The Psychology Of Déjà Vu

The French term, déjà vu, is the most familiar déjà experience. Derives from a foreign language ‘French’, the primary reference here literally means ‘already seen’ and has several variations.

 

French scientist ‘Emile Boirac’, one of the first to study this strange phenomenon, gave the subject its name in 1876. It was originally longer, ‘Le Sentiment Du Déjà Vu’ (Boirac, 1876), and ‘Sensation Du Déjà Vu’ (Arnaud, 1896).

 

Tongue-Tying Alternatives Conveying Relatively Equivalent Meanings :

The ‘Fausse Reconnaissance’ or ‘Fausse Mémoire’ Of Bernard-Leroy, Biervliet (1894), Freud, Heymans and Laurent; or The ‘Souvenir Du Présent’ Of Bergson; or The ‘Reconnaissance Des Phénomènes Nouveaux’ Of Bourdon; or The ‘Falsa Intuizione Di Ricordo’ Of Montesano; and The German ‘Erinnerungsfälschunges’ (Kraepelin) or ‘Fälschen Wiedererkennens’. (Lehmann and Linwurzky) Déjà Vu — (literally ‘already seen’) is the generic déjà experience — were largely consigned to the dusty archives of forgotten history.

 

Early insights into the déjà vu experience, traced as far back as ‘Pythagoras & Plato’, connect it with ‘sensation’ or ‘recollection’ originating in a past life. A trace of prior ‘incarnations’ or of the ‘transmigration of souls’.

 

Later explanations of déjà vu sometimes include mention of ‘hereditary memory’ or ‘telepathy’, and of ‘precognition’ — (the ability to predict events prior to their occurrence), highlighting the dissonance aroused by the notion of familiarity with both present and future events.

 

 

Déjà Vu has come to acquire more global meaning encompassing other aspects of experience as well. ‘.....Parapsychologists think déjà vu is a glimpse into a past-life. The event did happen similarly before, it just happened to die between the occurrences.....’

Psychological explanations of the ‘phenomenon’ tend to centre on issues of ‘individual perception and memory’, though more ‘mysterious’ or ‘metaphysical aspects’ of a possible ‘sixth sense’ have at times been invoked to account for this ‘disconcerting feeling’.

This ‘mysterious feeling’, commonly known as déjà vu, occurs when you feel that a new situation is familiar. It is an ‘uncanny feeling’ or ‘illusion’ of having already seen or experienced something that is being experienced for the first time.

Even if there is evidence that the situation could not have occurred previously. In general, the phenomena can be summed up as experiencing the past in the present.

For a long time, this ‘eerie sensation’ has been attributed to everything from ‘paranormal disturbances’ to ‘neurological disorders’. There are often references to déjà vu that aren't really true déjà vu.

 

 

The Most Common Misuse Of The Term Déjà Vu Seems To Be With :

Precognitive Experiences :

 

— Experiences where someone gets a feeling that they know exactly what's going to happen next, and it does. An ‘important distinction’ is that déjà vu is experienced during an event, not before.

 

If they are real, show things that will happen in the future, not things that you've already experienced. However, one theory about déjà vu deals with ‘precognitive dreams’ that give you a ‘déjà vu feeling’ afterwards.

Hallucinations :

— That are brought on by illness or drugs sometimes bring a heightened awareness and are confused with déjà vu.

 

‘False Memories’ that are brought on by ‘schizophrenia’ can be confused with déjà vu as well. Unlike true déjà vu, which typically lasts from 10 to 30 seconds. These ‘false memories’ or ‘hallucinations’ can last much longer.

 

 

The youngest age of déjà vu reported is age 5. In fact, it is a fairly common occurrence with 70% a higher rate is reported, between the ages of 15 and 25 of the population. Reporting, that they have felt déjà vu at least ‘once in their lives’.


There is a complex interchange with age and incidence based on ‘quality of remembering’. The upper age varies among researchers, but most agree that déjà vu experiences decrease with age.


There have also been higher reported occurrences among those with higher incomes, those who tend to travel more and those with higher education levels.
 

 

Active imaginations and the ability to recall dreams has also been a commonality among people who report déjà vu experiences. One reported finding is that the more ‘open-minded’ or ‘politically liberal’ a person is, the more likely they are to experience déjà vu. They are more likely to talk about something potentially seen as ‘weird’, like déjà vu.

There is an evident absence of truth, as expressed through varying opinions from psychologists, scientists, neurobiologists and spiritual healers.

 

No one seems to be pointing to a definite answer.....

 

 

Despite the several means of defining déjà vu, explanations of the causes remain uniformly elusive. A scientific reading of the experience maintains that déjà vu is related to memory.

