what is schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a
mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to
recognize what is real.
Common symptoms
include false beliefs, auditory hallucinations, confused or unclear thinking,
inactivity, and reduced social engagement and emotional expression. Diagnosis
is based on observed behavior and the person's reported experiences.
Schizophrenia
generally appears in late adolescence or early adulthood - however, it can
emerge at any time in life. It is one of many brain diseases that may include
delusions, loss of personality (flat affect), confusion, agitation, social
withdrawal, psychosis, and bizarre behavior.
Onset-
Late adolescence
and early adulthood are peak periods for the onset of schizophrenia, critical
years in a young adult's social and vocational development. In 40% of men and
23% of women diagnosed with schizophrenia, the condition manifested itself
before the age of 19. To minimize the developmental disruption associated with
schizophrenia, much work has recently been done to identify and treat the
prodromal (pre-onset) phase of the illness, which has been detected up to 30
months before the onset of symptoms. Those who go on to develop schizophrenia
may experience transient or self-limiting psychotic symptoms and the
non-specific symptoms of social withdrawal, irritability, dysphoria, and
clumsiness during the prodromal phase.
UNMAAD – According to ayurved unmaad is a
manoroga . acharya charak told mano, budhi ,sangya ,gyan ,smriti ,bhakti
sheel,chesta, aacahar,vibhram is found .
Causes of schizophrenia-
A combination of
genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of
schizophrenia. People with a family history of schizophrenia who have a
transient psychosis have a 20–40% chance of being diagnosed one year later.
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia
The symptoms of
schizophrenia fall into three broad categories:
• positive symptoms,
• negative symptoms,
• and cognitive symptoms
Positive and negative
Schizophrenia is
often described in terms of positive and negative (or deficit) symptoms
Positive symptoms are those that most individuals do not normally experience
but are present in people with schizophrenia. They can include delusions,
disordered thoughts and speech, and tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory and
gustatory hallucinations, typically regarded as manifestations of
psychosis.[16]Hallucinations are also typically related to the content of the
delusional theme. Positive symptoms generally respond well to medication.
Negative symptoms
are deficits of normal emotional responses or of other thought processes, and
respond less well to medication. They commonly include flat expressions orlittle
emotion, poverty of speech, inability to experience pleasure, lack of desire to
form relationships, and lack of motivation. Negative symptoms appear to
contribute more to poor quality of life, functional ability, and the burden on
others than do positive symptoms People with greater negative symptoms often
have a history of poor adjustment before the onset of illness, and response to
medication is often limited.
Positive symptoms -
Positive symptoms
are psychotic behaviors not seen in healthy people. People with positive
symptoms often “lose touch” with reality. These symptoms can come and go.
Sometimes they are severe and at other times hardly noticeable, depending on
whether the individual is receiving treatment. They include the following: Hallucinations
are things a person sees, hears, smells, or feels that no one else can see,
hear, smell, or feel. “Voices” are the most common type of hallucination in
schizophrenia. Many people with the disorder hear voices. The voices may talk
to the person about his or her behavior, orders the person to do things, or
warn the person of danger. Sometimes the voices talk to
Each other.People with schizophrenia may hear
voices for a long time before family and friends notice the problem. Other
types of hallucinations include seeing people or objects that are not there,
smelling odors that no one else detects, and feeling things like invisible
fingers touching their bodies when no one is near. Delusions are false beliefs
that are not part of the person’s culture and do not change. The person
believes delusions even after other people prove that the beliefs are not true
or logical. People with schizophrenia can have delusions that seem bizarre,
such as believing that neighbors can control their behaviour with magnetic
waves. They may also believe that people on television are directing special
messages to them, or that radio stations are broadcasting their thoughts aloud
to others. Sometimes they believe they are someone else, such as a famous
historical figure. They may have paranoid delusions and believe that others
are trying to harm them, such as by cheating, harassing, poisoning, spying on,
or plotting against them or the people they care about. These beliefs are
called “delusions of When does schizophrenia start and who gets it?
Schizophrenia affects men and women equally.
In Ayurveda,
Schizophrenia is called ‘Unmaad.’ Most doctors treat this illness in line with
the presentation of symptoms. Patients who are excited or agitated are provided
‘counter-irritant’ treatment in the form of nasal drops. Vacha (Acorus calamus)
in-the powder or oil type, Shigru (Moringa oleifera) seed powder, Marich (Piper
nigrum), Tagar (Valeriana wallichii), Yashtimadhu (Glycerrhiza glabra), Hingu
(Ferula narthex) and Shunthi (Zinziber officinale) + Jaggery are some of the medications
used, often combined with ‘Puran Ghruta.
After the patient
is subdued, other treatments are started. Included in these are Sarpagandha
(Raulwofia serpentina), Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi), Ashwagandha
(Withania somnifera), Brahmi ( Bacopa monnieri), Ajwayan( Hyoscyamus niger),
Suvarna Bhasma, Raupya Bhasma and Puran Ghruta. Various medicated ghrutas
(ghee) are utilized orally, such as Panchagavya Ghruta, Kalyanak Ghruta, Brahmi
Ghruta and Jatamansi Ghruta. Some physicians recommend the use of
‘Panchakarama’ techniques like induced nausea, induced purgation and medicated
enemas.
Treatment-
The mainstay of
treatment is antipsychotic medication, which primarily suppresses dopamine
receptor activity. Counseling, job training and social rehabilitation are also
important in treatment. In more serious cases—where there is risk to self or
others—involuntary hospitalization may be necessary, although hospital stays
are now shorter and less frequent than they once were
Ayurvedic medicine useful in schizaophreni –
A).Sodhan (pancha karma)
B).Saman(medicine)
• Swarna brahami vati
• Sarashwat churna
• Brahami grita(for paan and nashya )
• Vachadi grita
• Vachadi churna
• Sarashwtarista
• Ashwagandharista
• Paadabhyanga
• Sirodhara
• Jatamanshi churna
• Sirobasti
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