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Coping with teen schizophrenia and its symptoms E-mail

It’s important to note that schizophrenia in teens may manifest itself in a manner which may be distinct from the way in which the disorder is observed in adults. A common issue with teenage schizophrenia is that it can be awfully hard to detect in its initial phase, if under the scrutiny of a normal parent’s eye. But proper diagnosis can be made by a professional psychiatrist who works particularly with adolescents. Consider the following characteristics which are present in teens in the initial phase of schizophrenia:

  • Mixing up one’s dreams with reality
  • Hearing sounds that are not existent and seeing illusions
  • Disoriented and out of place thoughts
  • Flamboyant or peculiar ideas
  • Intense mood changes
  • Paranoid feelings
  • Childish behavior or actions which resemble childlike reactions
  • Issues with fear and anxiety
  • Mistaking certain forms of media, such as what one sees on television, for reality
  • Unable to create and sustain lasting friendships with peers

Character changes in a schizophrenic teen

It has been observed in schizophrenic teens that overall demeanor and presence changes as months/years pass. Those teens who may have once been known for their outgoing nature and upfront antics may tend towards isolation and seclusion. They may appear to be going through a kind of regression wherein they start acting like kids while being greatly reliant on one’s parents. This may be accompanied by delusions where a teenager may describe a whole happening in detail which may have never taken place to begin with. Many fears may begin to appear, not just of other people, but even of inanimate objects.


Treatment requires proper diagnosis

Once the characteristic signs of the onset of the disorder are observed in your teenager it is crucial that he/she is properly diagnosed in order for a plan of treatment to be implemented immediately. This treatment plan which should consider your teen as a unique individual suffering from the disorder, may not just involve psychotherapy (one-on-one or family) but medication as well. Go with your gut, if you feel as a parent that something is just not right about your teen’s behavior, it wouldn’t hurt to have him/her evaluated by a professional who deals with disorders in teens. If schizophrenia is not what your teen may be struggling with, you may find out that he/she has got a whole other issue at hand. Knowing what you’re up to is what’s important here. Once that is clear you may proceed to make the vital choices for your teenager’s treatment. It has been observed that a positive response from treatment occurs with early intervention. Once a schizophrenic teen has been in his/her “own world” for a significant period of time, it may be much more difficult to bring him/her back to reality’s side.

Your goal as a parent would be to help your child regain power over symptoms of the disorder.

 
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