At the initial stage of development it is very difficult to establish the correct diagnosis, so it progresses quickly. And this is truly scary.
Here is a far from complete list of questions that concern parents who have noticed something strange in their child’s behavior:
- What is the cause of the development of mental disorders in children?
- What you need to know about the first signs of teenage schizophrenia?
- How to recognize a mental disorder in a child’s changeable behavior?
- How to properly diagnose and treat this disease?
- Is it possible to get rid of schizophrenia forever?
- Is there a possibility that mental disorders will go away along with adolescence?
There are answers to these questions.
Causes
The exact cause of the development of schizophrenia in adolescence is not known for certain. However, we can confidently say that there are factors that have a direct impact on the formation of the disease. These include:
- hereditary predisposition;
- stressful situations;
- complex family relationships;
- computer addiction;
- drug use;
- smoking, childhood alcoholism.
Through many years of research, it has been proven that a teenage child is twice as likely to develop schizophrenia if this disease was previously detected in one of his relatives. The likelihood of a mental disorder increases significantly if both parents suffer from schizophrenia. Heredity has a huge influence on the formation of personality traits.
Stress is known to be the cause of many diseases, and schizophrenia is no exception. Excessive experiences, combined with the unformed psyche of a teenager, form the basis of first emotional disruptions and then severe psychoses. And they already entail schizophrenic disorders.
A turbulent situation in the family, conflicts with parents, youthful maximalism - all these are attributes of adolescence. They may well become the impetus for the development of the disease. A teenager who does not find support and understanding for a long time loses self-esteem, withdraws into himself and becomes depressed. You cannot do without the help of a psychotherapist in such a situation.
Excessive passion for computer games is the scourge of our time. What does schizophrenia have to do with it? It's simple. During the game, the perception of real events occurs. The more a teenager is attracted to the computer, the thinner the line between the real and virtual world. The understanding of all life events changes dramatically. Hallucinations and delusions are perceived as part of the game, and the child has no desire to leave it. Parents do not see anything unusual in the fact that he is talking to himself, but it is at this moment that they need to start sounding the alarm.
Drugs, alcohol and cigarettes in themselves are unacceptable things for a teenager. They have a negative impact on the physical condition of a still fragile child’s body, leading to general intoxication and mental retardation. But the worst thing is that the brain cells suffer from this. An incompletely formed psyche under the influence of narcotic substances can provoke a malfunction leading to schizophrenia and other severe disorders of consciousness.
Miller's Dream Book
It says that a knife in blood symbolizes destruction, death, aggression and cruelty. In other words, all the worst traits of human character. Such a vision often personifies the desire for easy money and the manifestation of the basest instincts.
If the dreamer was a guy, then there is a high probability that he will soon part with his beloved. The reason will be constant conflicts, betrayal, treason, false accusations and incessant disputes.
For the girl, this same vision literally promises a “bloody” brawl. In the near future, you need to behave as peacefully, quietly and without conflict as possible in order to avoid getting into a situation fraught with consequences.
Manifestations of the disease
Unfortunately, there are no symptoms that can be detected to clearly indicate that a teenager is developing schizophrenia. Each case is individual. It would seem that similar manifestations in one child may indicate a serious illness, while in another it is just character traits, gaps in upbringing, or simply a bad mood.
The main signs of schizophrenia are of three types:
- Negative. They represent disorders of the psyche and some body functions. Certain emotions simply become inaccessible to a teenager. He loses the ability to think logically, plan his actions, and take responsibility for his own actions. From the outside, this may look like aloofness, isolation, or simple laziness. These symptoms are quite difficult to identify and correctly qualify.
- Positive. In fact, there is nothing good, much less positive, about them. Symptoms have this definition because they are acquired by the body as the disease progresses. These include hallucinations and delusions.
- Cognitive. They manifest themselves as a failure of mental functions, apathy and indifference. Concentration and the ability to remember and use information suffer. These violations are difficult not to notice during close contact with the child.
At the initial stage, the teenager perceives hallucinations simply as his overdeveloped fantasy. Moreover, they can be visual or auditory, or combined with each other. Only over time does the child realize that something is wrong with him. The situation is complicated by the fact that the psyche is not yet fully formed, so it is impossible to predict the consequences of schizophrenic attacks.
