Teen Schizophrenia Disorder
Teen Schizophrenia Disorder
Teen schizophrenia disorder is a severe psychotic condition that may occur in the late teens or early adulthood. This brain disorder directly affects how a teen observes the world, thinks, responds and behaves. A teen with schizophrenia experiences difficulty differentiating between reality and fantasy.
Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate the beginning of schizophrenia from other mental illnesses, such as, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), depression or social anxiety. A teen with schizophrenia must experience the symptoms with monitored observation for at least six months before a conclusive diagnosis can be made. The symptoms for schizophrenia severely disturb a teen’s personal and social life, including, hallucinations, delusions, distorted speech, and abnormal movement.
Schizophrenia affects almost one percent of the population. Research shows that women have a greater tendency for paranoid delusions and hallucinations, whereas, men experience more negative and inconsistent/non-systematic symptoms. Schizophrenia is connected to operational defects in the brain, where the areas of the brain that control and synchronize opinions, thinking power, actions and behaviors fail to operate properly. A teen with Schizophrenia may have trouble understanding simple facts because he or she receives distorted information from the senses.
Causes & Symptoms
The exact causes of the teen schizophrenia disorder are unknown although, genetic factors are definitely an influence. Apart from genetics, fatal brain damage while in the uterus, birth trauma such as exposure to viruses or toxins affecting brain development, malnutrition, autoimmune diseases, or issues with several natural generating chemicals in the brain like dopamine and glutamate can trigger this serious brain ailment. Psychoactive drugs, and specifically, marijuana can also increase the risk of this illness. A teen who has an immediate family member with schizophrenia should avoid marijuana and other drugs.
Symptoms of Teen Schizophrenia
Earlier Phases:
- Bizarre behavior
- Irritated mood
- Drastic decline in performance at school
- Lack of inspiration
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Depression
- Trouble sleeping
- Experiencing hallucinations that delusions.
Later Phases:
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Distorted Speech
- Non systematic thinking
- Abnormal mechanical behavior
- Poor personal hygiene
- Focusing on odd or extreme ideas
- Difficulty concentrating
- Using alcohol and marijuana
Complications with Teen Schizophrenia
If schizophrenia remains untreated, it can cause severe behavioral, emotional and health issues. The essential step should be early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. However, this brain disorder may generate some co-occurring resultant complications, such as suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts, self-injury, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, inability to do personal work, inability to attend school, social isolation, being an easy victim, and aggressive behavior.
What you can do if any teen in your family suffers from Schizophrenia?
- Try to be well-informed. Collect all information about this dangerous brain ailment. To guide the teen you need to be knowledgeable. Knowledge is power.
- A teen with schizophrenia needs immediate medical help for evaluating the disorder and treatment. Therefore, you need an expert rehabilitation centre with experienced doctors and expert psychologists.
- Encourage the teen to get at least eight hours of sleep and maintain a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet.
- Be supportive and listen to his or her thoughts. Sometimes, you will feel that whatever he or she is saying is far removed from reality, but being a good listener is crucial.
- Try to inspire the teen to avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Spend quality time with the teen and inspire him or her to practice meditation. Walking outdoors and spending time in nature will also boost mood and spirit.
Treatment at Hillcrest
Numerous treatment options are available for schizophrenia. Early diagnosis is essential to provide proper treatment in a timely manner. In the advanced stages of teen schizophrenia disorder, hospitalization may be required in order to stabilize the teen. A well equipped expert rehabilitation center is always a good option during treatment.
Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center (Hillcrest) is a licensed, residential mental health facility, specializing in the treatment of teen schizophrenia disorder. Hillcrest aims to help clients become centered and empowered to address their struggles head on and to find the most wholesome path for long-lasting healing, and enable them to maximize their quality of life.
In line with the treatment philosophy and facility mission, Hillcrest provides a range of innovative and creative therapeutic, experiential, and clinical evidence-based treatment options in a natural and peaceful environment, to benefit both mind and body health. Simultaneously, clients are provided with an educational school component, as well as healthy recreational activities, including; library, art, music, and a range of outdoor exercise programs, including tennis and swimming. All healing is guided by dedicated doctoral level medical healthcare professionals and therapists with stellar background and experience. At Hillcrest the road to recovery is real and supported every step of the way for you and your loved one.
