Schizophrenia in adults
This page provides you with information about schizophrenia in adults.
The psychiatric services in Central Denmark Region treat schizophrenia in these teams:
- Aarhus University Hospital – Psychiatry in Skejby: Psychosis Research Unit –Psychiatric Clinic 1 and Psychiatric Clinic 2
- Regional Mental Health Services Horsens: Team for Psychoses and Team for Newly- Discovered Schizophrenia
- Regional Mental Health Services Central Denmark Region: Team for Psychotic Disorders (Viborg and Skive) and Psychosis Team (Psykiatriens Hus in Silkeborg)
- Regional Mental Health Services Randers: Psychiatric Clinic 2 and Psychiatric Clinic, Rønde
- Regional Mental Health Services Gødstrup: Team for Psychotic Disorders
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder. It is characterised by changes in the way you perceive yourself, others and the world. This is called having a psychosis. Typical signs of schizophrenia may be that you:
- Hear voices
- See things that others cannot see
- Perceive the world differently from others
- Lack energy
- Have difficulty taking initiatives
- Have difficulty planning and performing tasks.
In addition, you may periodically have anxiety and a tendency towards depression. The disorder can therefore make it difficult to have a well-functioning student life, working life and family life. However, there are also people with schizophrenia who recover and function well in an everyday life with family and work.
Facts about schizophrenia
- Every year, approximately 500 Danes are diagnosed with schizophrenia
- Schizophrenia is seen slightly more often in men than in women
- The disorder is almost equally widespread in all cultures, social levels and countries
- The disorder most often starts in early adulthood
- The disorder often affects women a little later than men.
In somewhat simplified terms, schizotypy can be described as a mild form of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia and schizotypy have the same basic symptoms, but they are often less evident in the latter.
Schizotypy was previously called borderline psychosis. When you have schizotypy, you will not experience actual psychoses, but you may have psychosis-near experiences. This means that you may briefly experience something resembling a psychosis. This may, for example, be that you briefly hear a voice talking to you. Or that you see a bright red cross on the wall that is only there for a few seconds. You may also find that your senses become heightened. Light may suddenly seem blinding, and sounds around you may be greatly amplified.
The period before the disorder appears
Before the onset of the disease, there is often a period in which you begin to function more poorly. This can be both socially and at work. The period can last from months to years. Maybe you isolate yourself and lose interest in the things you otherwise loved. This period is called the prodromal period. This is followed by the actual outbreak of the disorder.
The actual course of the disorder can be divided into three phases:
- The acute phase
A phase characterised by anxiety, chaos and psychotic symptoms. - The stabilisation phase
You start treatment and gradually get better. You need to recognise that you have a disorder and learn to live with it. - The maintenance phase
You need to work on maintaining the good results achieved, and perhaps improve even further.
Recurrence
Unfortunately, some people experience a recurrence. A recurrence means a return to the acute phase. This usually happens because you have stopped taking your medication, are exposed to significant strain or stress or start substance abuse.
It is therefore important that you continue with your treatment to prevent more psychoses. If you become psychotic again, the treatment will take longer. There is also a risk that you will not fully recover again.
In schizotypy, you do not experience actual psychoses, and therefore you do not go through the same type of acute phase, stabilisation phase and maintenance phase.
Symptoms of schizotypy are more constant. They may seem like some basic personality traits. For example, that you prefer activities by yourself or that you have a characteristic, different way of speaking.
Schizophrenia and schizotypy have a number of symptoms in common, such as jumbled thoughts and problems socialising. Symptoms are generally milder in schizotypy.
Psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions are far less pronounced or even non-existent in schizotypy patients. You will not experience actual psychoses, but you may have psychosis-near experiences where you have hallucinations for a moment.
Facts: Difference between psychosis and near psychosis
In a psychosis situation, you are convinced that what you are experiencing is real (e.g.: There is a voice speaking to me). In a near psychosis situation, you are more uncertain about what you are experiencing (It is as if there is a voice speaking to me). A near psychosis also lasts a very short time – typically seconds or minutes – while a psychosis can last several days, months or even years.
The examination procedure is the same as for schizophrenia. To be diagnosed with schizotypy, you must have had the symptoms for at least two years.
Many persons have been through an extensive examination process before being diagnosed with schizotypy. The reason for this is that symptoms of schizotypy may resemble symptoms of other diseases, such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression or personality disorder. Many patients have therefore been examined for other mental disorders before being examined for schizotypy.
Direct link: www.en.szp2.ps.rm.dk