Latent or hidden schizophrenia: what you need to know?

Schizophrenia, like any other mental illness, is divided into stages. When it just begins to develop, this is the easiest first stage in the development of the disorder. And there are also groups according to the age and temporal development of the disease. Today we will consider the latent form of schizophrenia. She has four key characteristics:

1. The first symptoms can be detected in early childhood, that is, it manifests itself early.
2. The clinical picture is a symptomatology that is poorly characteristic of schizophrenia.
3. Often the patient has acute reactions to what is happening — these are neurotic and psychopathic seizures.
4. The psyche of the personality is slightly deformed, the patient does not have apathy or other pathological emotions.

In total, 3% of people from the total number of patients with this disease live with a latent form of schizophrenia today.

True, the untimely treatment of this dangerous disease cannot be neglected. Due to the fact that over time, patients begin to experience strange thoughts like death, suicide, and so on, it is important to notice this. If also relatives in no way support and do not provide moral assistance, then the disease begins to develop many times faster. Thus, if a person lives with the disease and goes toe to toe with it, then most likely the patient will soon be able to observe thoughts of dying and so on. The main thing for relatives and relatives is to notice such strange behavior in a timely manner.

What is the latent form of schizophrenia?

This is a mild form of the disease in which psychotic symptoms are rarely observed in patients. This form of pathology is called schizotopic disorder. Then how to recognize such people? They have three key character traits:

1. They are stubborn — to the last they will stand their ground, no matter how many examples of their wrongness would be given.
2. They have inconstancy — such people change their minds, desires, life goals all the time. They get bored with any kind of activity. Sitting in one place for such individuals is extremely difficult.
3. They are capricious — they always want it to be as they wish.

It is very difficult to be paired with such people. They seem frivolous to others because of the disorder of the unity of desires.

And people with a latent form of schizophrenia make spontaneous decisions or, even worse, do something without thinking. Relatives of such people think that they are just lazy and do not want anything from this life.

Patients have indifference to the people around them and external calmness with serious consequences that their spontaneous actions may entail.

Psychotherapy for patients with latent schizophrenia

Most people with this form of the disorder experienced their first symptoms in early childhood or as teenagers. Less often, people over 30 years old fall into the category of patients. One of the best methods of helping patients is a course of psychotherapy, the tasks of which included the development of the following abilities:

• protective mechanisms;
• establishing relationships with people around, in the family;
• the ability to control their illness;
• elimination of spontaneity in decisions and actions;
• adaptation in society;
• correcting your behavior.

If the patient learns to control the disease, to monitor and notice the onset of symptoms, he will be able to achieve a long-term remission. To enhance the effectiveness, you can try different types of sessions — individual and family. In addition, patients are encouraged to attend group sessions that bring together people with the same form of schizophrenia.