Neglecting Self Care
One subtle hint of a mental disorder is self-neglect. People with schizophrenia may start losing interest in activities they usually value, like sports, movies, studies, recreational activities, and self-care. Usually, schizophrenic patients fail to maintain an effective daily routine. So they end up neglecting their hygiene and health-promoting activities.
Patients who recovered from schizophrenia testified that the first signs of the disorder manifested in simple things like skipping the shower, wearing pajamas day after day, and having no energy to brush their teeth or comb their hair. After a while, these seemingly harmless things may escalate to more noticeable habits, like skipping the dentist appointment, forgetting to take medicines, and having no desire to exercise or engage in physical activities.
Because of these, patients with schizophrenia lose their confidence, resulting in low self-esteem. Low self-esteem may branch out and trigger more symptoms like paranoia, social anxiety, and social withdrawal. Experts believe that neglecting self-care also magnifies the voices inside the patient’s head, making them think that people are controlling their thoughts, reading their minds, or planning to cause them harm.
