In recent years, people in Kazakhstan have increasingly sought the help of psychologists to enhance their mental well-being. Specialists assist in overcoming childhood traumas, various triggers, and generally provide a safe space for self-exploration. However, there are far more serious situations where medical assistance, specifically from psychiatrists, is required. A correspondent from Tengri Life attempted to delve into one of the most complex diagnoses—schizophrenia—and learned how to recognize it in loved ones, friends, or acquaintances.
According to Almaty psychiatrist Nabi Yesimov, schizophrenia was previously diagnosed solely based on the presence of split personality. However, research has shown that this condition is multifaceted.
"Schizophrenia, derived from Latin, translates to 'splitting of the soul.' It was once diagnosed only in cases where, for instance, an individual exhibited split personality. There was a tendency to refer to schizophrenia only in this context. However, this illness has been studied for many years, and now we understand that the manifestations of schizophrenia are diverse and not limited to split personality," he explains.
The doctor stated that schizophrenia can exhibit both "positive" and "negative" symptoms. However, the meanings of these terms differ from what we might expect.
"'Positive' symptoms refer to additional elements that appear in a person's psyche. For example, if someone begins to experience hallucinations and similar phenomena, that is considered a 'plus' symptom or 'positive' symptom. In contrast, 'negative' symptoms involve the loss of certain qualities. For instance, a person may become indifferent, unresponsive, and lose subtle emotions. It is important to pay closer attention to the negative symptoms," he noted.
As an example, Nabi Yesimov recalled a case from his practice where a young man with schizophrenia showed no reaction to his father's death and simply stepped over his body to pour himself some tea.
"A man was caring for his son, who had schizophrenia. They lived together. One evening, while watching a movie and drinking tea, the father suffered a heart attack and collapsed. The son looked at him indifferently, finished his tea, stepped over him, poured himself more tea, and resumed watching television. The man ultimately passed away, and his son was taken in by relatives. The key issue here is the absence of empathy, compassion, and generally a lack of subtle emotions. This is one of the characteristic signs of schizophrenia," the doctor explained.
He clarified that it is impossible to make a diagnosis at a glance without medical training, but he offered several pieces of advice.
"It is important to be vigilant about changes in the mental state of relatives, friends, and acquaintances. If someone’s behavior changes, such as sleeplessness at night, becoming overly active or talkative, or disappearing from home, these are red flags. If a person becomes overly sociable and starts sharing many stories, which is uncharacteristic for them, that is a warning sign. The same applies to changes in behavior indicating a sudden lack of the previously mentioned subtle emotions."
In case of any suspicions, the doctor recommends consulting specialists for advice and seeking psychiatric help if necessary.
Nabi Yesimov discussed this and other intriguing cases from his practice in a video interview on our YouTube channel, Tengri TV.