The Divided Specialization Of Experience In The Brain :

• The Frontal Lobes Are Tied To The Future

• The Temporal Lobes Are Concerned With The Past

• The Limbic System Deals With The Present

 

Regular function of all parts, under a normal state of consciousness, will only trigger sensory responses in accordance with the time frame being targeted.

 

In this area of the brain are the ‘hippocampus’ (part of the limbic system) associated with short-term memory.

The ‘parahippocampal cortex’ (on the surface of the brain, along the bottom of the temporal lobes) associated with long-term memory.

 



 

Often, upon proper functioning, there is seamless integration between the past, present and future. However, when excessive communication between short-term and long-term memories occurs, the present may begin to feel like the past.

 

When perceptions of the present are incorrectly filtered through the memory system of the ‘parahippocampal gyrus’ and its ‘neocortical connections’ (responsible for recognizing memories from the past), the present moment will feel like a past memory.

 

Since the memory system is responsible for judgments of familiarity, the faulty, isolated activity results in a momentary scene being given the characteristics of familiarity, which would ordinarily be in conjunction with a ‘conscious recollection’.

 

While the seemingly scientific explanation may debunk déjà vu's phenomenological reputation, the phenomenon is found in the fact that the miscommunication is completely isolated.

 

Parts of the brain structure involved in ‘memory retrieval’ (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus), function normally while the isolated activity in the memory system is occurring.

 

The Brain Fluctuates Between Two Different Types Of Recognition Memory :

A new report describes recent findings about déjà vu, including the many similarities that exist between déjà vu and our understanding of ‘human recognition memory’.

 

• Recollection

• Familiarity

 

Recollection-Based Recognition — Occurs when you can pinpoint an instance when a current situation has previously occurred.

Familiarity-Based Recognition — Occurs when your current situation feels familiar, but you don’t remember when it has happened before.

When the previously experienced scene fails to come to mind in response to viewing the new scene, that previously experienced scene in memory can still exert an effect. That effect may be a feeling of familiarity with the new scene that is subjectively experienced as a feeling of deja vu, or of having been there before despite knowing otherwise.

These findings indicate that the participants stored a little bit of the memory, so they were not able to connect it to the new experience.


Another possible explanation for the ‘phenomenon of déjà vu’ is the occurrence of ‘cryptomnesia’, which is where information learned is forgotten but nevertheless stored in the brain.

 

Similar occurrences invoke the contained knowledge, leading to a feeling of familiarity because of the situation, event or emotional / vocal content, known as ‘déjà vu’.

 

These support the idea that events and episodes which you experience are stored in your memory as individual elements or fragments of that event.

 

Déjà vu may occur when specific aspects of a current situation resemble certain aspects of previously occurring situations. If there is a lot of overlap between the elements of the new and old situations, you get a strong feeling of familiarity.

 

Some experts suggest that memory is a process of reconstruction, rather than a recall of fixed, established events. This reconstruction comes from stored components, involving elaborations, distortions and omissions. Each successive recall of an event is merely a recall of the last reconstruction.
 

 

 

 

Different Presentations Of Déjà Vu

Essays in Cognitive Psychology has three categories for déjà vu.

 

Déjà Vu Caused By :

• Biological Dysfunction (e.g. Epilepsy)

• Implicit Familiarity

• Divided Perception

However, in 1983, Dr. Vernon Neppe, Director of the Pacific Neuropsychiatric Institute in Seattle, proposed four subcategories of déjà vu, including ‘epileptic’, ‘subjective paranormal’, ‘schizophrenic’ and ‘associative’.

 

This study shows there are at least four specific subtypes of déjà vu corresponding to diagnostic categories and that such phenomenological experiences may be used in diagnosis and management.

 

To test the hypothesis that there are several distinct clinical pictures of déjà vu that are homogenous for diagnostic or nosological subtype.

 

Qualitative déjà vu screening instrument for psychosis, seizures and subjective anomalous experience has possible valuable applications. This framework has enormous potential phenomenologic application to the detail needed in analyzing other neuropsychiatric experience.

 

Subjects Were Grouped Into Two Categories :

• Normals With And Without Subjective Paranormal Experiences.

• A Neuropsychiatric Group With Schizophrenics And Temporal Lobe (Epileptics And Other Epileptics) 

 

Distinct Clinically Homogeneous Categories Of The Déjà Vu Experience :

 

 

IN THE NORMALS :

 

Subjective paranormal déjà vu experience was characterized by its time distortions and specific predictions component occurred in the subjective paranormal experiment.

