For schizophrenia spectrum disorders are mental illness, according to his symptoms similar to schizophrenia, but on its degree is not equal to it. They sometimes have such a blurred picture that not only the patient’s relatives, but sometimes also medical workers “look through” the symptoms, for example, of schizotypal personality disorder, due to which help is not provided on time. The same may be true for acute transient endogenous disorders of the schizophrenic spectrum, when symptoms (for example, delusional and hallucinatory) last a short time and then disappear. However, if not treated in time, it can come back again, leaving its negative consequences.
It is likely that the origin of all such disorders is based on a common underlying genetic vulnerability. As a rule, both in schizophrenia and in diseases of the schizophrenic spectrum in the prodromal period (at the pre-symptomatic stage), special features of a person are already noted. So, teachers at school can point to some of the features of the memory, thinking of the child, his communicative features and emotional reactions, “oddities” in behavior.
K Unfortunately, the opinion of the layman and to date remains so that all mental disorders usually attributed to schizophrenia, which is considered slightly Do not contagious disease. This leads to the stigmatization of the disorder so much that both patients and their relatives sometimes, even in front of doctors, hesitate to pronounce the diagnosis, replacing its wording with the phrase: “I have a disease with the letter III.” However , with adequate treatment for schizophrenia and schizophrenic spectrum disorders, the prognosis can be very favorable. And speaking of the latter, it can be noted that sometimes their symptoms are so erased (for example, in schizotypal disorder) that until a certain moment they do not attract attention, since there may not be a pronounced social maladjustment , and with successful and timely treatment, a person remains workable and socially adapted throughout life.
The very prevalence of schizophrenia is sometimes greatly exaggerated (according to statistics, it is 1 % of the population in any region of the world). However, this amount may change, but not at all because of the beginning of the “epidemic” of schizophrenia and disorders of this spectrum, but in view of the overdiagnosis of this group of diseases.
Since the etiology of this group of disorders is not yet up to the end clear, there is not only terminological confusion (for example, there are certain differences in the two large medical Classification of Diseases – ICD, adopted in Russia and Europe, and the DSM, used in America).
However, if the origin of this group of disorders is controversial, and mankind still has to search for the causes of these diseases, there are statistics that can refute the myths about the total severity of schizophrenic spectrum disorders. In the world complex treatment – it is a way of quality relief of acute condition of the patients, and the subsequent socio-educational, cognitive, vocational rehabilitation and psychotherapy, including family, make it possible to recover, in including the full, to a certain percentage of patients.
Thus, schizophrenic spectrum disorders, including schizotypal personality disorder, and schizoaffective disorders are amenable to correction and treatment, especially when the disorder is diagnosed on time, the diagnosis is correct, and the treatment is prescribed adequately.
Although we often hear the question: if in schizotypal disorders the symptomatology is not so pronounced, then is it worth bothering at all and “dragging” a person to doctors? There can be only one answer: worth it. As a minimum, differential diagnosis and accurate diagnosis are required. When researching schizophrenic spectrum disorders, it is always very important to separate them from schizophrenia itself. Only then will it be possible to prescribe adequate treatment, and, consequently, the possibility of high-quality rehabilitation, significant assistance to the patient’s family and guarantees that his life will be full and of high quality in the future .