By Jessica Szabo
WINNEMUCCA - Schizophrenia recently made national news due to a reported link between methamphetamine use and the risk of developing the disease.
"The study looked at people hospitalized for methamphetamine-related problems and followed them for 10 years. People who used methamphetamine had higher rates of schizophrenia. What we don't know is if the methamphetamine caused the schizophrenia or if people who are developing schizophrenia are drawn to drugs to make them feel a little bit better," explained Philip Malinas, M.D., psychiatrist with the Winnemucca Mental Health Clinic.
Dr. Malinas further explained that there is no known single cause of schizophrenia.
"We don't know the cause," he stressed. "It's complicated. They have also looked at viruses mothers have been exposed to while pregnant and schizophrenia runs in families, so there's a genetic component. I don't see methamphetamine as a single cause by itself, but certainly this study will bring about more studies."
Schizophrenia symptoms generally first appear in the person's early twenties, but it may begin earlier or later. General symptoms of schizophrenia include a loss of pleasure in life, loss of emotions, confusion, incoherent thoughts, inappropriate emotions or emotional responses, and socially odd or inappropriate behavior or habits. Hallucinations and delusions are perhaps the most commonly known symptoms of schizophrenia.
The specific details of a person's illness depend on which subtype of schizophrenia they have. Someone with paranoid schizophrenia will suffer from delusions that center around persecution or punishment. For example, a person whose co-workers barely take note of him beyond professional interaction may believe the rest of the staff is involved in a conspiracy against him. Hallucinations typically feed the delusions in paranoid schizophrenia. The person who believes colleagues are plotting against him might hear their voices coming through the wall when they are not actually speaking, or see non-existent individuals who tell him to beware of his office mates.
"Functioning depends on their response to treatment," Dr. Malinas stated. "If they have a good response to anti-psychotic medications, their paranoia and hallucinations may disappear completely. Some are not able to work, but they can behave normally with their families. Others may not respond to medication and may need to be hospitalized. It varies."
Those with the second subtype of schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia, may display bizarre, inappropriate or very childlike behavior and responses to everyday situations. Disorganized schizophrenia may cause a person to do things like burst into silly laughter during a funeral or other very somber occasion, dress in wedding or prom attire to go grocery shopping or have outbursts of anger that are out of proportion to the situation. Strange or disturbing speech is a notable symptom. Someone with disorganized schizophrenia might use words they've made up, such as saying they are going to read the "wollywook" instead of the "newspaper." They may talk in baby talk or gibberish. Their sentences may sound like a jumble of words or they may start on one topic and end on something else entirely. Hallucinations and delusions are scattered in this type of schizophrenia, but may drive some of the unsettling behavior.
"This type is more difficult to treat," Dr. Malinas noted. "It depends on the individual. Fewer disorganized schizophrenics respond to treatment, but some do."
Catatonic schizophrenia is the rarest subtype. In this form, the patient may literally be catatonic, or they may make pointless and odd gestures, facial expressions and movements or simply repeat speech and behavior with for no apparent reason.
"This type is very rare," Dr. Malinas stressed. "It is rare and catatonia can also be caused by other things."
A diagnosis of residual schizophrenia may be made if the person displays a less severe form of any of the other subtypes, and someone whose symptoms are a mix of any combination of those that would indicate paranoid, catatonic or disorganized schizophrenia may be diagnosed with "undifferentiated schizophrenia."
All forms of schizophrenia must be diagnosed and treated by a licensed mental health practitioner who has observed and interacted with the client in a professional setting.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that has a strong impact on a person's functioning and should not be confused with the many normal human quirks that are a part of everyone's psychological makeup. An individual who is just a little odd or eccentric, is occasionally impulsive or silly, engages in unusual hobbies or goes through life thinking mild and harmless things that may not be true should not automatically be assumed to have schizophrenia.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia or who believes they may be experiencing any combination of any of the symptoms described in this article is strongly advised not to diagnose or attempt to treat their condition themselves. Instead, please call the Winnemucca Mental Health Center at 623-6580 to make an appointment to see Dr. Malinas or any of the other trained mental health professionals on staff.
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