 

 IN THE AVERAGE PERSON ( NORMALS WITHOUT CLAIMED PSYCHIC EXPERIENCE )  - ASSOCIATIVE DEJA VU :

 

The most common type of déjà vu experienced by normal, healthy people is associative in nature. You see, hear, smell or otherwise experience something that stirs a feeling that you associate with something you've seen, heard, smelled or experienced before.

 

The experience of déjà vu had a lack of memorable / outstanding features. Just a perplexity and is generally infrequent and short lasting. Many researchers think that this type of déjà vu is a memory-based experience and assume that the memory centers of brain are responsible for it.

 

IN THE NEUROPSYCHIATRIC GROUP -BIOLOGICAL DEJA VU :

 

There are also high occurrences of déjà vu among people with temporal lobe epilepsy. Just before having a seizure they often experience a strong feeling of déjà vu. This has given researchers a slightly more reliable way of studying déjà vu, and they've been able to identify the areas of the brain where these types of déjà vu signals originate.

 

However, some researchers say that this type of déjà vu is distinctly different from typical déjà vu. The person experiencing it may truly believe they've been through the exact situation before, rather than getting a feeling that quickly passes.

Déjà vu experienced by temporal lobe epileptics was characterized by ictal and postepileptic features. Such as stereotypical other temporal lobe features with headache, clouded consciousness and sleepiness afterwards. This type of experience did not occur in schizophrenics, whose déjà vu experiences were characterized by psychotic intrusions.

 

Early researchers tried to establish a link between déjà vu and serious psychopathology such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and dissociative identity disorder, but failed to find the experience of some diagnostic value. There does Not Seem to be any special association between déjà vu and schizophrenia or other psychiatric conditions.

 

The strongest pathological association of déjà vu is with temporal lobe apilepsy (TLE). The link to TLE appears to be significantly stronger, as déjà vu appears in the aura of temporal lobe epilepsy. An instance of déjà vu can occur right before a temporal lobe epileptic attack or during the seizure between convulsions.

 

 

 

The prevalence of déjà vu in society, however, discredits the notion that déjà vu is attributed to TLE because the experience is undergone by masses of people, not solely epileptics. This correlation has led some researchers to speculate that the experience of déjà vu is possibly a neurological anomaly related to improper electrical discharge in the brain.

Yet another discussed cause of déjà vu appears to be the emergence of memories of past lives to the present life. Parapsychologists support this hypothesis as being connected to wish fulfillment from the past life in the present.

 

This particular reasoning is highly debated because it can't be proved, disproved or investigated. It remains a matter of faith. However, Algorithmic Reincarnation is most consistent with the theory of reincarnation and predicts that memories are unable to pass from one life to the next. A set of signals, instead, can be transferred to reflect states of consciousness.

 

 

 

 

 7 Major Phenomenological Classifications Of The Déjà Vu Experience :

• A Disorder Of Memory

• A Disorder Of Ego State

• An Ego Defense

• A Temporal Perceptual Disturbance

• A Recognition Disorder

• A Manifestation Of Epileptic Firing

• Or A Subjective Paranormal Experience

 

The numerous psycho-dynamic explanations of déjà vu include that it may be a residue of a dream state, a form of ego defense against uncomfortable experiences or repressed memories, or a blurring of the psychological separation of self from environment.

 

The ‘uncanny’ (and perhaps undecideable) aspects of the notion since have provided fodder for ruminations by contemporary thinkers.
 

 

 

The Various Manifestations Of Déjà Vu Experience

The terms "déjà experience" and "déjà vu" are used interchangeably. There are more than 40 theories as to what déjà vu is and what causes it, and they range from reincarnation to glitches in our memory processes.

 

There were already 10 other lesser known déjà terms all decades old, though some such as déjà voulu were purely theoretical, as true examples were unavailable.

In this article, you'll explore a few of those theories to shed some light on this little understood phenomenon.

 

The Full Deja Vu Experience

Below Are Names For Some Of The Many Ways In Which The Déjà Experience May Manifest :

 

 

Two Key Pretenders To Déjà Vu Itself :

 
<sup>Déjà Eprouvé — Already experienced, felt, attempted, or tried: This fails as a broad generic term because "experienced" here, is in the sense of attempted or tried.

Déjà Vécu — Implies already lived through, fully experienced or recollected, intense experiential term, but fails because ‘experienced’ here, is the sense of fully experienced, recollected, or lived through, which would exclude much déjà vu.

At times the demarcation is artificial, as the déjà experience can co-exist in more than one of the above categories.