During the period of exacerbation, the teenager loses his sense of reality. He is confused and depressed, there is no sense of social balance. The mood can change sharply and unpredictably, emotions do not always correspond to the situation. Progressive schizophrenia does not allow active communication with others - there is autism, unsociability and apathy.
By withdrawing into himself, the child is left alone with the problem. Typical situation of the initial stage of schizophrenia:
- a teenager hears some voices in his head;
- sometimes it seems to him that they are reading his own thoughts out loud;
- he is visited by various visions;
- there is a feeling of being watched or followed.
But the worst thing is that the child cannot tell anyone about this: the parents are too busy with work or themselves, friends will most likely perceive such a story as another reason for ridicule and bullying. Therefore, there is nothing left to do but fight your own fears alone.
And only when the symptoms of schizophrenia get out of control does it become impossible to hide the disease. If this happens, you should immediately contact a specialist. Undiagnosed mental disorders in adolescence can have very dire consequences.
It is worth noting that in most cases, schizophrenia in adolescents distorts emotional perception or develops dysfunction of thinking and perception of information. But, at the same time, surprisingly, the disease does not affect intellectual abilities. That is, visible changes occur in the child’s behavior, but if he studied well at school, he continues to do so.
Determining the diagnosis
Analyzing visible and hidden symptoms and making an accurate conclusion is already a big step towards getting rid of the disease. An incorrect diagnosis leads to incorrect treatment. As a result, instead of recovery, the disease drags on and progresses, and it becomes much more difficult to cope with it.
Some people generally refuse to recognize schizophrenia in adolescents as a disease. They associate unusual behavior with:
- lack of vitamins and microelements in the body;
- metabolic disorders;
- general fatigue;
- characteristics of the personality's psychotype;
- influence of external factors.
However, schizophrenia exists, and it begins in adolescence. The slightest deviation in a child’s behavior should be a reason to contact a psychiatrist.
To identify the diagnosis, the child is monitored for at least six months. There is no way to do this before, since the symptoms and course of the disease may change.
To exclude tumors and other brain diseases, it is necessary to conduct the following studies:
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- electroencephalography;
- general and biochemical blood test;
- state of immune status;
- assessment of hormonal levels.
Specially designed psychological tests play a major role in diagnosing schizophrenia in adolescent children. With their help, you can determine which brain structure is most affected by the disease. Information provided by parents and other relatives who have close contact with the patient is also taken into account.
Treatment
There are cases when, suspecting something was wrong in the actions of a teenager, parents or teachers took him to a psychologist. The responsibilities of this specialist include monitoring the patient’s behavior, identifying his psychotype, etc. However, he will not be able to determine schizophrenic disorder. Only a psychiatrist will do this; he will also prescribe treatment.
So is it possible for a teenager to completely get rid of schizophrenia? Yes, this is possible, but not a single psychotherapist can guarantee that this will happen in any particular case. With the right treatment, long periods of remission may occur after the condition worsens.
Acute symptoms of schizophrenia are relieved with antipsychotics. This happens in a hospital, under the constant supervision of specialists. To achieve visible results, you need to take the medications prescribed by your doctor for at least three weeks. The following may be prescribed as auxiliary means:
- antidepressants;
- tranquilizers;
- antipsychotic substances.
The length of hospitalization depends on the severity of symptoms and the general condition of the adolescent. Therapy gives lasting positive dynamics. After completing an intensive course of treatment, the patient is sent home for further rehabilitation on an outpatient basis and social adaptation.
Life after confirmation of illness
Yes, it exists.
It often happens that a timely diagnosis allows you to stop the progression of the disease. In this case, the teenager may not remember his illness for the rest of his life. But not everyone is so lucky. It happens that teenage schizophrenia does not go away without a trace, but simply transforms into another stage, then you need to learn to live with it. Of course, it won’t be easy to do this, but you shouldn’t despair and give up: people live with much more serious problems. Even if the diagnosis of schizophrenia is finally confirmed, this is not a reason to despair and give up. It is very important to start treatment, and modern medications truly work wonders and have virtually no side effects.
