Schizophrenia has puzzled the psychiatric world for years. Generally, current treatments for schizophrenia have come a long way. Doctors are sometimes able to stabilize schizophrenics and allow their symptoms to go into remission stages with medication, talk therapy, and group therapy. There are differing stages of schizophrenia--- some can be managed and some cannot be. There are five general states of schizophrenia with some being worse than others. The states are: Paranoid Schizophrenia, Disorganized Schizophrenia, Catatonic Schizophrenia, Undifferentiated Schizophrenia, and Residual Schizophrenia.
Paranoid Schizophrenia
This is the widely known infamous type of schizophrenia involving auditory and visual hallucinations and delusions of persecution or conspiracy. Surprisingly, people who suffer this type of illness sometimes have a high rate of functioning and are able to socialize, work, and form a family. Depending on the progression of the disease, they may sometimes become hostile and angry. They do not readily discuss their thoughts or symptoms and only seek professional help when their condition comes to a point where they feel they can no longer cope with it. Since they are unwilling to share thoughts, it is hard to diagnose a schizophrenic initially if he does not show pronounced symptoms.
Disorganized Schizophrenia
This type of schizophrenia revolves around disordered thinking. This schizophrenic may speak in a jumble of disorganized words and suffer from disorganized thinking processes. This type will find routine tasks such as showering, brushing their teeth, and dressing themselves as complex actions that require more strength and care than they are able to exhibit. Often there is emotional impairment, meaning that they respond inappropriately to public or private exhibitions of emotion.
Catatonic Schizophrenia
This type of schizophrenia deals with depressed to over-excited movements. Movement may be extremely impaired to the point where it stops altogether and becomes a catatonic stupor. On the other hand, movement may increase so much that it becomes catatonic excitement. When people with this schizophrenia halt movement, they will stay in contorted bodily positions or may allow someone to move their limbs and stay in that fixed position. This symptom is called "waxy flexibility." Sometimes they will hold strange facial contortions as well. They may also refuse to be moved out of these positions, no matter how painful they seem to be. They may also echo and mimic what others say and do. These features are respectively known as "echolalia" and "echopraxia."
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia
This type occurs when the person shows signs of schizophrenia, but the doctor is unable to diagnose them properly because the patient seems to shift from one classification of schizophrenia to the next. Symptoms may be present and then may change course altogether and become more suitable under another diagnosis.
Residual Schizophrenia
This type generally notifies a remission or partial remission of symptoms. Sufferers have received the treatment they need and their symptoms, if any, are to a lesser degree. Some people with schizophrenia never reach this stage while, for many, schizophrenia seems to be a cycle between remission and severe, acute mental illness.
Conclusion
Some schizophrenics are able to live by a daily routine, hold down work, and create families and connections. Other schizophrenics must remain in state hospitals and are unable to care for themselves any longer. This all depends on the severity of the prognoses given. Treatment is available and may help enough to put symptoms into remission and give a schizophrenic a chance at life.
