Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that is often misunderstood. It impacts the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Fortunately, with treatment, people with schizophrenia can enjoy a productive and fulfilling life.
These include problems with concentration, attention, and memory and make it difficult for individuals to learn things, remember appointments, or follow a conversation. Cognitive functioning is a good predictor of day-to-day functioning and is assessed via tests. Symptoms include:
- Being unable to process information which impacts the ability to make decisions
- Finding it difficult to use newly learned information
- Difficulties in concentration which make it difficult to focus and pay attention
Negative symptoms can be confused with depression or other mental health symptoms because there is an overlap. For example, individuals can experience apathy, anhedonia, loss of motivation, withdrawal and isolation, detachment and difficulties in normal functioning. Negative symptoms include:
- Finding it difficult to make or stick to plans, like food shopping
- Difficulties feeling everyday pleasure
- Changes in affect, for example speaking in a monotone way and minimal facial expression
- Being socially awkward or avoiding social interaction
- Low energy and passivity. In rare extreme cases, a person might become catatonic and stop talking or moving for extended periods
These relate to how a person thinks, the way they experience the world, and their behaviour. People with psychotic symptoms seem to experience a distorted reality, that is different to others’ experience. Psychotic symptoms can occur intermittently, or they may be present all the time. The way they manifest varies between individuals and includes:
- Hallucinations: When a person experiences things that are not there. Hallucinations can occur through any of their senses (e.g., sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste). Many experience hearing voices.
- Delusions: Some people believe things that can seem unusual, and irrational to others. They are delusions because they are not true. A common belief might relate to being watched by a public figure or body.
- Thought disorder: This relates to illogical or irrational thinking and can impact speech and thought organisation. For example, an individual may suddenly stop speaking mid-sentence, talk about random topics, and jump between them, or make up words.
- Movement disorder: This is when individuals display abnormal bodily motions, and may repeat them.
Genetics: There is no one gene that causes schizophrenia, however it can run in families. This is possibly due in part to the sharing of a combination of many different genes that may increase the likelihood of its development.
Environment: In combination with genetics, the environmental factors that a person experiences as they grow is thought to play a role in the development of schizophrenia. For example, experiencing poverty, danger, stressful surroundings, and prenatal illness, and malnutrition.
Brain structure and function: The size of certain brain areas, as well as the connection between parts of the brain differ when comparing people with schizophrenia and those without. Some of this occurs before birth so may predispose an individual to schizophrenia.
Often individuals are prescribed antipsychotic medication and it is shown that those who also have talking therapies are more likely to manage their symptoms and therefore not require hospitalisation. At Phinity we will work with you (and your family) to understand your situation and your needs.
For example you may require managing your symptoms, improving daily functioning, working toward specific life goals, such as attaining a qualification, a job, or enjoying fulfilling relationships.
You may benefit from something like cognitive behavioural therapy, life coaching, behavioural skills training, or an integrative approach. After assessing your needs with you, we can work together to create an effective treatment plan that will benefit you and your goals.
You may wish to include your family in your support, and we can work with them as well. For example, they may wish to understand the symptoms of schizophrenia better, or how they can better support you and your treatment. By working together we can also offer loved ones a place to manage their difficulties and stress, and improve coping skills, and the ability to support you.
Hand With Heart.
HIGHEST QUALITY TRAINING, ACCREDITATION & EXPERIENCE
INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH UNIQUE TO YOU
SEE OUR REVIEWS TO LEARN HOW WE HELP
How Can Therapy Help Me?
How Often Should I Have Therapy?
Is Therapy Worth The Price?
Take the next step and Book Your Free Consultation Today!
Speak to our lead therapist who will carefully listen to your concerns, to understand what you want from therapy. If you decide to opt into therapy, we will match you to the most suitable practitioner so you can effectively achieve your goals.
This blog discusses the recent tragic loss of ASTRO’s Moon Bin & why KPOP has such high incidents of suicide.
Suicide(1)
Welcome to part 1 of a 3 part series about POCD, a form of OCD that focuses on paedophilic obsessions. Part 1 explores what POCD….
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)(1)
This blog follows Part I of the series and discusses doubts couples may face about entering into couples counselling.
Couples(2)
Founder, Rehanna Kauser welcomes you to Phinity and our homepage.
Rehanna discusses some of the issues we work with at Phinity Therapy.
Rehanna briefly discusses some of Phinity’s mental health services and the kind of care you can expect.
Most of us know about the stage theory of grief (i.e., the 7 stages) but do you know how to move through the stages in a healthier way? This video discusses a lesser known grief model to help process human loss.
At Phinity Therapy Birmingham, we offer bereavement counselling, including existential psychotherapy, and CBT.
So many mental health professionals aren’t there! Do you know what the differences are between a counsellor, psychologist, and psychiatrist? Learn now so you can judge best who can support your therapeutic needs!
Stay updated with the latest in mental health through our newsletters. Get valuable tips, hacks, and videos. Explore insightful mental health blogs. Enjoy special offers and be the first to know about new psychotherapy products and services.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.