Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder.
Patients with this diagnosis find it difficult to perceive reality correctly and adequately. Against the background of acute symptoms, the pace of daily life of the patient decreases significantly.
People suffering from schizophrenia need long-term treatment. In itself, it is desirable to diagnose the disease at an early stage, because in this case the management of symptoms, therefore, the prevention of the progression of the disorder is much easier - and for this result, it is necessary for the patient's family members, friends and relatives to know about the early signs characteristic of schizophrenia.
Early symptoms of schizophrenia vary. Some patients do not show signs before the onset of the disease, and sometimes imperceptible changes before psychotic symptoms are recorded, that is, mild symptoms are expressed even several years before the progression of the pathology.
The early signs of schizophrenia vary according to the age of the patient.
Based on scientific studies, we can state that approximately 75% of patients with schizophrenia go through a kind of prodromal stage (warning, heralding) a few weeks, months or years before the onset of the disease.
If schizophrenia is diagnosed in people under the age of 18, doctors call it early.
Symptoms appear suddenly or progress slowly over time and include:
- Strong fear of a specific situation or object;
- Bad body posture;
- Slow movement;
- Increased sensitivity to sound or light;
- Hallucinations;
- Sudden shyness;
- It is difficult for the patient to distinguish between reality and fantasy
- Paranoia;
- Extreme mood swings;
- The patient does not express emotions during the conversation;
- Strong anxiety;
- It is difficult for a person to make new acquaintances or maintain relations with friends;
- Unusual behavior or strange sensations;
- Sudden agitation or confusion.
A large percentage of people with schizophrenia are young adults (late teens or people between the ages of 30 and 39), and even then the early symptoms are almost identical to those seen in teenage patients.
Early potential symptoms include:
- The patient does not take care of personal hygiene;
- Thoughts are not organized or manner of speaking is chaotic;
- Social isolation;
- Blank face (does not express emotions);
- Self-isolation;
- Without any preconditions, sensitivity to light and noise suddenly appears.
The diagnosis is late-onset schizophrenia if the symptoms of psychosis appear in people over 45 years of age.
Late-onset schizophrenia usually affects women and the following symptoms are expressed:
- Acute paranoid delusion;
- Acute hallucinations;
- Less severe disorganization and negative symptoms.
If schizophrenia-like psychotic symptoms develop in people over 65, the symptoms are related to dementia or another neurodegenerative disease.
Schizophrenia can develop at any age, but according to statistics, it is most common in men in their late teens and early 20s (ages 20 to 30), and for women, the average age looks like this - late 20s (ages 20 to 30) and early 30 years (from 30 to 40 years).
It is very rare for a child under the age of 12 or an adult over the age of 40 to develop schizophrenia.
Source:
https://www.healthline.com/health/early-signs-of-schizophrenia#common-age-of-onset
