The First Episode of Schizophrenia

*Ewa Ogłodek, Aleksander Araszkiewicz

Summary
Schizophrenia is a mental disease which usually affects young people. More than half of cases begin before the age of 25. The first episode of schizophrenia is a difficult time for a patient and his family. During this period patients experience personality breakdown, their youthful ideals collapse, their dreams face reality. Sudden appearance of hallucinations causes alienation from society. A person diagnosed with schizophrenia may experience hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thinking and speech. The latter may range from loss of train of thought, to sentences only loosely connected in meaning, to incoherence known as word salad in severe cases. There is often an observable pattern of emotional difficulty, for example lack of responsiveness or motivation. During their first episode of schizophrenia patients need specific services that provide rapid and easy access to specialist assessments, swift initiation of treatment in a setting which does not have stigma attached to it, and comprehensive psychosocial interventions and support. The purpose of this study is to present the clinical picture, pathogenesis and ways of treatment of schizophrenia including its first episode. Currently in Poland and worldwide there is a trend to start treatment at the early stage of the disease and to put strong emphasis on breaking down barriers between sane people and those suffering from schizophrenia.

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