Nowadays, schizophrenia is not a death sentence at all; a young person should and can lead a normal life. Periods of remission can last up to 5-7 years.
There is an opinion that schizophrenia, which began its development in adolescence, must necessarily manifest itself in aggressive behavior or shocking actions. In reality, everything is not like that. Schizophrenic attacks do not provoke aggression. A teenager suffering from this mental disorder is more likely to harm himself than someone else around him.
After treatment, the child must undergo a rehabilitation course. She will prepare him for life in society. Experts will tell you how to behave in various situations, analyze feelings, and control emotions. In some cases, a teenager will need constant monitoring.
Who dreams
For a pregnant girl, a dream with a knife carries a negative omen. Especially if a blow was made to the stomach, because it serves as a symbol of life. Therefore, you should be wary of a threat to yourself and your unborn child. Childbirth is possible in the near future.
If an unmarried woman dreams of a rusty knife, then she will soon be separated from her loved one. Wounding leads to dishonor. You should also be wary of quarrels, insults and troubles.
For a married lady, seeing a knife in a dream leads to losses in business or separation. Injury - you should be wary of intrigues from enemies.
The importance of family support
Of course, it is important that a teenager knows that there is a person next to him whom he can turn to and tell about all his fears and experiences. Then the likelihood increases that schizophrenia will be identified at the initial stage and treatment will give maximum results. But this rule only works if the patient’s relatives adequately assess the seriousness of the mental disorder and are aware of the possible consequences.
It often happens that caring mothers and fathers, instead of taking their child to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible, find all sorts of excuses for his strange behavior. For example:
- incoherent muttering, an unblinking gaze at one point is explained by the fact that the child has been over-studying and is collapsing from fatigue;
- hallucinations - the consequences of too strong expression of emotions;
- reluctance to communicate with peers - excessive workload at school;
- despondency and indifference are just a bad mood.
With blind love mixed with pity for their loved one, parents themselves aggravate the situation. By not contacting a specialist in time, they delay the recovery process. The slightest psychological trauma can lead to the initiation of the disease, not become its cause, but only contribute to the development of symptoms.
A feature of schizophrenic disorder is a tendency toward suicidal behavior or self-harm. In this regard, there is an urgent need for constant monitoring of the teenager.
In addition, it is advisable to find an activity that he will like and generally adjust his lifestyle. Please pay attention to:
- proper and healthy nutrition;
- playing sports;
- intellectual development;
- leisure.
Relatives of a child with schizophrenia should know for themselves that it can and should be treated and convince the patient of this. A visit to a psychiatrist cannot be avoided, but it is not at all as scary as is commonly believed.
What actions were performed with a knife in a dream?
To kill with a knife - the upcoming difficulties are surmountable; it is worth correctly assessing the situation.
Attacked with a knife - a stranger promises a meeting with a good person who will have influence. If a friend attacks you, you should expect trouble from him.
Sharpening a knife - the dreamer experiences anger and hostility towards a specific person, the relationship with him should deteriorate.
Stabbing with a knife - you need to be careful and prepare in advance for the upcoming task. It can be dangerous to provide false information.
Wounded with a knife - deterioration of health in the area of injury or betrayal by friends.
Seeing a knife means witnessing changes in the coming days.
Throwing a knife - you need to pay attention to every action. There is a possibility of doing something incorrectly, which will lead to a deterioration in reputation and loss of authority.
Stabbed with a knife - there will be complications related to business. At work, there may be set-ups from colleagues, and at home, quarrels with loved ones.
They hit you with a knife - a quick betrayal or a trap set by ill-wishers.
Chasing with a knife means trouble in the personal and professional sphere.
A fight with a knife is a dangerous situation, you should be careful and avoid it if possible.
Buying a knife means the dreamer wants to take control of the situation, manage it and the dependent people.
Holding a knife means the dreamer is in tense circumstances. There are pressing problems that need to be resolved in the near future.
Wash - you should stop discussing people, having empty conversations and spreading gossip. It may harm others.
To throw is to commit an act that will tarnish one’s reputation.
Stick a knife - experience feelings and desire for another person, as well as the opportunity to find yourself in a funny situation.