Moreover, the literature and experience indicate that there are several other common kinds of déjà experience that have not yet been categorized.</sup>

 

 

 

 

Ten New Terms :

 

Déjà Rencontré — Appears preferable to déjà trouvé for the already met experience because it specifically relates to interpersonal situations.

One Interesting Consequence Has Been The Realization Of The Necessity For Six More Kinds Of Déjà Experience :
 

 

 

 

 

The Thirtieth Déjà Variant Is Being Announced For The First Time Now :

 

 

 

These, for historical completeness, are the 4 legitimate, neologisms reflecting the different nosological categories of déjà experience. They occur with specific features, in different sub-populations, and are nosologically distinct, implying possible different causalities for each.

 
 

Otherwise you may remain unaware of their presence particularly in patients with psychosis originally schizophrenia (Psychotic Déjà Vu), temporal lobe disease (Temporal Lobe Déjà Vu), in subjective paranormal experients (Subjective Paranormal Experience Déjà Vu), and in ostensible normals (Associative Déjà Vu) — The common garden subtype in ordinary individuals.

 

Déjà vu, in all respects, is considered a phenomenon from definition to treatment. It occupies a realm of altered states and varied realities. The fascinating nature of déjà vu is precisely that it is inexplicable.

 

 

These definitions are helpful in differentiating seemingly similar experiences of déjà vu, thus giving the opportunity to disseminate the varied forms past references. The references triggered by déjà vu may often feel increasingly familiar, prompting people to seek less scientific explanations for causality, such as dreams, familiar objects.

 
 

This sort of commonsensical action is the epitome of a person's reaction to the equating of the brain to behavior. The possibility is unreal, too vast to comprehend. Déjà vu accurately symbolizes these qualities. A glimpse of a familiar object in the present is often too simple, too common of an occurrence to trace back to proper brain functioning.

 
 

Déjà vu and similar everyday phenomena promote exploration of states of consciousness. People's nature is to seek explanations and reasons for every aspect of their lives. Some people become terrified, while other find it exciting in its surrealism.

 
 

As with all other altered state experiences, most people who enjoy it think of the experience in spiritual terms, and those who don't, think about it in psychological terms. While the experience of déjà vu in itself remain harmless, if the activity from the hippocampus (subscribing to a neurobiological explanation for causation) were to transfer to the amygdala.

 
 

The structure that emotionally overwhelms consciousness in the present state, it is likely that déjà vu can yield a sense of fear. The advice commonly given for fear of déjà vu is to seek professional help. For people who react positively to déjà vu, meditation and further spiritual exploration of the experience is suggested.

 
 

The goal, therefore, of the meditation, which would focus in the here and now, would be to emphasize the present reality of déjà vu, as opposed to focusing on the familiar perception of the past. Mysterious phenomena thus serve as catalysts for educating people about reality and at times, the inexplicable.

 
 

It would be greatly beneficial if déjà vu caused people to examine their existence and their emotional and psychological relationship with memory. The cause of déjà vu may be fully attributed to brain function, but in pondering metaphysical causes, people who experience déjà can come to channel and better understand their states of consciousness.

How The Brain Works

HOW YOUR BRAIN WORKS

Look For Several Juicy Bits On How You Can Optimize Your Brain :

A Brief Introduction To The Brain

Neuroscience research reveals how our reaction to stress and emotion can be transformed.

 

The human brain is a reddish grey mass, with the consistency of firm jelly, which weighs on average the same as three bags of sugar and houses 100 billion individual brain cells called neurones.

 

• Each neurone has a cell body which houses its processor, the nucleus. Branching from the bodies are numerous finger like dendrites which branch and re-branch, fanning out to extensive, tree like structures that intertwine with dendritic trees of other neurones.

 

• Each neurone makes up to 1000 different connections with its neighbours and different areas of the brain. This extensive connectivity allows electrical signals, and thus information to travel from one brain processing centre to another in a matter of milliseconds.

 

The Human Brain Is Organised In A Hierarchical Manner

 

The oldest parts controlling the more primitive, instinctual behavioural reflexes.

 

The newest parts controlling the more sophisticated cognitive, sensory and motor functions.

 

The Human Brain Is Made Up Of Three Main Blocks

 

• The Forebrain
• The Midbrain
• The Hindbrain

 

The oldest part of the human brain, the hindbrain, evolved more than 500 million years ago. It closely resembles the brain of a modern reptile, so is sometimes called "the mammalian brain".

• It is responsible for automatic physiological reflexes that control breathing, heart rate and digestion, and coordinate movement and sense perception.

The midbrain contains neurones responsible for temperature control and the fine tuning of movement. It relays sensory information from the bodies sensory organs to the forebrain.

