Understanding Schizophrenia: Separating Fact from Fiction
Schizophrenia is often portrayed as a condition affecting eccentric characters in movies, but in reality, it's a disorder that's much closer to everyday life than we might think.
Let's explore schizophrenia step by step with Professor Kim Se-hyun from the Department of Mental Health at Seoul National University Hospital. Let's correct misunderstandings and take the time to look at it with understanding.
Professor, today we're going to learn about a topic many people are curious about: schizophrenia. What kind of illness is schizophrenia?
Our brain receives stimuli through the five senses, interprets them, and makes thoughts, emotions, and judgments. Schizophrenia is a disease in which this brain function is impaired, making it difficult to perceive reality in a distorted way or to control thoughts and emotions.
So, it's a disease that causes errors in reality perception. However, it can be sufficiently controlled with treatment and management.
When does schizophrenia usually develop?
It often appears in the late teens to early thirties. This is a time when psychological, environmental, and brain development all undergo major changes.
We can't help but talk about the symptoms. Are there any signs that people around you might notice and think, 'Could it be?'
Schizophrenia symptoms are largely divided into two categories:
- Positive symptoms: Something new appears that wasn't there before, such as auditory hallucinations or delusions.
- Negative symptoms: Something that was there originally decreases, such as a reduction in emotional expression, motivation, or social interaction.
Positive symptoms are noticeable and easy to recognize, but negative symptoms can just look like depression or lethargy, right?
Yes, so negative symptoms are especially easy to miss. Because they progress slowly, treatment is often delayed.
So, if symptoms appear in adolescence, how do you distinguish them from puberty?
This is a very important question. In fact, it is often confused with severe puberty. However, if the degree of distress significantly interferes with life or lasts for a long time, you should not dismiss it as simple puberty and should seek professional counseling.
What are the early symptoms of schizophrenia?
You may become hypersensitive to surrounding stimuli, have difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and experience anxiety and depression. If these conditions last for a long time or interfere with daily life, it is essential to seek professional counseling.
So, why does schizophrenia occur?
People only think of environmental factors, but in reality, it occurs when genetic predisposition and environmental factors work together.
It can develop even if there is no family history, and it doesn't necessarily occur even if there is. However, if there is a family history, the risk is slightly higher.
Source :https://blog.naver.com/chsnuh/223985030766
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