In adulthood, both men and women are at risk of developing schizophrenia. However, the female form of this severe mental pathology has its own characteristics. There are even some symptoms that usually do not occur in men with schizophrenia.
It is generally accepted that schizophrenia is a male disease. Indeed, according to statistics, men are more likely to suffer from this pathology than women. However, the percentage gap is relatively small, while the manifestations of schizophrenia differ slightly by gender.
Distinctive features of schizophrenia in women
The first distinctive feature of female schizophrenia is the later onset of the disease than in men. As a rule, such a diagnosis is made after 30 years, earlier cases are rather the exception than the given. On the one hand, this puts women in a more advantageous position: by the age of 30, they have already received an education, have a job, and with illness it becomes easier to adapt to life. On the other hand, the later beginning has its pitfalls. So, for example, schizophrenia in a woman can be supported by additional mental disorders that arise due to age-related changes.
The second difference between schizophrenia in women lies in the fact that usually the disease lasts for a long time in the background, is practically not expressed. Sluggish schizophrenia is a common diagnosis for women. Because of this feature, difficulties arise in the treatment and correction of the condition. Because the pronounced signs of schizophrenia often show themselves at the very moment when the disease begins to rapidly progress, it becomes almost impossible to control the condition. In addition, the likelihood of self-medication in the early stages increases, since schizophrenia is mistaken for symptoms of some other neurological, psychiatric or somatic pathology. Self-medication in this case, as in many others, can lead to negative results.
Due to the blurred symptoms, doctors also cannot always immediately make an accurate diagnosis. This increases the risk of inappropriate treatment. Some drugs, for example, aimed at correcting a depressive state, can only aggravate a sluggish schizophrenia in a woman.
Signs and symptoms of schizophrenia in women
For the female form of this disease, the standard symptomatology of mental illness is typical, when emotions, will, and thinking suffer. However, in a situation with women, in contrast to schizophrenia in men, the threat of total personality decay is lower. Pathology, as a rule, develops slowly, remissions are prolonged. In addition to the main symptoms of schizophrenia, which also include the products of the disease, for example, hallucinations, some additional signs stand out for women. Sometimes it is they who become the key points for which the diagnosis is made.
- Strong tendency towards hypochondria. It usually develops suddenly and quickly. At the same time, it has a perverse, absurd, abnormal manifestation. The patient has obsessive thoughts related to her health. But they don't concentrate around common pathologies. So, for example, a woman with schizophrenia can be sure that foreign organisms were implanted into her body during examination in the clinic, which now tear her from the inside and poison her. Often, hypochondria in schizophrenia in women is accompanied by hallucinations. However, the manifestations can be similar to neurosis or masked depression.
- Inappropriate mood swings. A symptom of schizophrenia in men is a depletion of emotions and often a low, apathetic mood. For women, this is also typical, but it is much more common when the emotional background is extremely unstable. At first, manifestations may resemble PMS, hormone problems, or resemble neurosis, depressive psychosis, or mania. Gradually, this sign of schizophrenia in women becomes inadequate: aggressive screams are replaced by irrepressible laughter, which then turns into hysterical and uncontrolled crying.
- Sudden changes in behavior. The changes in this case are also inadequate and look absurd. At one point, a woman with schizophrenia may behave irritably and aggressively, biting, fighting, throwing objects and things. But after a moment the patient falls into a state of thoughtfulness, becomes quiet, dreamy, immersed in herself. Motor activity (excitement), a tendency to ritual actions and deeds, repeated useless and meaningless movements - all this is also typical of the female form of schizophrenia.
- Lack of self-awareness. As a rule, with the development of the disease, along with hallucinations, the woman ceases to recognize herself in the mirror, claims that she is not depicted in the photographs, and so on. In some cases, a schizophrenic patient may not recognize his body, try to get rid of it, thereby causing himself physical harm.
Symptoms of schizophrenia in women also include:
- deformation of character;
- psychopathic manifestations;
- the use of inadequate clothing, disgust, refusal to take care of yourself, or overly flashy and sloppy makeup / manicure;
- forgetfulness;
- delusional ideas and obsessions, most often associated with harm, jealousy, loneliness, stalking;
- insomnia;
- changes in the constitution of the body (sharp weight loss), changes in the face (the oval changes);
- excessive muscle weakness;
- inability to withstand stressful situations.
