Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

According to Psych Central, around half of those diagnosed with schizophrenia will also face substance abuse. Therefore, it’s important to recognize the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. What is schizophrenia and how does it affect people with addictions? You’ll find more information below.

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a type of mental health disorder that makes it difficult for people to establish clear thought patterns. Those with schizophrenia may have trouble making decisions or developing relationships with others.

Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia does not involve split personalities. However, in more severe cases individuals may experience hallucinations or become delusional.

Positive vs. Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Clinicians like to distinguish between the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms are those that develop after the onset of schizophrenia such as hallucinations.

Negative symptoms, on the other hand, are characteristics that diminish or disappear once a person has schizophrenia. In other words, people may no longer feel the same way they once did, or find that certain personality traits have disappeared altogether.

Common Negative Schizophrenia Symptoms

Psychiatrists generally recognize eight different negative symptoms of schizophrenia, which are:

• Apathy
• A lack of (or inappropriate) responses to news or everyday events
• Limited speech
• Social withdrawal
• Impaired attention
• Anhedonia, which involves being unable to experience pleasure
• Sexual difficulties
• Lethargy

These symptoms often result in people using drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. A schizophrenia treatment center in Lantana, Florida can help people better manage their symptoms so they do not have to rely on illicit substances. If you or a loved one exhibit any of these symptoms, do not hesitate to get help. Contact Lucida Treatment Center, where our motto is, “Live a vibrant life in recovery. A better life awaits.”

Programs Available at Lucida Treatment Center

At Lucida Treatment Center, we do more than just help you manage your schizophrenia symptoms. We also offer a variety of other programs designed to assist you in reaching sobriety. By focusing on the total person, we can provide you with better results that we hope will last you a lifetime. A few of the programs you might encounter here include:

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Mental Health Treatment
• Gestalt Therapy
• Self-Help Support Groups
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Psychodrama therapy program

In addition to these programs, we also place a great deal of emphasis on dual diagnosis treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment allows us to simultaneously treat your mental health disorder at the same time we help you overcome your addiction. Studies show that this allows for the best possible outcome for those with schizophrenia or other mental health conditions.

Treat Schizophrenia and Overcome your Addiction

Just because you display some of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia does not mean that help is out of your reach. By going to a quality rehab facility such as ours, you can learn to manage your condition and live a sober life again. Contact us at 1.866.947.7299 to begin the process and find out how a better life awaits you.