5 Types Of Schizophrenia You Should Know About

“When you find no solution to a problem, it's probably not a problem to be solved. But, rather a truth to be accepted”

There is a rare, complex, and long-term medical illness called SCHIZOPHRENIA.

SCHIZO means split and PHRENIA refers to mind; together it can be called the splitting of mind but it is not connected to split personality instead it can be said as a fragmented pattern of thinking. Thus, schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disruptions in thought processes, perceptions, emotional responsiveness, and social interactions.

There are 5 types of schizophrenia. The most common type of schizophrenia is called Paranoid schizophrenia which develops later in life than other forms. The next type of schizophrenia typically develops when you’re 15-25 years old and is called Disorganised schizophrenia.  

People living with disorganized schizophrenia often show little or no emotions in their facial expressions, voice tone, or mannerisms. The rarest type of schizophrenia diagnosis is Catatonic schizophrenia, which is characterized by unusual, limited, and sudden movements. They switch between being very active or very still and may not talk much, and may mimic others’ speech and movement. The other type of schizophrenia is called Undifferentiated schizophrenia, where the diagnosis may have some signs of paranoid or catatonic schizophrenia, but it doesn’t obviously fit into one of these types alone. The last type of schizophrenia is Residual schizophrenia, where a person is said to have it when there is a past history of at least one episode of schizophrenia, but the person currently has no symptoms, so the person may be in complete remission, or may at some point resume symptoms.

The symptoms are different for different schizophrenia types. In general, there are positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In positive symptoms, a person has highly exaggerated ideas that show the person can’t tell what’s real and what isn’t. Positive symptoms include hallucination, delusion, disorganized speech, trouble concentrating. Negative symptoms, on the other hand, refer to an absence or lack of normal mental functions like thinking, behavior, and perception. It involves lack of pleasure, trouble with speech, flattening, withdrawal, and no follow-through.

To sum up, Schizophrenia can be considered one of the most chronic and disabling disorders. An early diagnosis and treatment can help avoid or ease frequent relapses and hospitalizations as well as help in cutting the disruption to a person's life, family, and relationships.