This schizophrenia is also known as foldermenia. This is a sub type of schizophrenia, a mental disorder distinguished by hallucinations. In this article we will discuss about disorganized schizophrenia.
Before starting with disorganized schizophrenia let us know some things about schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder belonging to the group of disorders called as psychosis. It is an illness which often has a chronic course with occasional exacerbrations of symptoms rarely ending in total recovery. This disorder is characterized by disturbance in thinking, language and communication, perception, behavior, affect, violation and relation to the external world.
Disorganized schizophrenia
This is believed to be an extreme expression of the ‘disorganization syndrome that has been hypothesized to be one aspect of a three factor model of symptoms in schizophrenia.
Presentation
This type of schizophrenia is characterized by the high up disorganized behavior and speech. This includes schizophasia and flat or inappropriate emotion and affect. let us see the symptoms of disorganized schizophrenia.
- Disorganized thinking
This causes illogical and nonsensical though patterns. the disorganization can be noticed in a way the person talks. A person with disorganized thinking is unable to stay on one track thinking. he is unstable in conversations. he is prone to jump from one topic to other topic often. This jumping is so rapid that it becomes impossible to understand what the person is talking about. making up of words is very common and written and verbal communication is also much disorganized.
- Grossly disorganized behavior
The disorganized behavior common to this category of schizophrenia causes severe problems regarding the ability to function in daily life. Bathing, dressing, or eating properly becomes impossible. People generally are seen confronting with others without any reason. they can be seen engaging in a sexual behavior at public places.
- Absent or inappropriate emotional expression
A person who has no emotions also called as flat emotions bears a blank face and doesn’t make any eye contact or use common body language. the person may show emotions some time but the range of the expressions expressed by him is very limited. Inappropriate emotions to the situations are also common in the patients who have disorganized schizophrenia. they can act silly or laugh out loudly during a serious event.
Other signs and symptoms of disorganized schizophrenia
Although the main symptoms of is organized schizophrenia have been discussed above, there are some other symptoms also which are seen in the patients suffering from this type of schizophrenia.
- Having beliefs which are not based on reality
- Having hallucinations i.e. seeing or hearing things which do not exist
- Grimacing
- Social isolation
- Clumsy, uncoordinated movements
The treatment of disorganized schizophrenia is not very different from the treatment of other types of treatment. it is done in the following ways:
Antypsytocic medicines are the primary treatment both for acute and chronic schizophrenia. they are effective in controlling the symptoms of acute schzizophrenia and also in preventing relapse in stabilized patients.
Antipsychotic drugs are very helpful in maintenance and stabilizing schizophrenic patients. many patients with schizophrenia are reluctant to take their maintenance medications because of lack of insight, unpleasant side effects and misconceptions about medications and its long term effects. Poor compliance often leads to relapse.
Electro convulsive therapy was originally introduced for the treatment of schizophrenic advances. there is no evidence of specific therauptic efficacy of ECT in chronic schizophrenia. ECT gives best result in catatonic withdrawal and stupor and so presence of catatonic symptoms is an indication for ECT.
Disorganized schizophrenia is not difficult to treat provided the treatment is given and taken in a proper way.