Residual schizophrenia is a subtype of the condition characterized by symptoms that are much lesser in frequency and severity. This is schizophrenia on its way out – more or less. You would still observe the patient having delusions, presenting idiosyncratic behavior and complaining about hallucinations. However, this would be on a lower degree.
In other words, residual schizophrenia can be described as the health conditions where one, two or more symptoms of the disease resurface after a prolonged period post the last major schizophrenic manifestation.
Symptoms of Residual Schizophrenia
It is difficult enough to diagnose schizophrenia. How do you diagnose residual schizophrenia? Here are a few of the key symptoms that you would find in a patient suffering from this condition:
– Most of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia would be noticeably present, such as –
- poor emoting ability
- poor personal care
- slow psychomotor activity
- poor posture
- poor social performance
- inability to speak contextually
– Exhibition of at least once schizophrenic attack in the past 3-6 months;
– The negative symptoms are visible over the past (minimum) 1 year;
– There are no other health/ mental conditions to which the above mentioned symptoms could be attributed.
Why Residual Schizophrenia Is Dangerous?
Left untreated this condition can bring on a full relapse of the past schizophrenia. There is also the danger that it can mess up a person’s life pretty bad even when the symptoms are at their mildest. It is therefore, extremely important that the symptoms are recognized in time and treated as early as possible.
It is important therefore, that the family of the person who is and/ or was suffering from schizophrenia at any given point of time, be aware about this condition and its symptoms so it could be diagnosed at the earliest.
Treatment Of Residual Schizophrenia
It is recommended and highly encouraged that this condition is treated at the earliest possible. The treatment may involve medication, counseling and psychotherapy, which would not only make the problem easier to bear, but also stop it from snowballing into a full-blown case again. It is very important that the treatment continues after all the symptoms disappear, so as not to risk any of them resurfacing.