The types and schizophrenia May vary according to the classification of different diagnostic manuals (DMS, WHO, ICD-10). Paranoid, undifferentiated, catatonic, paranoid, psychosis... it is clear that schizophrenia does not have a unique form of presentation, although there is no doubt that all its classes have common characteristics.
One of them is the evident disconnection that exists with reality. L A person is immersed in his own world: he has beliefs that most people do not share, can perceive in an altered way through the senses, may have a language that is difficult to understand, etc.
In addition, this disease has Very negative consequences For the person. Patients usually isolate themselves and suffer greatly with their delusions (they may think they want to poison him) or hallucinations (they can hear voices that insult him).
This will inevitably be reflected in their relationships, their work, their studies, their health, personal care, etc.
Schizophrenia and its different types have multiple causes, although it is undeniable that genetic factors are important, always combined with factors of the environment, drug use throughout life, developmental problems, or alterations in certain brain mechanisms.
If you want to know more about schizophrenia you can enter this article.
Classification of the types of schizophrenia
Below you can read what are the different types of schizophrenia that are currently used for the diagnosis of these patients:
According to the DSM-V
Different types of schizophrenia can be framed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) within the group"Spectrum of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. This section includes all disorders related to schizophrenia, which are:
- Schizotypal personality disorder
When schizophrenia is part of the person throughout his life and permanently, it is considered a personality disorder. Its main feature is a great difficulty in establishing and maintaining close relationships with other people. Generally, they possess cognitive or perceptual distortions and an eccentric way of behaving.
It is common for these people to have so-called reference ideas, which means that any event that occurs or incident interpret it giving it an unusual or special meaning for itself.
For this reason, they tend to be very attentive to paranormal phenomena (that do not belong to their culture) and is habitual that they are supersticiosos.
They present strange beliefs or magical thinking, that is to say: they believe in fantasies, telepathy, sixth sense... manifesting in the way they speak, which can be metaphorical, vague, very recharged or stereotyped.
Their social relations are even more harmed by the paranoid ideation, which makes them to be on guard, since they believe that others want to hurt or take advantage of it. These social ties cause anxiety , Which does not cease despite continuously interacting with other people. Therefore, the affection or expression of emotions and affection is inappropriate or very limited.
It is important to know that this is not related to having a low selfsteem , But with their paranoid ideas.
If you find this interesting section do not miss this article where we unveil 7 Keys to Schizotypal Personality Disorder .
- Delirious disorder
Formerly called Paranoid disorder, Is a type of mental illness that is considered serious since the affected one can not differentiate the reality and the imagined one.
The main feature of this disorder is delusional ideas, that is, firm and immovable beliefs about something that is irrational, false or very unlikely.
The ideas are usually of the type being persecuted, poisoned, admired or loved in secret. In addition, the affected person reaffirms them by misinterpreting experiences or perceptions of their daily life.
The delusional disorder is differentiated by criteria such as: that it must have more than one delirium of one month or more in duration, if hallucinations are associated with the delusional subject (for example, if that person is convinced that they are chasing it will have Hallucinations to hear footsteps behind him or voices that threaten him), or not explained better by another mental disorder.
In addition, they may present extravagant content if the delusions are not plausible, are difficult to understand and are not part of everyday life experiences; Or, the contents can be part of the real life (although they are not fulfilled in the patient).
Within the delusional disorder there are several types:
- Erbotomaniac type: When the patient is convinced that another person is in love with him.
- Type of quantity: Thoughts of being exceptional and / or having important knowledge or talents that are not recognized by others.
- Celotype type: The person who suffers from it lives with the certainty that their partner is being unfaithful.
- Persecutory Type: The central theme of delusions is that other people are against him, cheating, persecuting, wanting to hurt him, poison him, drug him, harass him or prevent him from reaching his goals.
- Somatic type: This subtype refers to physical sensations of the body itself, may think that your body does not work properly because it has some medical problem.
- Mixed type: Is defined when no particular delirium predominates, but has several.
- Type not specified: When it can not be determined clearly according to the types defined above.
- Short Psychotic Disorder
It differs from other disorders related to schizophrenia because it appears suddenly. Its duration is short (from one day to one month) and the person can return to its previous state of functioning.
In this way, it is born abruptly by one or more of the following symptoms: delusions, Hallucinations , Disorganized or catatonic behavior and disorganized speech.
The latter appears as they have trouble thinking clearly and understanding what others say. The person who thinks in a disorganized way, jumps from one topic to another (which has nothing to do with) or simply his narrative will seem inconsistent to others.
Disorganized behavior means that the patient performs movements with no clear purpose, repeats gestures constantly or performs peculiar behaviors such as drinking water with a spoon.
Sometimes these people may stop moving or talking altogether, staying quiet for a long time.
The fundamental thing to consider are symptoms, is that the manifestations are not part of the culture where the individual is immersed.
According to the DSM-V, it must be specified if it is a reactive condition, that is to say, it arises due to objectively very stressful events for the person (called thus brief reactive psychosis). Or, without stressors that cause it.
Obviously, this condition can be more or less severe depending on the amount of symptoms that accompany it.
- Schizophrenia
There should be two or more of the symptoms listed below, extending significantly for more than 6 months. At least one of them must be of the first 3:
- Delusions.
