Introduction to Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that “disrupts the function of multiple brain systems, resulting in impaired social and occupational functioning” (Lewis & Sweet, 2009, pg. 706). Lewis (2009) suggests these functions usually consist of the confluence of disturbance in perception, attention, volition, fluency and production of language, recognition and expression of emotion, and capacity for pleasure. Schizophrenia has calamitous effects on people, and such devastating illness afflicts “0.5%-1% of the world’s population” (Lewis & Sweet, 2009, pg. 706). Lewis (2009) states that people with schizophrenia are at high risk of cardiovascular disease as well as excessive nicotine, alcohol, and substance abuse; 5%-10% commit suicide; and most experience a lifetime of disability and emotional distress. “Schizophrenia is one of the most severe and disabling of all mental disorders” (Bernstein & Nash, 2008, pg. 480). The purpose of this paper is to inform readers about the symptoms, risk factors, aftermaths and treatments of schizophrenia.
Types of Schizophrenia
Lewis (2009) states that schizophrenia manifests as a wide range of disturbances in perceptual, emotional, cognitive, and motor processes that are arranged in three categories.
The first category is characterized by positive symptoms, or the presence of abnormal brain function. It consists of “delusions, false beliefs firmly held in the face of contradictory evidence; perceptual disturbances and hallucination, which may occur in any sensory modality but are most commonly auditory and experienced as hearing voices distinct from one’s own thoughts” (Lewis & Sweet, 2009, pg. 706). Lewis (2009) also mentions that other pos...
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...life. I have noticed that it is such a horrific mental disorder, because when one suffers from schizophrenia, one also suffers from the possibility that his/her offspring may have schizophrenia, and the possibility of dying from a cardiovascular disease, which may be caused by the antipsychotic taken to treat the illness. Besides the hereditary factors of schizophrenia, one can also be afflicted due to environmental factors, such as prenatal maternal stress, which the baby has no control over. So if the mother already has schizophrenia and is worried about her children getting schizophrenia, she would feel stressed, which increases the chance of her children of getting schizophrenia even more. On the matter of schizophrenia, we should definitely set it as a priority for more scientific studies and research; it is one of the many great challenges of the 21st century.
"From these symptoms, schizophrenia is divided into four sub-types determined by which symptoms are most prevalent", Strauss, 1987). The four sub-types are paranoid, hebephrenic, catatonic, and finally simple. Paranoid schizophrenics often suffer from either delusions, hallucinations, or both of a persecutory content. Hebephrenic schizophrenia is characterized by inappropriate emotions, disorganized...
It has been stated that schizophrenia plays a very large role pertaining to who a person is and how that person’s actions are interpreted by the culture they live in. To contain the context of what schizophrenia is, the textbook definition reports it as a “severe disorder of thought and emotion associated with a loss of contact with reality” (Lilinfeld 479). The author of this textbook has put in the time and done the research to discover the most socially accepted and understood definition that could be possible. This definition in itself is almost overwhelming to consider that this is a disorder that currently has lifetime affects. Thought and emotional aspects come into play by realizing that any deviation from what a person normally thinks and feels will, without a doubt, affect how their thoughts and emotions change. By changing thoughts and emotions, actions will inevitably be affected in how they are carried out. This is where the culturally accepted portion becomes an issue because anything that is away from the normal action will have attention drawn to...
Schizophrenia is an internal disease caused by fundamental organizational differences in the brain. It begins to be noticed in a person's late teens through twenties. Signs of it can be seen from early childhood and it is now being hypothesized that it is actually present during adolescence (1). Since this hypothesis extends to fetal development, brain formation in the earliest stages is effected. The alteration of pathways and deviation of neurotransmitters from normal arrangement is believed to be a factor behind the affliction. The brain of these individuals forms differently. Neurotransmitters are believed to misfire altering the chemical balance of the brain causing behavioral problems. There are deficits in cortical and subcortical cognitive processes (5). There are also enlarged ventricles in the brain causing further impairment of ability (3). When the disease is present there are certain symptoms that are easily recognizable. They fall into three categories overt, negative, and positive. The overt symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, alteration of the senses, inability to sort and then respond appropriately to incoming sensations, an altered sense of self, and changes in behavior (2). The negative symptoms are emotional flatness, inability to start or follow through on activities, brief speech lacking content, and lack of pleasure or interest in life (2). All of these include an inhibition on processing information and further imply a differentiation in the normal self. The basic information above provides a solid background to understanding the disease and already possible problems to a person's I-function can be seen.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness. Patients experience progressive personality changes and a breakdown in their relationships with the outside world. They have disorganized and abnormal thinking, behavior and language and become emotionally unresponsive or withdrawn.
