Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects more than 24 million (or one in 300)people worldwide, according to World Health Organization(WHO). It affects your ability to think, feelings, perception of reality, sensory input, speech, and behavior. One primary symptom of this condition is schizophrenic hallucinations. Other symptoms and behaviors shown by people with schizophrenia include:
-disorganized speech and behavior,
-abnormal delusions,
-agitation and aggression,
-social isolation,
-excitability and hostility,
-repetitive movements,
-lack of restraint or self-harm, & more.
The exact cause of schizophrenic hallucinations isn’t known, but it involves factors like genetics, environment, brain chemistry, or brain structure changes. A hallucination is seeing or sensing something that doesn’t exist. This condition can involve the five senses, but patients often deal with auditory or visual hallucinations. Tactile hallucinations, referring to the touch, are most uncommon, followed by gustatory(throat, tongue, and taste) and olfactory(nostrils, unpleasant and pleasant smells) ones.
How Do People With Schizophrenia Experience Life?
-They believe that ordinary events hold special meanings and attribute significance to these events likewise.
-They have problems processing stimuli and suffer from confusion or mental disorientation.
-They lose interest and pleasure in activities.
-They have mood fluctuations. These changes can result in them giving off feelings of excitement or inappropriate emotional responses, even in typical situations.
-Disorganized thinking leads them to believe that their thoughts are not their own and might give way to persecutory delusions.
-They have distorted speech that indicates disorganized thinking.
-They might have problems in the cerebellum or other parts of the brain based on the movement of their eyes and other symptoms.
-They have a flat effect or seem to give no emotional response in conversations and interactions.
Read more: 5 Types of Schizophrenia explained.
How To Deal with schizophrenic hallucinations?
These hallucinations take a toll on mental health and often leave the patient devasted. Since schizophrenia is an extreme condition, it is best to get certified professional help as soon as possible.
Treatment for this condition is usually lifelong. While this condition cannot completely go away, it is possible to manage your life with it. A recovery and maintenance plan involves medication, psychotherapy, and special services. Psychotherapy for schizophrenia is most effective through cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT). This kind of therapy targets your thoughts and behaviors, aiming to alter them for improved mental health.
Read more: Top 5 Online Therapy Platforms.
Conclusion
Schizophrenic hallucinations are one of the defining features of this condition. They can occur in many forms and engage all your senses. A hallucination is seeing, smelling, touching, tasting, or hearing something that isn’t there. These processes can harm the patient, and the surreal experience can blur the boundaries between illusion and reality.
While the condition requires lifelong treatment, there are some steps you can take to prevent developing schizophrenia. These include distress tolerance, supportive relationships, avoiding substance abuse, and steering clear of traumatic situations. However, for those just starting their journey to better health, having short-term, achievable, and measurable goals work best. On that note, here are some short-term healthy goals to help you stay in better shape mentally.
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