• It also plays an important part of the limbic system, a group of brain structures associated with the expression of emotion.

The most evolved part is the forebrain which is composed of cerebral hemispheres, and is what we most commonly think of as the brain, and the hypothalamus and thalamus.

 

In the last 100,000 years, the weight of the human brain has tripled, and most of this growth has been in the cerebral hemispheres.

 

The neurones of the forebrain control cognitive, sensory and motor function, as well as regulating reproductive functions, eating, sleeping and the display of emotion.

Parts Of The Brain

 

The Different Parts Of The Brain Are Responsible For Various Activities.

 

Cerebrum - The cerebrum helps the body to move and is responsible for a person’s ability to think. It is also in charge of a person’s senses.

 

Cerebellum - The cerebellum is responsible for maintaining a person’s balance and helping the body to move.

 

Hippocampus - A person’s ability to learn and remember things comes from the hippocampus of the brain.

 

Hypothalamus - The hypothalamus is in charge of many things that happen within the human body.

• For example, it keeps watch over a person’s body temperature to make sure it stays at a normal level. In addition, it tells the body when it is hungry and thirsty.

 

Medulla - This part of the brain is in charge of making sure that a person breathes without having to think about it.

 

Midbrain - A person’s vision and ability to hear are controlled by the midbrain.

 

Spinal cord - The spinal cord allows messages to travel from the brain to other parts of the body.

 

Brain stem - The brain stem is in charge of helping a person to breathe, as well as helping a person’s heart to beat.

The Neuroscience Of Emotions

Affective Neuroscience is the study of the neural mechanisms of emotion. Emotions are triggered in the brain by thoughts, which are often unconscious.

Emotion is related to a group of structures in the center of the brain called the limbic systems, which includes the hypothalamus, cingulate cortex, hippocampi and other structures.



The following brain structures are currently thought to be involved in emotion :

 

Amygdala — The amygdalae are two small, round structures located anterior to the hippocampi near the temporal poles.

 

• The amygdalae are involved in detecting and learning what parts of our surroundings are important and have emotional significance.

 

• They are critical for the production of emotion, and may be particularly so for negative emotions, especially fear.

 

Prefrontal Cortex — The term prefrontal cortex refers to the very front of the brain, behind the forehead and above the eyes.

 

• It appears to play a critical role in the regulation of emotion and behavior by anticipating the consequences of our actions.

 

• The prefrontal cortex may play an important role in delayed gratification by maintaining emotions over time and organizing behavior toward specific goals.

 

Anterior Cingulate — The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is located in the middle of the brain, just behind the prefrontal cortex.

 

• The ACC is thought to play a central role in attention, and may be particularly important with regard to conscious, subjective emotional awareness.

 

• This region of the brain may also play an important role in the initiation of motivated behavior.

 

Ventral Striatum — The ventral striatum is a group of subcortical structures thought to play an important role in emotion and behavior.

 

• One part of the ventral striatum called the nucleus accumbens is thought to be involved in the experience of goal-directed positive emotion.

 

• Individuals with addictions experience increased activity in this area when they encounter the object of their addiction.

 

Insula — The insular cortex is thought to play a critical role in the bodily experience of emotion. As it is connected to other brain structures that regulate the body’s autonomic functions (heart rate, breathing, digestion, etc.)

 

• This region also processes taste information and is thought to play an important role in experiencing the emotion of disgust.

 

Cerebellum - Recently, there has been a considerable amount of work that describes the role of the cerebellum in emotion as well as cognition, and a "Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome" has been described.

 

Both neuroimaging studies as well as studies following pathological lesions in the cerebellum (such as a stroke) demonstrate that the cerebellum has a significant role in emotional regulation.

 

• Lesion studies have shown that cerebellar dysfunction can attenuate the experience of positive emotions.

 

• While these same studies do not show an attenuated response to frightening stimuli, the stimuli did not recruit structures that normally would be activated. Such as the amydala.

 

Rather, alternative limbic structures were activated, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate gyrus, and the insula.

 

• This may indicate that evolutionary pressure resulted in the development of the cerebellum as a redundant fear-mediating circuit to enhance survival.

 

• It may also indicate a regulatory role for the cerebellum in the neural response to rewarding stimuli, such as money, drugs of abuse, and orgasm.

 

 

 

 

When we are confronted by a potential threat, this can trigger fear, anger or the urge to flee. Sometimes called "amygdala hyjack". The reaction is often disproportionate to the actual provocation.

 

When in the grip of these emotions, your capacity for higher "rational brain" thinking is diminished, and you are likely to revert to rote behaviours stored in the basal ganglia.

