Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia

Its one of the oldest and most dreaded disorder in the entire history of health care. Single handedly accredited for the birth of social taboo revolving around Mind-brain-body health.

95% of cases are wrongly treated as cases of black magic/bhoot bhada/possesion cases all around the world. The lack of knowledge leads to tens of years before these 95% get the right treatment.

Wrongly confused with MPD or multiple personality disorder, its been wrongly used by many to create a wrong impression in the minds of others.

what is schizophrenia?
A combination of emotional and stress overload triggers several parts of the brain to simultaneously stop functioning at peak performance. This is manifested by the decrease in production of neuro-chemicals (brain chemicals) like dopamine, GABA, glutamate, serotonin.

what are the symptoms?
the disorder starts with the symptoms:
a. slowness in doing work
b. decreased social interaction
c. decreased emotional responses

This is the only stage where the disorder is completely curable. Unfortunately its also the most difficult stage to detect, as it requires it requires very professional approach. I do a complete 40min quality psychological analysis of personality and self which helps in detecting it at such an early state.

the next level, is where the brain loses complete connection with the subconscious mind. Lack of neuro-chemicals and increasing stress amount for start up of emotional and behavioral manifestations:

a. delusions- these are strong and false beliefs that an individual develops. These are normally against social and cultural self. Even thou there is enough proof to prove them wrong a person will be fixated into his belief.

for example- the patient might feel one or more of the following:
i. someone/family members want to kill him/her
ii. someone/family member want to harm him/againt him.
iii. someone is following him/her
iv. husband/wife is cheating upon her/him
v. feels he can enter into someone’s mind and change the thought process.
vi. feels someone can read his mind, etc and many more of such.

this stage requires extensive treatment.
the third stage is the most devastating. It’s the one in which most care-givers feel that the patient is having some ghost/gin/black-magic or possession.

e. hallucinations- the brain functioning further deteriorates to decrease communication between nerves. So a person starts to hear voice, images or touches of animals which are not present.
Person also gets violent as he/she tries to ask for help from the world around, but nobody is ready to listen to him.

example-
i. hearing of voices of people or self, conversing with those voices
ii. seeing people/visions and talking to them
iii.feeling someone touching you, crawling sensations over the skin
iv. having unsual tastes of food- calling fried potato as strawberry taste.
v. having unsual smells when they are not present- like smelling of roses in a toilet.

This stage requires immediate treatment.

Like in most cases, this stage is left untreated. The treatment focuses more on swami, baba’s and tantriks. Because most people cannot believe their family member has a “mental health issue”. Since most mental health issues are invisible the pain is only experienced by the patient, which family members fail to see.
The final stage is one where complete destruction of personality and self is possible.

f. lack of self care- patient starts to loose himself in this imaginary world. Because of which he stops eating, taking care (stops bathing, stops brushing his teeth, starts doing his basic needs like urination and defecation in his clothes, and may start becoming naked in public places.)
if he/she is disturbed in this period they become extremely aggresive. and might even kill someone in their fit of anger

e. complete social withdrawn – with uncontrolled anger on meeting his/her own blood relatives.

why does schizophrenia happen?
a. genetic
b. substance induced- the most common cause is the continuous use alcohol, drugs, body building steroids for long term. They induce change in the structure of the brain, leading to onset of schizophrenia.
the most best known example for the same is actress pravin babi who died of schizophrenia.

c. psychological trauma- if someone has a sensitive personality, and is suddenly exposed to large emotional trauma (relationship failure, sexual abuse, death of near one) it might lead to the onset of schizophrenia.

d. Uncontrolled restlessness – if an individual develops imagination as a way to escape from his/her restlessness.

e. Depression- long standing depression when person becomes socially withdrawn he/she starts using imagination as a way to occupy his/her brain.

what is the cure?
after stage 2-
a. medications are the only cure. A patients family has the right to ask their consulting psychiatrist to prescribe something that is not too sedative, not addictive, a newer molecule with less or no side effects. That help a person to restart his life back.
Ayurvedic and homeopathic have long term success rate once the attack has been subsided and patient has been brought to certian normalcy.
b. counceling and all dont help once the third stage has started.

Rights of patient and his relatives?

a. A patient and his relatives have the right to question their psychiatrist on the type of schizophrenia, the medications, the side effects.
The psychiatrist should properly evaluate the patient and give his relatives ample time to express their concerns and questions.

b. Its also a patients right to demand medications that suit his requirements. The medications should be formulated to provide the patient with least problems, and maximum productivity.

c. unfortunately many times psychiatrists trying to cure the problem faster, tend to over medicate. I tend to follow the UK model of treatment where least medications is given, with least or no side effects. It takes a little longer but prevents side-effects and promises longer term cure. and give no time to examine the patient properly. because of which many patients land up with many unwanted side-effects.

Can a schizophrenic live a normal life?
YES. I have treated hundreds of individuals with such problem. And i am proud to say those who came in at an early stage are 100% back to leading a early life. Those who came at later stages have taken more time for cure.

SCHIZOPHRENIA is a disorder… ITS NOT EVIL…
DONT DISCRIMINATE…HELP THEM…

FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-
schizophrenia is labeled as the disorder of the inteligent because of some famous examples.-
a. Bobby fischer- greatest chess player in histroy
b. Dr.John Nash- nobel prize winner. (discovered his nobel prize theories while suffering from this disorder)
c. Syd barret- famous musician from the band PINK FLOYD
d. the first son of Albert Einstein and first son of Mahatma Gandhi both had schizophrenia.

for any further query, feel free to contact me at:

Dr.Hemant Mittal (Psychiatrist and Counselor)
email - eksoch@gmail.com
website - www.mindmantra.in
address- 15, shreeji plaza, next to ice n spice restaurant, opposite seawoods station, seawoods (east)
Navi Mumbai