Paranoid schizophrenia tends to be the type of schizophrenia that gets the most publicity, but there are actually 4 other types of this mental disorder that are diagnosed as well. It isn’t a very common disorder of the mind, but it is present in enough people that it can impact many people at least on some level. When treated appropriately, people with this disorder can go on to live fulfilling, happy lives. Without treatment, however, the effects of this disease can begin to overwhelm someone quickly.
Statistics About Paranoid Schizophrenia
1. The percentage of Americans who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia: 1.2%.
2. About 1.5 million people around the world are diagnosed with schizophrenia every year.
3. The chances of you being diagnosed with schizophrenia before your 30th birthday: 7.2 out of 1000.
4. Men are generally diagnosed with schizophrenia between the ages of 18-25.
5. The age when women are typically diagnosed with this disease: 25-30.
6. People with this disorder may hear voices other people don’t hear.
7. People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk.
8. It is possible for someone with paranoid schizophrenia to sit for hours without moving or talking.
9. People who have a first degree relative, such as a parent or a sibling, with paranoid schizophrenia have a 10% chance of developing it themselves.
10. Any time there is a family member who has schizophrenia, the chances for individual development of the disease increases.
11. If someone has an identical twin who has schizophrenia, then there is a 50/50 chance on average that they will also develop the disorder.
12. Schizophrenia affects men and women equally.
13. This disorder occurs at similar rates in all ethnic groups around the world.
14. Most of the time, people do not get schizophrenia after age 45.
15. For youth who are at a high risk of developing schizophrenia, there is an 80% chance of being able to predict it.
16. Antipsychotic medications have been available since the mid-1950’s to treat paranoid schizophrenia.
17. People with schizophrenia are not usually violent.
18. About 10% of those who are diagnosed with schizophrenia will die because of suicide.
19. People with schizophrenia may be mistaken for people who are affected by drugs.
20. It is not uncommon for people who have paranoid schizophrenia to attempt self-treatment through the use of drugs, alcohol, or medication experimentation.
21. Addiction to nicotine is the most common form of substance abuse in people with schizophrenia, occurring in up to 90% of those who receive a diagnosis.
Understanding Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a disorder that will affect people throughout their lifetime. It generally forms early if it is going to occur, so if you’ve reached your 30’s, then there’s a good chance you won’t develop this mental disease. Schizophrenia can happen at any time, however, so everyone is vulnerable. Schizophrenia affects men and women differently, but paranoid schizophrenia tends to develop slowly and then graduate to more profound behaviors as it progresses.
Most people have a period of time where the symptoms will gradually onset. People will begin to notice some odd behaviors that don’t fit in with a person’s normal set of choices. They may become fearful, anxious, or even just restless. This generally proceeds to a feeling of restlessness, which can then proceed toward hallucinations and then full-blown paranoia.
It can be difficult to recognize schizophrenia in its early stages, but if it can be done, then treatments tend to be a lot more successful and faster to implement. That’s why knowing the statistics of paranoid schizophrenia is so important. Knowledge is power and with the power that is in the facts below, you might just be able to help someone you love.
More Important Facts About Schizophrenia
Although the movies might turn paranoid schizophrenia into a good character plot point so they can perform violent acts, the vast majority of those who have this disorder are not going to do anything.
The most important part of treatment for paranoid schizophrenia isn’t to get medication, but to attend regular therapy sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, can help people be able to find negative thinking errors that are causing some of the difficult emotions. Group supports and therapies also provide a remarkable amount of proactive benefits that can help people prevent a new outbreak of symptoms from occurring.
One of the primary issues that schizophrenics face is the fact that many things can trigger a new episode of symptoms for them. This is why getting off of a drug habit can be so difficult for them. Something as simple as the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine can be enough to trigger another paranoid episode and even start hallucinations. Although substance abuse isn’t thought to cause schizophrenia, it can enhance the problem when it is already there.
This is why it is so important to seek out and find help when there is someone you know that may be suffering from this condition. Schizophrenia, especially the paranoid kind, tends to make people become withdrawn and isolated. They’ll need help to find the treatments that they need to help make life become closer to normal once again. When medication is part of the equation, it is very important for friends and family to make sure someone with schizophrenia continues to take their medication.
The symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia can become very severe when some people stop their treatment altogether. They generally are unable to care for themselves without the help of their medication and this means they’ll likely become homeless on the street or stuck in jail because they are out of control. It is important to set goals that are realistic and to not place pressure or criticisms upon people with this disorder. This can cause them to withdrawal even further because it triggers their symptoms outside of the control of the medication.
It may take some time, some medication, and a lot of patience, but paranoid schizophrenia does not have to define the life of someone.