Is Your Teenager Dealing
With Schizophrenia?
Are you caring for a teenager with suspected or diagnosed Schizophrenia?
You may find yourself having a hard time seeing your son or daughter experience this mental health condition. As a parent, you may feel overwhelmed and isolated especially if you cannot connect with your teen.
To help you understand what they are going through and how you can help yourself, we have prepared some information about Schizophrenia in teenagers.
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a condition that affects a person’s experience of reality. A person diagnosed with Schizophrenia will experience episodes of Psychosis, which means they experience delusions and hallucinations and find it hard to distinguish what is real and what isn’t.
It is important to understand that a person can experience psychosis but not have Schizophrenia, as there are various forms of psychosis.
Health professionals make a diagnosis for a teenager with Schizophrenia based on a pattern of signs and symptoms combined with changes in their everyday functioning. For this reason, a diagnosis of Schizophrenia takes time and, in general, people have been mentally unwell for quite some time before a diagnosis is made.
Schizophrenia falls into the category of ‘severe mental condition’ since this lifelong condition has no definite cure yet. However, this condition can be effectively managed, and it is possible to live a stable life with the right medications and support.
Symptoms of a Teenager with Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia in teens or adolescents is very rare but can be carried over from their childhood if they didn’t receive adequate treatment.
One of the main symptoms of schizophrenia in teens is recurring Psychosis which is also rare but not uncommon. A teenager experiencing psychosis will find it hard to identify what is real from what isn’t. Even though they are getting treatment for psychosis but still experience episodes, they may be diagnosed with schizophrenia.
If your son or daughter is diagnosed with schizophrenia, it does not mean they will experience every symptom. It is important to remember that your teenager can have a very different experience from another child living with the same condition.
The main symptoms are:
- Psychotic episodes — short periods of intense symptoms
- Delusions — fixed false beliefs that can’t be changed by evidence
- Hallucinations — hearing voices or otherwise sensing things that aren’t real
- Disordered thinking — muddled, disrupted thoughts that can be expressed through speech
- Disordered behaviour — unusual, inappropriate or extreme actions
- Paranoia — believe that something bad is going to happen
- Repeated actions of strange mannerisms
- Low motivation such as not wanting to go to school
- Disregard for personal hygiene
- Inability to express emotion or feel pleasure
- Problems with attention, memory, verbal and mental functions
- Poor social relationships or finding it hard to maintain friendship
What causes Schizophrenia?
Like many mental conditions, Schizophrenia doesn’t have just one single cause, it can be the result of a combination of several internal and external factors including:
- Genetic predisposition
- Biochemical – shortage or excess of certain chemicals in the brain
- Environmental such as stress, trauma and drug use (medical or substance)
Though most symptoms tend to develop during the late teens to mid-30s, your son or d daughter can experience symptoms of Schizophrenia and further develop the condition when not properly treated as soon as possible. Schizophrenia appears in about 0.3-0.7 percent of the population in most countries, including Australia.
Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
Teens experiencing Psychosis is the number one indicator that your child may have schizophrenia. Other mental health conditions prevalent with teenagers and with similar symptoms like Anxiety and Borderline Personality Disorder may also show schizophrenia-like qualities in teens, but are not necessarily part of the diagnosis for schizophrenia. Consequently, it is necessary to get your child to a Pediatric GP or a psychiatrist to get the professional help that can rule out other behavioural and mental health conditions through systematic reviews of their physical and mental conditions. For teenagers to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, they must experience this condition on most days for at least 6 months.
Treatments for a Teenager with Schizophrenia
Get the help your child needs through an early diagnosis. Since children with Schizophrenia require medical help specific to their needs, a treatment plan which takes into account their age and stage in life is necessary.
Through treatment the condition is manageable, and some people can live a relatively normal life including maintaining healthy relationships and securing a job. Medications are the cornerstone of Schizophrenia treatment and antipsychotic medications are the most commonly prescribed drugs. Schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment, even when symptoms have subsided. In addition to medications, an experienced psychiatrist usually guides some sort of psychosocial treatment and the treatment team may include a psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse and possibly a case manager to coordinate care.
How to help your Teenager with Schizophrenia
Adolescence is one of the most important years of one’s life. Since this period can be tough for many, your teen can experience stress and other mental health conditions. But if you see unusual behaviour in your son or daughter, you can refer to online mental health services or through a helpline to get an idea of what your teenager may be experiencing. If your son or daughter shows serious symptoms, it’s best to bring them to a GP or Psychiatrist to seek professional help as early as possible so that they can devise an appropriate treatment plan for your teenager.
How to help yourself
Seeing your son or daughter experience Schizophrenia can be very painful, but it can also be a stressful and frustrating experience for you and your family. Having a support group or a backbone through family and friends is essential. Community support groups, such as programs offered by HelpingMinds®, can also help you with what you are going through. We conduct free and confidential support to people who are caring for someone living with mental health challenges. We have programs that specifically cater to parents or guardians of children experiencing mental health conditions.
Get Support from HelpingMinds®
Would you like to know more about free and confidential mental health carer services and how we can support you? Please feel free to contact HelpingMinds® via the form below or on (08) 9427 7100. For one of our team to get back to you, we will require your email address and/or phone number. Please know all information provided will be treated completely confidential and in line with our privacy policy.