Schizophrenia, a term meaning “split mind,” also known as dementia praecox, is a very severe form of mental illness. Most often it strikes in the earlier years of life. The actual cause of this is not known.
Schizophrenic patients are always a little odd in their reactions. Where the reasonable person may feel like weeping, the schizophrenic either giggles or shows no outward expression. On the other hand, he may cry when others laugh. He fluctuates from one extreme to another. One moment he may be full of affecton, the next he is all anger and resentment. His behaviour is completely unpredictable. He may babble on about nothing, then suddenly withdraw from the world and speak to no one for weeks at a time.Such are peculiarities of this disease.
There are four main types of Schizophrenia. They are not sharply divided but tend to blend into one another. Simple schizophrenia usually but tend into one another. Simple schizophrenia usually begins during late adolescence. These patients appear careless and apathetic and may lapse into juvenile deliquency or prostitution. Most “beatniks” probably belong to this group. The patient has an odd appearance, and his actions are peculiar. He has a silly smile on his face, lives in a world to himself, and tends to withdraw from normal associations with others.
The hebephrenic patient is even odder. His illness begins at an early age and is characterized by fits of silly laughing. He often assumes a peculiar facial expression and insists on wearing the strangest combinations of colours. All his ideas are weird and absurd, and he soon loses touch with the real world around him. Such patients should be treated in a proper psychiatric institution.
Catatonic schizophrenia is another form of this disease. It comes on later in life, usually in the middle thirties, and may follow some intense emotional experience or disappointemnt. The patient assumes a negative attitude and may refuse to carry out the normal activities of life, such as bathing, eating and talking. He suffers from delusions and hallucinations, hears “voices,” and sees people who are not present. At times he will offer no resistance, but if placed in a particular position will remain there for long periods of tiem. Strange as it may seem, under proper treatment the outlook for this condition is often better than for the other types of schizophrenia.
Paranoid schizophrenia is the most dangerous form of this disease. Here the patient has a well functioning intellect. He sees and hears all that is going on around him, but unfortunately, he has a persecution complex and suffers from delusions and strong feelings of jealousy. He is very suspicious of others around him. Much of the time he may appear quite normal. But at any moment his smouldering resentments may come to the surface, and he will not hesitate to injure anyone if he thinks that person ” has it in for him.” He may even commot murder.
All too often relatives and friends of the paranoid-schizophrenic patient fail to recognize the danger until it is too late. Because they are anxious to give him the benifit of the doubt, the refuse to see the peculiarities in his mental make -up. He is very tricky and watches every move. He has a remarkable memory for names, datesm and events. He makes use of all these in an attempt to “get even” with the world, and especially with anyone whom he believes to be his enemy.
There medicines that doctors prescribe to relieve from this types of diseases. Even the drugs can not cure the disease. So yoga, meditation and mudras for this kind of personalities will help a lot if we find the symptoms earlier otherwise it is the too dangerous situation.