Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder affecting a person’s perception and interpretation of reality. It is a rare but dangerous condition that affects less than 1 percent of Americans. Until now, the exact reason behind the development of schizophrenia remains unknown. However, experts linked it to genetics, psychological stress, physical trauma, environmental factors, or a combination of other things.
Schizophrenia is difficult to detect and diagnose since patients usually do not realize that they have it. When left untreated, symptoms of schizophrenia may worsen, leading to the development of other mental health disorders like OCD. This is why early detection of the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia is essential. Patients who receive early interventions, proper treatments, medications, and support usually recover.
The signs of schizophrenia are classified into two: positive and negative symptoms. The positive symptoms of schizophrenia are the presence of new traits that affect the person’s personality. Some positive symptoms include hallucinations, exaggerated perceptions, delusions, trouble concentrating, movement disorders, and disorganized speech. On the other hand, negative symptoms of schizophrenia are described as the absence of normal mental functions.
Lack of Pleasure or Anhedonia
A schizophrenic person usually loses his ability to feel pleasure. This condition is scientifically referred to as anhedonia. Anhedonia is common among patients with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. There are two types of anhedonia: social and physical. Schizophrenia triggers both.
Patients with schizophrenia struggle to spend quality time with other people. They usually turn down invitations, dates, parties, and other social activities. Other schizophrenic patients may also develop severe social anxiety. In addition, schizophrenia may also lower a person’s libido, so patients lose interest in physical sensations. They no longer find joy in hugging, kissing, and sexual activities. They might find their favorite movies incredibly dull, and their favorite food tastes bland. Nothing excites them the way they used to before.
According to experts, the drastic changes in the brain activities of a person cause anhedonia. Schizophrenia also affects the production of the “feels good” chemical called dopamine. Recent studies also showed that the prefrontal context of people with schizophrenia is overactive, blocking the part of the brain that seeks rewards and adventures. Because of these, anhedonia dramatically affects a patient’s intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships.