- Hallucinations.
- Disorganized speech.
- Very disorganized or catatonic behavior (motor immobility).
- Negative symptoms: they are linked with alterations in the emotional experiences and the way of behaving, and are symptoms more difficult to recognize because they can be confused with depression Or other disorders.
Within these symptoms appear:
- Flattened affection: they seem not to express any kind of emotion in his face or in his voice, as if it were a robot.
- A reduction in the ability to feel pleasure.
- Difficulties to start and maintain certain tasks (because they are not motivated).
- They can talk very little.
- They neglect their hygiene and basic personal care.
- They may need help in carrying out daily activities.
On the other hand, the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, which you may have heard of, consist of hallucinations, delusions, and disorders of thinking (the first 3 symptoms of this list).
Coinciding with the disorder, there are problems in the level of functioning in one or more places where the individual develops: work, studies, relationships with others, personal care, etc.
- Schizophreniform disorder
It differs from the schizophrenia itself of the time it lasts. This diagnosis is used as the professionals are reluctant to diagnose schizophrenia, since the latter is serious and irreversible.
Then, while confirming the existence of schizophrenia itself or not, the diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder is made. Approximately one-third of people have this disorder resolved, while in the other majority the diagnosis of schizophrenia is confirmed.
The symptoms and criteria are exactly the same as those of schizophrenia, and as we have said, the difference is in duration. Thus, in schizophreniform disorder, the symptoms of schizophrenia should be given in a significant amount of time for a period of one month (minimum) up to 6 months at the most.
- Schizoaffective disorder
It is a condition in which a combination of symptoms typical of schizophrenia is experienced: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior and other symptoms associated with mood disorders (such as mania Or depression).
East disorder Is not as defined as other conditions, since it is a mixture of several clinical manifestations and in each person can have a different development.
Thus, it can be linked to bipolar disorder (bipolar schizoaffective disorder) or depression (schizoaffective disorder of the depressive type). They can occur at the same time or interchangeably. The development of this disorder is usually severe cycles of symptoms with other cycles of improvement.
The criteria are:
- Uninterrupted period of illness during which there is a major episode of mood (manic or Major depressive ) Coinciding with the criterion of schizophrenia.
- Delusions or hallucinations for 2 or more weeks, without a major episode of mood disorders (bipolar or depressive).
- Symptoms must be present in most stages of the disease.
- The alterations are not caused by drugs, drugs or medical illnesses.
According to the DSM-IV
In the old DSM-IV, the types of schizophrenia were classified according to other criteria that have not been considered in the new version, but it is not surprising that they are still used. These types are:
- Paranoid schizophrenia
This type Is characterized by the absence of disorganized and incoherent language. Neither does the catatonic or disorganized behavior nor the Affective flattening . What predominates here are the delusions (one or more) and the hallucinations, which are very frequent.
- Disorganized Schizophrenia
Contrary to the above, here above all stand out the symptoms of disorganized behavior and language and flattened or inappropriate affectivity.
- Catatonic type schizophrenia
You must have at least two of the following symptoms: motor immobility, or excessive motor activity that has no objective or responds to a stimulus of the environment, extreme negativism (resists without reason to any order that is given, remaining in a rigid posture Without moving).
There may also be mutism (remain silent), put strange or inappropriate postures, Stereotyped movements (Behavior), flashing grimaces, echolalia (repeating words or phrases that someone has heard or involuntarily), or Ecopraxia (Same, but repeats movements).
- Undifferentiated schizophrenia
This type is used when schizophrenia is diagnosed, but it does not fit the paranoid type, nor is it disorganized or catatonic.
- Residual schizophrenia
In this type there are no delusions or hallucinations, no disorganized behavior or language. On the other hand, other alterations are manifested as negative symptoms (pathological alterations in the mood) or more symptoms that we have named previously but that are given of a light way. The latter are about strange beliefs or perceptual experiences out of the ordinary.
The ICD-10 adds...
Another type of schizophrenia is added to the International Classification of Diseases (tenth version), which may be useful to consider:
- Hebephrenic Schizophrenia
It usually appears between 15 and 25 years and is characterized by affective disorders and motivation. On the other hand, delusions and hallucinations only appear sometimes, being transient. The disease has a poor prognosis as soon as there are negative symptoms such as abulia And affective blunting.
The behavior is usually unpredictable and irresponsible and the affectivity is inappropriate for the social context. He laughs when he should not or superficially, acts contemptuously, repeats phrases continuously, makes faces, etc.
Sometimes he can show an absorbed smile, as if he were proud of himself; Although they also state that they can file complaints hypochondriac .
It is habitual the thought and the language disorganized and without coherence. The topics of their conversations are difficult to follow and they focus on the abstract, religious or philosophical. It tends to be isolated, and to carry out behaviors that have no purpose. Thus, he has no real motivation to do things and his behavior looks empty and erratic.
References
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- Iliades, C. (s.f.). What Is Schizophreniform Disorder? Retrieved on August 22, 2016, from Everydayhealth.
- Memon, M. (November 17, 2015). Brief Psychotic Disorder. Obtained from Medscape.
- Schizoaffective disorder. (S.f.). Retrieved on August 22, 2016, from MayoClinic.
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