Paranoid Schizophrenia: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes, Risks And Treatment

Paranoid schizophrenia is a personality disorder which is characterized by the presence of persecutory ideas of the environment on the person who suffers from it. In other words, the person diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia is usually certain that people take actions to harm them.

In turn, this disorder is a combination of aspects from schizophrenia such as hallucinations and features of paranoia such as delusions. According to the DSM-V, it is possible to place paranoid schizophrenia within the group of schizoaffective disorders due to the qualities it presents. Next, we will present the main diagnostic criteria of paranoid schizophrenia:

• Presence of delusional ideas for at least two weeks.
• Appearance of a depressive episode during life.
• Hallucinations.
• Disorganized speech.
• Mood alteration not linked to the ingestion of toxic substances and/or medications.

In the presence of this disease, it is important to know how it affects both physically and emotionally and behaviorally. For this reason, we are going to show you the main symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia:

• Delusional ideas.
• Visual, auditory, olfactory and/or bodily hallucinations.
• Presence of certainty that other people carry out actions to the detriment of the person.
• Disorganized language.
• Lack of coherence in ideas.
• Distrust of others.
• Retreat.

Beyond these qualities, it is important do not perform a self-diagnosis to prevent confusions. In the presence of any of these symptoms, you must go to a specialized mental health professional to determine the severity of the condition and to suggest the treatment guidelines in each case.

In order to more accurately determine the intensity of this clinical condition, it is important to address the most common causes of paranoid schizophrenia. Next, we will emphasize the most important ones;

• Genetic factors: Hallucinations are the result of alterations in the person’s perception that may come from a genetic history of relatives with the same diagnosis. In addition, paranoid schizophrenia can also be related to complications during the period of gestation and/or pregnancy of each person and that have subsequently caused distortions of reality.
• Environmental factors: Past experiences can act as triggers for the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. As an example, it can be said that an upbringing based on mistrust, delusions and inconsistencies in language can trigger this disease, as well as the consumption of toxic substances.

Given the severity of the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, it is necessary to understand the risks associated with this illness. Knowing this information will allow you to have more tools when intervening in situations related to this disorder. Specifically, the risks associated with paranoid schizophrenia are:

• Damage to third parties and to oneself: On some occasions, people with paranoid schizophrenia may have intentions to physically harm other individuals, or even themselves. As a defense, they seek to vindicate themselves through violence. In these situations, it is advisable to go to health centers or specialized entities.
• Consumption of toxic substances: Reality alterations can be induced by drug intake. For this reason, the ingestion of toxic substances increases the risk of experiencing the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. Don’t miss this article if you are interested in knowing what the effects of drugs are on the nervous system.

There are different clinical approaches for paranoid schizophrenia disorder. The most important are the following:

• Psychological therapy: Psychological treatments allow us to develop strategies to make the person’s relationship with their environment more enjoyable. In global terms, the goal of therapy is for the individual to have a space for emotional containment and support in their daily lives.
• Pharmacological medication: During the course of the disease, it is common to prescribe antipsychotics to reduce the intensity of the characteristic symptoms of this clinical condition. Drugs allow the development of daily life to be more enjoyable.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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