Anxiety is part of the human experience; however, it is an expected response to a stressful situation. Anxiety is not and should not be a long-term condition. If it is, then it may suggest something much more detrimental is going on for which mental health assistance might be required.
When you have schizophrenia, you might feel anxious quite frequently, even for the most basic daily life tasks. It is realistic to believe that anxiety can be an essential part of schizophrenia, even if both of these mental health conditions differ.
This article provides detailed information on anxiety-induced schizophrenia and how anxiety can cause schizophrenia.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety refers to the anticipation of an uncertain future and is more related to muscle tension and avoidance behavior. The state of fear derives from an actual or perceived threat and categorically lies more on the fight-or-flight, either to stay and fight or escape the danger.
Some of the common types of Anxiety are:
Phobias:
An intense and irrational feeling of fear characterizes a phobia. If a person has a phobia, they may experience a deep sense of terror and panic when being exposed to a subject that strikes fear.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
Generalized Anxiety Disorder includes persistent fear and extreme worrying about routine things such as house chores, job responsibilities, and social relationships.
Agoraphobia:
Agoraphobia is an intense fear of being in places or situations where escaping seems complicated or complex. In simple words, it is the fear of open spaces.
Panic Disorder:
Individuals who have panic disorder frequently experience unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack may feel like a sudden wave of fear or discomfort and even sometimes a feeling of losing control in the absence of a danger or trigger.
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD):
Social Anxiety Disorder is an extreme, constant fear of being judged or observed. This fear becomes so extreme that it can negatively impact your work, school, and social life.
Separation Anxiety Disorder:
Separation Anxiety Disorder is one of the common subtypes of childhood anxiety disorders. This disorder is characterized by extreme worry about separation from the attachment figure.
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a severe mental health condition that impacts the cognitive abilities of a person to think and respond to various situations. Individuals who have schizophrenia appear to have a disconnection with reality, which can be a cause of discomfort for them and their family and friends.
Some of the frequently experienced schizophrenia types are:
Paranoid Schizophrenia:
The presence of hallucinations and delusions characterizes paranoid schizophrenia.
Hebephrenic Schizophrenia:
A person suffering from this type of schizophrenia often experiences speech difficulties, unusual behavior, disorganized thought patterns, and the presence of hallucinations and delusions.
Catatonic Schizophrenia:
An intense feeling of pessimism, vivid hallucinations, excitement, and neuromotor problems mark this type of schizophrenia.
Simple Schizophrenia:
This type is identified based on the absence of psychotic signs. Instead, it causes an extreme impairment in your overall functioning, leading to difficulty meeting social expectations.
What Is The Difference Between Anxiety And Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a type of psychotic disorder that negatively impacts the sufferer’s perception of reality. Moreover, the patient may develop anxiety about getting schizophrenia.
The significant difference between anxiety and schizophrenia lies in the signs and their severity.
The common signs of anxiety are:
- Headaches
- Stomachaches
- Tiredness
- Heart palpitations
- Breathing issues
- Lack of focus
Some of the frequently experienced schizophrenia symptoms are:
- Delusion
- Hallucinations
- Disorganized speech
- Disorganized thought patterns
- Bizzare behavior
- Absence of emotions
Anxiety As Part Of Schizophrenia
The association between anxiety and schizophrenia is more than the combination of symptoms. Additionally, anxiety can be a significant part of schizophrenia diagnosis.
Several recent studies show that an extreme form of anxiety is the most common sign in the initial stages of schizophrenia before signs of psychosis.
However, there can be a possibility of an inverse relationship. Sometimes, a person may feel a reduction in anxiety as schizophrenia becomes more noticeable. Moreover, several recent researches show that signs of anxiety sometimes act as a resolver for psychosis symptoms, such as delusions.
Can Schizophrenia And Anxiety Disorder Coexist?
A person can suffer from anxiety and schizophrenia simultaneously.
An average of 65% of people living with schizophrenia experience symptoms of anxiety, with almost 40% meeting the criteria for an anxiety disorder. Out of all the anxiety disorder subtypes, the most common type coexisting with schizophrenia is social anxiety disorder.
How Do You Cope With Anxiety And Schizophrenia?
The treatment options for anxiety and schizophrenia are almost the same, and they work well for both. The treatments include:
Medications:
Antipsychotics are primarily used to treat schizophrenia as an initial approach. Your medical healthcare provider will not recommend this if you are suffering from anxiety disorder unless you have not experienced a sign of psychosis. However, you can be advised to take anti-anxiety medication to regulate your mood.
Psychotherapy:
To treat anxiety and schizophrenia, cognitive behavioral therapy is used as the most effective mental health treatment. CBT is one of the most comprehensive forms of mental health treatment and aims to identify negative thought patterns and associated negative behaviors and change them into positive ones.
Psychotherapy for anxiety may depend on the anxiety disorder you’re struggling with, but the most common ones are:
- CBT
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Exposure treatment
Psychosocial support:
Psychosocial support plays a vital role in overcoming mental health signs of anxiety and schizophrenia. This includes:
- Coordinated specialty care (CSC)
- Psychoeducation
- Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)
- Support groups
- Vocational rehabilitation
Conclusion!
Anxiety is a normal, short-term term, and temporary emotion; one should be concerned if they experience persistent anxiety, as it could be a symptom of schizophrenia. Anxiety is one of the most common symptoms found in schizophrenic people, which makes it one of the components of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia impacts the thinking process and isolates persons from the environment, and anxiety results in fear and excessive worrying. However, both of these conditions can be manifest simultaneously, with recent research pointing to estimates of schizophrenia patients’ anxiety as approximately 65%. The main approaches of treatment include psychiatric medication prescription, where antipsychotics and antidepressants assist in the remission of the symptoms, and psychotherapy, which most notably includes CBT.
If you are experiencing anxiety and schizophrenia and seeking a reliable mental health platform to get rid of them, then you are at the right platform. Solid Psychiatry Foundation is a renowned mental health platform for treating various illnesses. You can undoubtedly rely on our team of mental health experts possessing enough knowledge about effectively treating anxiety and schizophrenia signs. So, what’s the wait for? Connect with us today and gain the benefits of reliable mental treatment for anxiety and schizophrenia.