Forgetting things in old age is the normal part of life, but have you ever forgotten the names of your family members? Or do you see things that are not present in the real world? If the answer is surrounding yes! It can be a sign of dementia or schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia and dementia are two chronic mental health conditions that severely impact overall well-being. Individuals with schizophrenia see and hear things that are not present in real life, whereas people with dementia have cognitive decline, which causes issues with memory. Recent research indicates that people with schizophrenia are at a high risk of developing dementia later in life, which is known by the term “Dementia praecox”. In this article, you may get to know about the link between schizophrenia and dementia, the difference between them, and how to cope with them.
Understanding schizophrenia and Dementia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia often develops in late adolescence or in old age. It’s a chronic mental health condition that severely affects the brain and causes intense issues in everyday life. People with schizophrenia experience hallucinations, delusions, difficulty in communication, apathy, or lack of motivation. It is a fatal condition that needs long-term treatment.
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Dementia
Dementia is the most devastating and progressive mental condition that occurs in old age. People with dementia have issues with memory and thinking and have difficulty managing everyday tasks. Approximately 50% of individuals at age of 85 are suffering from dementia. Dementia severely damages the brain and leads to a decline in cognitive functioning.
How are schizophrenia and dementia linked together?
Schizophrenia and dementia are two separate mental health conditions, but both are linked together due to similarities in symptoms.
| Shared genetic | Dementia and schizophrenia have genetic correlation, both run in families. If any of your family members or relatives go through dementia or schizophrenia, there is a high chance you may also develop it. |
| High risk of Demantia | Individuals with schizophrenia have a faster cognitive decline which further leads to brain complications. These brain complications lead to brain issues like Alzheimer’s disease. |
| Neurobiological overlap | Dementia and schizophrenia both affect the brain structure and chemicals. |
| Overlapping Cognitive Change | Both conditions cause cognitive changes such as memory loss, delusions, and changes in behavior. |
| Medications and substances | Excessive use of antipsychotic medications and substances increases the risk of schizophrenia and dementia |
What is the difference between schizophrenia and dementia?
Schizophrenia and dementia are two complex mental health conditions with differences in symptoms, causes, and more.
Here is how both conditions have differences:
| Shezophrenia | Dementia |
| Schizophrenia often arises in late teens or 20s. | It typically begins in old age around 65 to 80. |
| Hallucinations and delusions are the common symptoms of schizophrenia | Dementia causes issues with memory. |
| It’s a chronic condition that causes psychosis. | It’s a neurological condition that is progressive. |
| The symptoms can be reduced with the combination of medications and therapies. | Dementia is incurable, however therapies can be beneficial. |
| Men experience schizophrenia more than women. | Women experience dementia more frequently than men. |
How to diagnose the coexistence of schizophrenia and dementia?
Diagnosing the co-occurrence of schizophrenia and dementia can be challenging. There is no certain test available to diagnose schizophrenia, although healthcare experts can look for symptoms or psychosis episodes. On the other side, dementia can also be diagnosed by reviewing the symptoms, and input from the people who can tell the noticeable changes in cognition. The healthcare specialist also tests problem-solving skills, communication, memory, cognition and sometimes brain scans.
What are the treatments of dementia and schizophrenia?
Dementia and schizophrenia are both incurable, but the symptoms can be reduced with the combination of medication and therapies. However, the treatment for schizophrenia and dementia often consists of the following:
- Medication
- Therapies
- Social support
- Cognitive or occupational training
- Self-care and lifestyle modifications
Medications:
Dementia and schizophrenia are chronic conditions that badly affect the functionality of the brain. To reduce the symptoms, mental healthcare experts recommend some medications for improvement. Schizophrenia individuals can benefit from antipsychotics. For dementia, experts suggest cholinesterase inhibitors, SSRIs, and memantine.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a talk therapy that helps in managing mental health conditions, such as dementia and schizophrenia. Therapies help in managing emotions and lead to healthier well-being.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
This therapy helps individuals change their perspective on thinking so that individuals can live a healthy life. It’s an evidence-based therapy which helps in managing mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, dementia, PTSD, and more. It helps in managing the everyday challenges by changing the thought pattern. The main goal of CBT is to change the negative thought patterns by intervening in the thoughts and changing them into helpful ones.
Occupational therapy:
Occupational therapy is helpful for every age; it’s very beneficial for individuals with dementia. In this therapy, mental healthcare experts keep individuals busy with activities, such as exercising and deep breathing to maintain independence. The main goal of occupational therapy is to provide improvement and help people achieve better quality of life.
Reminiscence therapy:
Reminiscence therapy is designed to help individuals by taking them into the past. Healthcare specialists encourage individuals with dementia to talk about their old memories by doing activities like looking at old pictures, listening to past music, and more.
Strategies to cope with schizophrenia and dementia
Lifestyle changes
People struggling with schizophrenia and dementia have roller coasters of emotions. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising, swimming, deep breathing helps in increasing the blood flow. Moreover, doing exercise daily also produces the happy hormones which improve the mood. A healthy nutritious diet also improves fatigue and irritation.
Support groups
Joining a group therapy helps in socializing, as meeting with individuals with the same mental disorder helps them to share their experiences. Talking to the people with the same conditions also reduces the stigma. Moreover, engaging yourself by playing games like puzzles, chess, and painting can also be helpful.
Avoid substances
People turned to substances just to get relief from stress. However, the consumption of substances triggers cognitive decline and further increases the risk of schizophrenia and dementia. Excessive intake of substances causes mood fluctuations and makes it difficult to manage everyday life.
Social connections
Having a strong support network such as friends and family, is crucial for managing schizophrenia and dementia. It provides emotional well-being and reduces isolation. However, remaining socially active improves memory and increases connections between brain cells.
Seek professional support
If you feel like your symptoms are getting intense and cause issues in day-to-day life. Seek professional support, as diagnosing it earlier helps in managing the symptoms earlier. Moreover, communicate openly with your healthcare provider, let them know if you are into substances or taking any medications. A healthcare professional recommends the best treatment according to your severity and condition.
Get professional assistance at the Renewed Mental Health Group
Mental well-being is a very important aspect of living a healthy life. We understand how a person with mental health issues faces challenges every day. If you or any of your loved ones suffer from schizophrenia or any other mental health conditions. Renewed Mental Health Group is here to help! We have a team of experts who are committed to help you by providing evidence based treatments. Our team of qualified mental healthcare professionals provides personalized and group treatments according to your needs.
Book your consultations today!
Last remarks
Schizophrenia and dementia are two distinct mental health conditions. Both conditions affect the brain and cause severe issues in everyday life. People with schizophrenia are more vulnerable to developing dementia later in life. Both schizophrenia and dementia are heritable conditions that run in families. Excessive use of substances and environmental toxins also increases vulnerability to dementia and schizophrenia. However, both conditions are incurable but the symptoms can be reduced with the combination of medications and therapies. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle by following a healthy diet, doing exercise, and avoiding smoking helps lessen the symptoms of schizophrenia and dementia.