 

The practice of mindfulness helps us to recognise and observe our thought patterns.

 

Practitioners develop the ability to recognise when thoughts arise, and observe them in a detached manner, without the need to become involved in them. Thus not triggering an "emotional" or "automatic" reaction.

 

 



UNDERSTANDING SCHIZOPHRENIA

 

What Is Schizophrenia ?

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world.

People with schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality, often a significant loss of contact with reality.

They may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange or confusing ways. Believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like they’re being constantly watched.

With such a blurred line between the real and the imaginary. Schizophrenia makes it difficult, even frightening, to negotiate the activities of daily life.

In response, people with schizophrenia may withdraw from the outside world or act out in confusion and fear.

 Most cases of schizophrenia appear in the late teens or early adulthood. However, schizophrenia can appear for the first time in middle age or even later. In rare cases, schizophrenia can even affect young children and adolescents. Although the symptoms are slightly different.

In general, the earlier schizophrenia develops, the more severe it is. Schizophrenia also tends to be more severe in men than in women.

Although schizophrenia is a chronic disorder, there is help available. With support, medication, and therapy. Many people with schizophrenia are able to function independently and live satisfying lives.

However, the outlook is best when schizophrenia is diagnosed and treated right away. If you spot the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia. Seek help without delay, you or your loved one can take advantage of the many treatments available and improve the chances of recovery.

Common Misconceptions About Schizophrenia

MYTH : Schizophrenia Refers To  A "Split Personality" Or Multiple Personalities.

FACT : Multiple personality disorder is a different and much less common disorder than schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia do not have split, dual or multiple personalities.

Rather, they are "split off" from reality, which better fits the latest thinking about schizophrenia as a condition that involves cognitive problems and imbalances in interrelated chemicals in the brain, which can affect normal functioning and memory.

MYTH : Schizophrenia Is A Rare Condition.

FACT : Schizophrenia is not rare. The lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia is widely accepted to be around one in every 100 adults worldwide.

In the United States, about 2.4 million adults have the condition, which affects men and women equally.

MYTH : People With Schizophrenia Are Dangerous.

FACT : Although the delusional thoughts and hallucinations of schizophrenia, sometimes lead to violent behavior. Most people with schizophrenia are neither violent nor a danger to others.

The latest research indicates that it’s not mental illness, itself that raises a person’s risk of violence. But rather other problems that often accompany mental illness, such as substance or physical abuse and unemployment.

Living with a supportive family reduces the risk of violence in people with schizophrenia by half.

MYTH : People With Schizophrenia Can’t Be Helped.

FACT : While long-term treatment may be required, the outlook for schizophrenia is not hopeless. "People learn to live with schizophrenia." Doctors recommend that for the best results, treatment should begin as early as possible. Once a diagnosis of schizophrenia is made.

When treated properly, many people with schizophrenia are able to lead normal, productive, happy lives within their families and communities.

The immaturity of the dentate gyrus -- located in the hippocampus of the brain -- may be an underlying cause for schizophrenia.

 Early Warning Signs Of Schizophrenia

In some people, schizophrenia appears suddenly and without warning. But for most, it comes on slowly, with subtle warning signs and a gradual decline in functioning long before the first severe episode.

Many friends and family members of people with schizophrenia report knowing early on that something was wrong with their loved one. They just didn’t know what to do or simply unbothered.

In this early phase, people with schizophrenia often seem eccentric, unmotivated, emotionless, and reclusive. They isolate themselves, start neglecting their appearance, say peculiar things, and show a general indifference to life.

They may abandon hobbies and activities, and their performance at work or school deteriorates.

 The most common early warning signs of schizophrenia include  :

• Depression
• Social withdrawal
• Oversleeping or insomnia
• Flat, expressionless gaze
• Hostility or suspiciousness
• Odd or irrational statements
• Extreme reaction to criticism
• Inability to cry or express joy
• Inappropriate laughter or crying
• Deterioration of personal hygiene
• Forgetful; unable to concentrate
• Strange use of words or way of speaking

 

While these warning signs can result from a number of problems—not just schizophrenia—they are cause for concern.

When out-of-the-ordinary behavior is causing problems in your life or the life of a loved one. Seek medical advice.

If schizophrenia or another mental problem is the cause, treatment will help.

Signs And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia

There are five types of symptoms characteristic of schizophrenia: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and the so-called "negative" symptoms.

However, the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia vary dramatically from person to person, both in pattern and severity.

Not every person with schizophrenia will have all symptoms, and the symptoms of schizophrenia may also change over time.

