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Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder.
This condition skews a persons perception of reality.
It distorts how a person thinks and behaves.
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However, a person with this condition wont experience these symptoms all the time.
Schizophrenia occurs in three phases.
They are the prodromal phase, the active phase, and the recovery phase.
Schizophrenia is often associated with positive symptomssuch as hallucinations and delusions.
However, schizophrenia occurs in phases and symptoms that dont always include hallucinations and delusions.
What Is the Prodromal Phase?
The term “prodrome” refers to the early stage and symptoms of any condition.
Here, a person might notice changes in the way they feel, think, or behave.
However, they wont experience symptoms such as disorganized thought or behavior, hallucinations, or delusions.
Not everyone with schizophrenia will experience this phase of the condition.
It typically starts out feeling like there has been a slight shift in feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
The prodromal phase most commonly begins in teenagehood or young adulthood.
Symptoms of the Prodromal Phase
Symptoms experienced in the prodromal phase are barely recognizable.
Additionally, symptoms at this stage are similar to symptoms during the recovery phase.
The recovery phase of schizophrenia occurs after the active phase.
During the recovery phase, a person with schizophrenia will no longer experience positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.
In most cases, schizophrenia cant be diagnosed until it has progressed into the active phase.
One of therisk factors of developing schizophreniais having a family history of the condition.
Other risk factors include environmental factors such as exposure to toxins or viral infections.
Your doctor might conduct several tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms to get a definitive diagnosis.
The advantages of diagnosing schizophrenia in its prodromal phase cant be overemphasized.
How Is the Prodromal Phase Treated?
There is currently no cure for schizophrenia.
Antipsychotics such asAbilify, Zyprexa, andRexultiare used to manage symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.
It typically involves individual therapy, group therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Summary
There have been several misconceptions about schizophrenia because of the nature of its active symptoms.
In the past, a person with this condition might have been misdiagnosed as having a split personality disorder.
A person with schizophrenia will require treatment throughout their life.
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