The Serious Psychiatric Illness of Schizophrenia and Its Effects on a Person's Everyday Life

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The Serious Psychiatric Illness of Schizophrenia and Its Effects on a Person's Everyday Life

Schizophrenia is one of the most common serious psychiatric illnesses. It affects one percent of the general population. This is a socially and financially devastating disease that robs people of their most productive years of life. Schizophrenia still continues to be one of the most complex, puzzling and disabling of the major mental illnesses.

Most symptoms develop in men around the age of sixteen and twenty-five years old, and around twenty-five to thirty years old in women. Schizophrenia rarely develops in children and most schizophrenics appear to have a normal childhood.

A delusion, which is a false belief that defies logic and common sense, is a common symptom of schizophrenia. The person thinks someone is watching them constantly or they think people can read their mind. Hallucinations, hearing, seeing or sensing something that isn't there, are another common symptom of schizophrenia. Some people experience heightened senses, which is hypersensitivity of sense that leads to visual distortions. Others experience auditory hallucinations. They sometimes carry on conversations or are told to do things by one or may voices that are not there. Very rarely, but still as devastating, some experience visual hallucinations or smell odd smells coming from themselves. (Young, 67-68) More that 300,000 adults in this country are unable to distinguish their imaginations from reality (Cookson).

In the 1700's and the 1800's, before much was known about mental diseases, schizophrenia was thought of as witchcraft (Nichols). Anyone who displayed signs of this

disease was thought to have been possessed. The Puritans believed ...

... middle of paper ...

...zophrenia"

Financial Times April 30, 1996 pg. 12

Sirs: Mental Health Vol. 5, Article 52

Goode, Erica E.

"When Mental Illness Hits Home"

U.S. News and World Report April 24, 1989 pg. 55-65

Sirs: Mental Health Vol. 4, Article 9

Kahn, Ada P., M.P.H., Fawcett, Jan, M.D.

Encyclopedia of Mental Health

Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group New York, NY 1993, pg. 325-328

Kime, Robert E.

Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia

The Dushkin Publishing Group Inc. Guilfort, CT. 1992 pg. 91, 107-108,109-110

Nichols, Mark

"Schizophrenia: Hidden Torment"

Maclean's Magazine Jan. 30, 1995

Sirs: Mental Health Vol. 5, Article 22

Patlak, Margie

"Real Lives, Imaginary Terror: Schizophrenia"

FDA Consumer Sept./Oct. 1997 pg. 23

Sirs: Mental Health, Vol. 5, Article 77

Young, Patrick

"Schizophrenia"

Chelsea House Publishers New York and Philadelphia 1988 pg. 13-111

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