May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
In the coming series I will talk in detail about schizophrenia: starting from the onset of symptoms, how a diagnosis is made, the differences between types of symptoms, and treatments available through the recovery and hopefully remission stages.
To start: I will offer a list of schizophrenia early warning signs that I cribbed from the now-defunct schiophrenia.com. On that site a disclaimer was made: these behaviors can exist in everyday people; it's the severity of the behaviors and whether someone goes over the edge with them that warrants a consultation with a professional.
Only a qualified psychiatrist, psychologist or in some areas a social worker can diagnose schizophrenia. In the coming SharePosts I hope to list the DSM-IV criteria for making diagnoses of the various related illnesses: schizophrenia, schizoaffective, schizophreniform, and others, and give information about how each differs.
As of today, the only way a professional has of diagnosing schizophrenia or any other mental health condition is to observe a person's behavior and take a history leading up to the breakdown or symptom manifestation. Research is being conducted about a possible blood test to use to diagnose schizophrenia.
The list is subdivided into Physical Symptoms, Feelings and Mood, Behavior, Cognitive Problems, Delusions, and Hallucinations.
Examples of Physical Symptoms----
--A blank, vacant facial expression. An inability to smile or express emotion through the face is so characteristic of the disease that it was given the name of affective flattening or a blunt affect.
--Overly acute senses- lights are too bright, sounds are too loud.
--Staring, while in deep thought, with infrequent blinking.
--Clumsy, inexact motor skills
--Sleep disturbances- insomnia or excessive sleeping
--Involuntary movements of the tongue or mouth (facial dyskinesias). Grimacing at the corners of the mouth with the facial muscles, or odd movements with the tongue.
--Parkinsonian type symptoms- rigidity, tremor, jerking arm movements, or involuntary movements of the limbs
--An awkward gait (how you walk)
--Eye movements- difficulty focusing on slow moving objects
--Unusual gestures or postures
--Movement is speeded up- i.e. constant pacing
--Movement is slowed down- staying in bed (in extreme cases, catatonia)
Examples of Feelings/Emotions----
--The inability to experience joy or pleasure from activities (called anhedonia)
--Sometimes feeling nothing at all
--Appearing desireless-seeking nothing, wanting nothing
--Feeling indifferent to important events
--Feeling detached from your own body (depersonalization)
--Hypersensitivity to criticism, insults, or hurt feelings
Examples of Mood----
--Sudden irritability, anger, hostility, suspiciousness, resentment
--Depression- feeling discouraged and hopeless about the future
--Low motivation, energy, and little or no enthusiasm
