as well. People suffering from this type of schizophrenia can often pass off as normal.
 

The three other subtypes are called disorganized, residual and catatonic subtypes.

 

Disorganized schizophrenia is much easier to diagnose. You will notice disorganized thinking & a difficulty in performing simple tasks in patients. Even though patients may suffer from hallucinations and delusions here as well, they aren't as severe.
 

The diagnosis of schizophrenia tends to involve an evaluation of the psyche of a person where doctors collect various information on their mental health, their family, any other medical conditions they may have and any other prescription medication they may be on. They also collect as much information as possible on their cultural and social influences. There are also multiple lab tests which are performed including CBC (Complete Blood Count), brain imaging with the help of CT and MRI scans and drugs and alcohol screening.

 

The best way to treat schizophrenia currently is through anti-psychotics. These drugs help in balancing the neurotransmissions inside the brain. They have multiple side effects though the most notable of which are tremors and weight gain. Above all this, support from loved ones is essential for a person to recover from this disorder.

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