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A lot has been said and written about the harmful effects of alcohol, but the situation is noticeably aggravated if the addiction is complicated by mental illness, such as schizophrenia. Here, the symptoms are so vague and diverse that it can be difficult even for an experienced doctor to distinguish the manifestations of schizophrenia from delirium tremens.
Alcoholic delirium and alcoholic schizophrenia: what do they have in common?
Similar symptoms in both cases can be called:
- break with reality and immersion in the world of illusions;
- the presence of an imaginary interlocutor;
- aggressive behavior or complete apathy;
- lack of logic in the conversation, semantic connection between words;
- loss of control over their actions and reactions;
- aggressive confrontation with an imaginary threat.
In the presence of two or more of the above manifestations of an acute condition, a person becomes dangerous not only for others, but also for himself. Often, patients attempt suicide while in a state of so-called «altered consciousness». And it doesn’t really matter whether it is caused by the use of alcohol and psychotropic substances or by a progressive mental illness.
The most important and dangerous thing in patients with alcoholic schizophrenia is the unpredictability and spontaneity of their actions. To avoid fatal consequences for the patient and his environment, it is necessary to seek professional help as soon as possible and place a person in a state of the acute phase of the disease in a hospital for treatment and follow-up.
«Progress» is evident
It is worth recalling that schizophrenia, whatever the reasons it is not caused, the disease is incurable and progressive. Despite this, the disease does not always go into a chronic form. Approximately 25% of schizophrenics whose anamnesis is complicated by alcoholism or drug addiction have only one episode of the disease during their entire life. In another quarter of patients, the disease becomes protracted, and half of all those diagnosed with alcoholic schizophrenia suffer from systematic attacks associated with refusal of treatment and alcohol breakdowns.
For younger patients, the prognosis for a long-term remission is much more vague, but for patients who are faced with a diagnosis in adulthood, doctors give a better chance of maintaining quality of life and restoring capacity.
Schizophrenia and other diseases
It is no secret that the state of the whole organism often depends on our mental health. Among the most likely complications of schizophrenia, doctors call:
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- hormonal disorders;
- increase in cases of ARI.
All these factors somehow affect the life expectancy of patients with schizophrenia. Add to this the high mortality due to suicide, reaching 10% of the total number of identified patients, and the picture is not at all rosy.
It is worth noting that the chance of returning to a full life in patients with alcoholic schizophrenia is lower than in patients with other forms of the disease, not only because of the large number of negative external factors. Their treatment is ineffective and because many drugs are simply not compatible with strong drinks.
In any case, both conditions — both delirium tremens and schizophrenia on the background of alcohol intake — have a devastating effect on the body, leading to complete or partial disability, and sometimes death.