Have you ever heard of schizoaffective disorder? Perhaps the situation is opposite. Someone around you, or you yourself have been under the effect of this disease. People have a lot of questions about what it is, how it is developed and what can we do to treat it. But no matter what, this disease is complicated and you can not understand it completely.
How Do We Understand Schizoaffective Disorder?
Once you know and have experienced this disease, you’ll know that the word ‘Schizoaffective’ has a meaning in it. “Shizo” refers to schizophrenia, whereas “affective” is about mood disorders and how they are affected by emotions.
Someone who suffers from this disorder experience different types of symptoms such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and also depression. They get mood swings, they hallucinate and also get suicidal thoughts. All these symptoms can show up at once and also separately. It depends on what time which one of them are more prominent than others.
Symptoms
There are various types of signs and symptoms that people with schizoaffective disorder experience. it may include:
- Delusions
Delusions are imaging false situations and beliefs that are not real or not connected to the real world in any way. - Hallucinations
Hallucinations make you believe in those voices which are not there and also are not real. - Symptoms Of Depression
They feel suicidal and also sad or worthless which can become dangerous if not addressed. - Mood Swings
They experience a sudden energy boost, can become hyper and behave abnormally out of control. - Impaired Communication
They talk about things which are unrelated and are not perfectly normal. - They have problems managing their selves. Such as staying clean and also maintaining their physical appearance
What Are The Common Causes Of Schizoaffective Disorder?
Just like various other mental illnesses, this illness is also a combination of different factors. This includes brain structure and chemistry. Schizoaffective disorder is a bit different than the schizophrenic disorder. In schizophrenic disorder, there is a reduced level of grey matter which upsets our ability to think and perform. This disease is mostly genetic, it runs somewhere in the family which can increase your chances of developing it as well.
How To Help A Person Suffering From Schizoaffective Disorder?
Being a person with a disorder is difficult. It is difficult to manage things even their own selves. They always need someone to take care of them and always be there.
The first thing we need to keep in mind to be with someone carrying schizoaffective disorder is to learn more about it and to ensure that an accurate diagnosis is made. There is no test, but therapies can help to improve them. There is no permanent treatment but following a set plan of medication and activities can improve this situation a lot.
- Be Prepared About Outcomes
This is a situation which is very difficult and there are always reactions. Progress slowly and behave politely with them. - Teach Family Members About Their Situation
You will always want to do everything for your loved one who is sich but let them be on their own a little, let them be independent and teach other family members how to deal with them. - Take Professional Support
You need to find professional support for both your loved one and yourself as you also need to continue with your routine and they need to function as well. - Reduce Stress And Extra Energy Around Them
Someone with schizoaffective disorder is always very sensitive which can also be very difficult as the situation can flare up any time. Create an environment that is structured but as stress-free as is reasonable to help your loved one heal.
What If It Is Left Untreated?
Mental illnesses which are left untreated can always become a serious problem. Schizoaffective disorder, if left unattended can create problems in functioning at work, school and also in any social situations. It can cause loneliness and other behavioural issues while at work or attending school. People with schizoaffective disorder always need assistance and support to function.
Managing Schizoaffective Disorder
- Medication
The medications always depend on the intensity of the patient’s condition. Schizophrenic or schizoaffective people might be treated with an antidepressant medication or mood stabilizers.
- Psychotherapy
Along with medications, therapies are also used to help people with this disorder. Psychotherapies are done to improve different issues these people face, especially managing everyday activities.
- Skills training
This generally focuses on work and social skills, grooming and hygiene, and other day-to-day activities, including money and home management.
There are many people around us that suffer from various mental issues but we fail to identify the symptoms. This is the reason it is important for all of us to have a little bit of information about mental issues so we can help ourselves and people around us. But if you have already identified your symptoms and need professional help, you can log on to Marham.pk or call at 03111222398 to book your consultation with professional.
Take care of yourself and help people heal too!