Delusions

A delusion is a firmly-held idea that a person has despite clear and obvious evidence that it isn’t true.

Delusions are extremely common in schizophrenia, occurring in more than 90% of those who have the disorder.

Often, these delusions involve illogical or bizarre ideas or fantasies.

Common Schizophrenic Delusions Include   :

Delusions Of Persecution  :

Belief that others, often a vague "they," are out to get him or her. These persecutory delusions often involve bizarre ideas and plots.

Delusions Of Reference :

A neutral environmental event is believed to have a special and personal meaning. For example, a person with schizophrenia might believe a billboard or a person on TV is sending a message meant specifically for them.

Delusions Of Grandeur :

Belief that one is a famous or important figure, such Lucifer etc... Alternately, delusions of grandeur may involve the belief that one has unusual powers that no one else has.

Delusions Of Control : 

Belief that one’s thoughts or actions are being controlled by outside, alien forces. Common delusions of control include thought broadcasting thoughts are being, thought insertion, and thought withdrawal.

Hallucinations

Hallucinations are sounds or other sensations experienced as real when they exist only in the person's mind.

While hallucinations can involve any of the five senses, auditory hallucinations (e.g. hearing voices or some other sound) are most common in schizophrenia.

Visual hallucinations are also relatively common. Research suggests that auditory hallucinations occur when people misinterpret their own inner self-talk as coming from an outside source.

Schizophrenic hallucinations are usually meaningful to the person experiencing them. Many times, the voices are those of someone they know.

Most commonly, the voices are critical, vulgar, or abusive. Hallucinations also tend to be worse when the person is alone.

Disorganized Speech

Fragmented thinking is characteristic of schizophrenia. Externally, it can be observed in the way a person speaks.

People with schizophrenia tend to have trouble concentrating and maintaining a train of thought. They may respond to queries with an unrelated answer.

Start sentences with one topic and end somewhere completely different, speak incoherently, or say illogical things.

Common Signs Of Disorganized Speech In Schizophrenia Include :

Loose Associations –

Rapidly shifting from topic to topic, with no connection between one thought and the next.

Neologisms –

Made-up words or phrases that only have meaning to the patient.

Perseveration –

Repetition of words and statements. Saying the same thing over and over.

Clang –

Meaningless use of rhyming words ("I said the bread and read the shed and fed Ned at the head").

Disorganized Behavior

Schizophrenia disrupts goal-directed activity, causing impairments in a person’s ability to take care of him or herself, work, and interact with others. Disorganized behavior appears as :

A decline in overall daily functioning

Unpredictable or inappropriate emotional responses

Behaviors that appear bizarre and have no purpose

Lack of inhibition and impulse control

Negative Symptoms (Absence Of Normal Behaviors)

The so-called "negative" symptoms of schizophrenia refer to the absence of normal behaviors found in healthy individuals.

Common Negative Symptoms Of Schizophrenia Include :

Lack Of Emotional Expression –

Inexpressive face, including a flat voice, lack of eye contact, and blank or restricted facial expressions.

Lack Of Interest Or Enthusiasm –

Problems with motivation; lack of self-care.

Seeming Lack Of Interest In The World –

Apparent unawareness of the environment; social withdrawal.

Speech Difficulties And Abnormalities –

Inability to carry a conversation; short and sometimes disconnected replies to questions; speaking in monotone.

Types Of Schizophrenia

There are three major subtypes of schizophrenia, each classified by their most prominent symptom:

paranoid schizophrenia

disorganized schizophrenia

catatonic schizophrenia

Signs And Symptoms Of Pranoid Shizophrenia

The defining feature of paranoid schizophrenia is absurd or suspicious ideas and beliefs. These ideas typically revolve around a coherent, organized theme or "story" that remains consistent over time. Delusions of persecution are the most frequent theme, however delusions of grandeur are also common.

People with paranoid schizophrenia show a history of increasing paranoia and difficulties in their relationships. They tend to function better than individuals with other schizophrenic subtypes.

In contrast, their thinking and behavior is less disordered and their long-term prognosis is better.

Signs And Symptoms Of Disorganized Schizophrenia

Disorganized schizophrenia generally appears at an earlier age than other types of schizophrenia. Its onset is gradual, rather than abrupt, with the person gradually retreating into his or her fantasies.

The distinguishing characteristics of this subtype are disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and blunted or inappropriate emotions.

People with disorganized schizophrenia also have trouble taking care of themselves, and may be unable to perform simple tasks such as bathing or feeding themselves.

