What is alcoholic schizophrenia and how to deal with it

Alcohol is one of the most frequent and widespread factors not only in the criminalization of society, but also in the manifestation of a variety of mental disorders. In a state of intoxication, a person often ceases to control his emotions, adequately assess the situation, and adequately respond to external stimuli. In some cases, the abuse of strong drinks can provoke the manifestation of so-called alcoholic schizophrenia. How dangerous is this diagnosis and how does it threaten the patient and others?

Some facts about alcoholic schizophrenia

1. Modern research has proven that schizophrenia can be not only hereditary and chronic. The development of the disease can also be provoked by addictions, such as smoking, alcohol abuse or drug use.
2. For schizophrenia, the characteristic symptoms are the presence of hallucinations, inappropriate behavior, and obsessive delusions. All these symptoms, with some variations and additions, can also be present in a state of «altered consciousness» under the influence of alcohol.
3. Loss of interest in what is happening, a feeling of uselessness, confidence in one’s own immortality may also indicate the presence of mental problems not only at the time of drinking alcohol.
4. The first signs of schizophrenia may well resemble exposure to alcohol vapors and toxins. In the most advanced cases, schizophrenic manifestations become more and more like an attack of delirium tremens.
5. Treatment of schizophrenia always involves a complete rejection of any alcohol and drugs.

Alcoholic schizophrenia: what is it?

Alcoholic schizophrenia is usually called an exacerbation of schizophrenia against the background of the development of alcoholism, accompanied by a complex of mental disorders and certain symptoms, which include:

• delusional states and illusions;
• visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile hallucinations;
• obvious violations in the work of the speech apparatus;
• antisocial or inappropriate behavior.

In patients with schizophrenia who abuse alcohol, the main symptoms of the disease can be noticeably aggravated, worsening the general condition. Sometimes even experienced doctors cannot immediately recognize the disease. Diagnosing various conditions associated with the alcohol syndrome and having blurred symptoms.

Symptoms and signs of alcoholic schizophrenia

In fact, the longer a person has been drinking alcohol, the easier it becomes for a doctor to make a diagnosis of alcoholic schizophrenia. The thing is that strong drinks worsen the overall picture so much that the symptoms of the disease manifest themselves more clearly and persistently.

First of all, experts pay attention to changes in human behavior, which are manifested in:

• aggravated social isolation and maximum rejection of social interaction;
• complete or partial loss of connection with reality, active replacement of reality with well-formulated delusions;
• a noticeable deterioration in appetite;
• ignoring one’s own appearance, neglecting the rules of hygiene;
• development of persecution mania;
• the changed logic of behavior, which seems to the patient the only correct one, while its inadequacy is obvious to others.

You should carefully monitor a person who is addicted to drinking and consult a doctor in time, until the disease passes into an acute phase and entails more serious consequences. We will describe in detail how to distinguish alcoholic schizophrenia from delirium tremens in the following articles.