So scared that I have schizophrenia simplex

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Although I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, the symptoms of schizophrenia simplex fits on me -loss of will, apathy, idlenes. My sister says it´s getting worse, that I may become demented after a few decades or years. And I heard that schizophrenia simplex really does lead to dementia, to gradually increasing brain degeneration. I´m so scared. Now I´m still okay, but what about next years, decades?

There is a lot of research in Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia--hopefully that will lead to effective treatments--maybe not in the next few years, but more likely in a decade or two.

Is it really a fact that simple schizophrenia must lead to dementia? Isn´t just a hypothesis?

I saw a study linking late onset schizophrenia with dementia.
http://mentalhealth.about.com/b/2003/10 ... mentia.htm


http://www.ehow.com/facts_5688962_diffe ... enia_.html
This article states that they are distinctly different illnesses.

Since a large fraction, of very old (over 85) adults can be diagnosed with Alzheimers, one would expect a large number of people with Schizophrenia to also get Alzheimers, if they get that old.

At least you have the benefit of being able to ask these questions now, before any possible dementia could set in.

There may or may not be a connection between your condition and dementia. But dementia is a popular topic of study and tons of information has already been gathered about it. You can use this information to protect yourself from ever getting it.

For example, PubMed has lots of studies on the effect of exercise on risk of dementia. It actually reduces the risk a lot, especially if it is vigorous exercise.

Even if you are genetically predisposed to getting dementia, you can stave it off a long time. My grandfather was a health nut. He eventually got Alzheimer's, but that was when he was 95. He'd lived on his own until he was 90. So he had the genetic predisposition to get it, but his healthy habits completely suppressed it until the last year or so of his life. It wasn't his cause of death, either, so the worst he got was where he would vividly remember stuff from when he was a boy in the Great Depression. Remembering what he ate for lunch? Not so much. Still, not too shabby, I'd say.

You aren't doomed, no matter what anyone says. You're smart enough to understand those studies you found linking schizophrenia to dementia, so you have the capacity to understand other research you find that might tell you how to reduce your risk. The answers are out there. Everyone is going to tell you that nothing can be done...but when you go look at the studies for yourself, you will have a very different opinion.

Schizophrenia simplex is apparently just a subtype of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is not straightforwardly progressive. It can get worse, or better, or keep getting worse then better then worse... you can't predict a steady decline. Plus, a lot of the outcome depends on what treatments you get - the longer you're actively psychotic, the worse you tend to get, so treatments effective at stopping psychosis improve the overall outcome (even in terms of 'negative' symptoms, which are often more disabling).

So, to put it simply - you don't know how it'll turn out. Don't give up hope.