If mental health conditions were as easy to spot as physical injuries, then more people would likely obtain treatment. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and of all the mental health conditions out there, the schizophrenia spectrum can be among the most dangerous if it goes untreated. Given its inherent complicated nature, recognizing schizophrenia symptoms can be very difficult for someone who does not have the proper level of training and experience.
But that doesn’t mean that people are wrong if they wonder whether or not a loved one may be experiencing schizophrenia symptoms. That doesn’t mean that digging deeper is a waste of time, as doing so could make all the difference in the world. In fact, helping people who may be suffering from the schizophrenia spectrum could literally make the difference between life and death.
Are there common warning signs of schizophrenia symptoms? There are, but any list is not going to be exhaustive. Everyone is different, everyone who suffers from the schizophrenia spectrum experiences different symptoms, and co-occurring disorders are extremely common. Regardless, SoCal Empowered would like to provide anyone who is looking with a list of 10 schizophrenia symptoms and warning signs that could help people decide to take that first critical step towards getting a loved one help.
1. Does Your Loved One Seem Depressed?
One of the most common misdiagnoses that ultimately proves to be the schizophrenia spectrum is depression. When someone is showing early signs of schizophrenia symptoms, he or she will often withdraw from social settings and seem extremely sad or depressed. In addition, depression often co-occurs with someone on the schizophrenia spectrum.
2. Is Your Loved One Showing Hostility or Suspicion?
While it can be extremely difficult for a person to understand that he or she is experiencing schizophrenia symptoms without help, that person often generally understands that something is very wrong. This general knowledge can lead to responses that appear as hostile or showing suspicion towards others, as they may be wondering if other people notice something is wrong as well.
3. Does He or She Respond Irrationally to Criticism?
Coupling on the point above, where a person who may be experiencing schizophrenia symptoms generally understands that something is wrong, he or she may also respond in the extreme to even the most benign criticism. If you’re afraid to offer any criticism to this person for fear of such a response, it could indicate a much larger problem.
4. Is Your Loved One Letting Hygiene Go?
One of the more common schizophrenia symptoms that exists is the tendency to lapse in personal hygiene. Has your loved one stopped shaving or showering regularly? Is he or she willing to go days without cleaning up, seemingly without caring at all?
5. Does Your Loved One Display a “Blank” Stare Often?
Even the most stoic among us will reveal some level of emotion from time to time in different circumstances. Those who don’t as often are commonly thought of as having a good “poker face,” but someone suffering from schizophrenia symptoms may appear utterly expressionless often enough that people are starting to wonder what could be happening.
6. Does Your Loved One Struggle to Express Emotions?
Obviously, everyone is different, and everyone expresses his or her emotions differently. What may be a warning sign of schizophrenia symptoms, though, is when a person’s customary expressions begin to change. Perhaps your loved one used to giggle at the sight of a family pet playing with a toy, and how that person doesn’t respond at all. What’s important to notice is a change towards expressing nothing at all.
7. Has He or She Started Making Strange Comments?
One of the benefits of being close to someone is that you get to know that person extremely well. You understand his or her norms and tendencies, so it’s usually you or another loved one who notices that something just seems off. One way that schizophrenia symptoms manifest themselves is when a person begins to make strange comments that differ from what you know he or she would have said in the past.
8. Have You Noticed a Marked Change in Sleeping Patterns?
People’s sleep patterns tend to change somewhat throughout life. Generally speaking, teens and young adults will sleep more and for longer than parents of children or older adults. However, if you’ve noticed your loved one suddenly not sleeping much at all or sleeping seemingly all the time, it could be a sign that something is happening with his or her brain.
9. Is His or Her Memory Becoming a Problem?
As people get further into adulthood and they have more things to remember and organize, it’s natural for them to forget things more often. That said, a common example of schizophrenia symptoms occurs when people become appreciably more forgetful of things they always seemed to recall with ease in the past.
10. Is Your Loved One Unable to Concentrate?
We all suffer from struggles with concentration from time to time, but if your loved one is experiencing schizophrenia symptoms, a lack of ability to concentrate could be one of the warning signs. Someone on the schizophrenia spectrum has a lot going on in his or her head, making focus all but impossible at times.
How SoCal Empowered Can Help With Potential Schizophrenia Symptoms
By far the best way to find out if someone is on the schizophrenia spectrum is for that person to obtain a diagnosis from a medical professional. While that’s ultimately what needs to happen, we all understand that a lot of things need to unfold before anyone thinks that such an effort is necessary.
If you’re concerned about a loved one, please remember that you are far from alone. According to the World Health Organization, or WHO, approximately 24 million people worldwide suffer from this difficult condition. That’s more people than the populations of every state in the United States except for California and Texas.
If you’re worried, you should trust your instincts. One step you should consider is contacting our team of professionals at SoCal Empowered. We will listen to your situation and help you decide on the best way to proceed. If we feel that a stay with us is warranted, we will work directly with your insurance company to determine coverage before you make any commitments. If another resource would be best, we will help you find it and make use of it.
It all starts by contacting us, though, so please do so as soon as possible.