 

The Symptoms Of Disorganized Schizophrenia Include :

 

Impaired communication skills Incomprehensible or illogical speech Inappropriate reactions (e.g. laughing at a funeral)		Emotional indifference Infantile behavior (baby talk, giggling) Peculiar facial expressions and mannerisms

People with disorganized schizophrenia sometimes suffer from hallucinations and delusions, but unlike the paranoid subtype, their fantasies aren’t consistent or organized.

 

Signs And Symptoms Of Catatonic Schizophrenia

The hallmark of catanoic schizophrenia is a disturbance in movement: either a decrease in motor activity, reflecting a stuporous state, or an increase in motor activity, reflecting an excited state.

Stuporous Motor Signs

The stuporous state reflects a dramatic reduction in activity. The person often ceases all voluntary movement and speech, and may be extremely resistant to any change in his or her position. Even to the point of holding an awkward, uncomfortable position for hours.

Excited Motor Signs

Sometimes, people with catatonic schizophrenia pass suddenly from a state of stupor to a state of extreme excitement.

During this frenzied episode, they may shout, talk rapidly, pace back and forth, or act out in violence—either toward themselves or others.

People with catatonic schizophrenia can be highly suggestible. They may automatically obey commands, imitate the actions of others, or mimic what others say.

Causes Of Schizophrenia

The causes of schizophrenia are not fully known. However, it appears that schizophrenia usually results from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors.

Genetic Causes Of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a strong hereditary component. Individuals with a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) who has schizophrenia have a 10 percent chance of developing the disorder, as opposed to the 1 percent chance of the general population.

But schizophrenia is only influenced by genetics, not determined by it. While schizophrenia runs in families, about 60% of schizophrenics have no family members with the disorder.

Furthermore, individuals who are genetically predisposed to schizophrenia don’t always develop the disease, which shows that biology is not destiny.

 Environmental Causes Of Schizophrenia

Twin and adoption studies suggest that inherited genes make a person vulnerable to schizophrenia and then environmental factors act on this vulnerability to trigger the disorder.

As for the environmental factors involved, more and more research is pointing to stress, either during pregnancy or at a later stage of development.

High levels of stress are believed to trigger schizophrenia by increasing the body’s production of the hormone cortisol.

Research points to several stress-inducing environmental factors that may be involved in schizophrenia, including  :

Prenatal exposure to a viral infection

Low oxygen levels during birth (from prolonged labor or premature birth)

Exposure to a virus during infancy

Early parental loss or separation

Physical or sexual abuse in childhood

Abnormal Brain Structure

In addition to abnormal brain chemistry, abnormalities in brain structure may also play a role in schizophrenia.

Enlarged brain ventricles are seen in some schizophrenics, indicating a deficit in the volume of brain tissue.

There is also evidence of abnormally low activity in the frontal lobe, the area of the brain responsible for planning, reasoning, and decision-making.

Some studies also suggest that abnormalities in the temporal lobes, hippocampus, and amygdala are connected to schizophrenia’s positive symptoms.

But despite the evidence of brain abnormalities, it is highly unlikely that schizophrenia is the result of any one problem in any one region of the brain.

Effects Of Schizophrenia

When the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia are ignored or improperly treated, the effects can be devastating both to the individual with the disorder and those around him or her.

Some Of The Possible Effects Of Schizophrenia Are :

Relationship Problems

Relationships suffer because people with schizophrenia often withdraw and isolate themselves. Paranoia can also cause a person with schizophrenia to be suspicious of friends and family.

Disruption To Normal Daily Activities

Schizophrenia causes significant disruptions to daily functioning, both because of social difficulties and because everyday tasks become hard, if not impossible to do.

A schizophrenic person’s delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts typically prevent him or her from doing normal things like bathing, eating, or running errands.

Alcohol And Drug Abuse

People with schizophrenia frequently develop problems with alcohol or drugs, which are often used in an attempt to self-medicate, or relieve symptoms.

In addition, they may also be heavy smokers, a complicating situation as cigarette smoke can interfere with the effectiveness of medications prescribed for the disorder.

Increased Suicide Risk

People with schizophrenia have a high risk of attempting suicide. Any suicidal talk, threats, or gestures should be taken very seriously.

People with schizophrenia are especially likely to commit suicide during psychotic episodes. During periods of depression, and in the first six months after they’ve started treatment.

Hope For Schizophrenia

Treatment options for schizophrenia are good, and the outlook for the disorder continues to improve. With medication, therapy, and a strong support network.

Many people with schizophrenia are able to control their symptoms, gain greater independence, and lead fulfilling lives.

If you think that someone close to you has schizophrenia. You can make a difference by showing your love and support and helping that person get properly evaluated and treated.