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects one to two percent of people worldwide. The disorder can develop as early as the age of five, though it is very rare at such an early age. (3)) Most men become ill between the ages of 16 and 25 whereas most women become ill between the ages of 25 and 30. Even though there are differences in the age of development between the sexes, men and women are equally at risk for schizophrenia. (4) There is of yet no definitive answer as to what causes the disorder. It is believed to be a combination of factors including genetic make-up, pre-natal viruses, and early brain damage which cause neurotransmitter problems in the brain. (3)
Schizophrenia is a type of psychological disorder that affects a person’s brain and affects how they think and act on a daily bases. The disorder is known to be one of the most disabling and puzzling psychological disorder. People that suffer from this disorder have stated experiences that it is almost like a break from reality. It seems that schizophrenia in the past years has become a larger issue in our society. Moreover, people who develop the disorder seem to be disengaged from the common things in our lives such as working a job and having a relationship with others. There are many reasons why schizophrenia is one of the most bizarre and disabling types of mental disorders.
One of the most surprising yet basic and simple facts of schizophrenia is one that is often unknown and underestimated, that being the prevalence of the illness. While many think it a rare disorder that only a select few possess, quite the opposite is true. Approximately 1% of the world population develops schizophrenia and in the United States, around 3 million people are afflicted by the illness (Nemade and Dombeck, www.mentalhelp.net). In the United States, there are twice as many people suffering from schizophrenia as Alzheimer’s, five times as many as MS and sixty times as many as muscular dystrophy (www.schizophrenia.com). Ranking in the top ten most common disabling conditions (www.psychiatrictimes.com), schizophrenia, instead of a confined and uncommon, is one of the most prevalent and distributed illnesses worldwide.
SCHIZOPHRENIA Schizophrenia, from the Greek word meaning “split mind”, is a mental disorder that causes complete fragmentation in the processes of the mind. Contrary to common belief, schizophrenia does not refer to a person with a split personality or multiple personalities, but rather to a condition which affects the person’s movement, language, and thinking skills. The question of whether schizophrenia is a disease or collection of socially learned actions is still a question in people’ mind. People who are suffering from schizophrenia think and act in their own the world and put themselves in a way that is totally different from the rest of society. In other words, they have lost in touch with the reality. Most schizophrenics accept the fact that they have this disorder and are willing to receive necessary treatment and listen to, if not follow, professional advice. However there are cases where patients have lost insight and do not acknowledge the fact that they suffer from a mental disorder. As a result, these people do not have the treatment normally patients with schizophrenia do. To observers, schizophrenia may seem like a disease or madness because people who have this disorder behave differently to the people that are considered “normal.” It impairs a person from doing work, going to school, taking care of his/herself or having a social relationship with others. Yet, by looking at some of the symptoms, it is sometimes hard to classify schizophrenia as a disease because it enables those inflicted with it to develop new ways of communication intellectually and creatively, as well as enhancing artistic abilities. A disease is usually some kind of sickness that will lead to death or under heavy medication. However, this is not the case. For now, there is no cure but only treatment to help people with schizophrenia to live more productive lives. Generally, schizophrenia carries enormous threats to the society. About one percent of the people in United States develop schizophrenia and the probability of developing this disorder is independent of the patient’s gender, race or culture. Women are as likely to develop schizophrenia as men but women tend to have less severe symptoms with fewer hospitalizations and are generally able to cope better in the community. About ten percent of the people who have schizophrenia commit suicide and many others attempt...
Schizophrenia is a disease of the brain that is expressed clinically as a disease of the mind. Once it strikes, morbidity is high (60% of patients are receiving disability benefits within the first year of onset) as is mortality (the suicide rate is 10%). (www.nejm.org/content/1999/0340/008/0645.asp). Because its symptoms and signs and associated cognitive abnormalities are diverse, researchers have been unable to find localization in a single region of the brain. This essay will discuss the symptoms, treatments and causes of schizophrenia.
There are many different diagnoses for mental problems these days from anxiety disorders to eating disorders and from mood disorders to obsessive-compulsive disorders. However, I am choosing to write about schizophrenia disorder because I believe that this type of disorder is one of the most dangerous of all mental problems. Throughout this paper I will describe the criteria doctors use to diagnose somebody with schizophrenia as well as the specific DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. This will include the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia such as the positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms. Also I will talk about the etiology and the medical and psychological treatments for schizophrenia. Lastly I will write about the impact this disorder has on the person and the people around them in the real world.
Schizophrenia has long been known as a psychotic disorder, having five different categories. The symptoms of Schizophrenia can include negative symptoms, hallucinations, disorganized speech and thought patterns. Also abnormal or disorganized motor behavior, and delusions. Many patients experience psychotic episodes, while some never experience psychosis. The objective of this study was to try and determine why
Schizophrenia can be described by a wide-ranging spectrum of emotional and cognitive dysfunctions. These can include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and behavior, as well as inappropriate emotions. Consequently, this disease can affect people from all walks of life. Since schizophrenia is such a complex disorder it can ultimately affect a person’s entire existence and their struggle to function daily. With a chronic disease like this, most people have a difficult time functioning in society. This can make it hard for someone who is schizophrenic to relate to others as well as maintain significant relationships. Life expectancy for those who suffer this illness tend to be shorter than average. This is due to the higher rate of accident and suicide. The symptoms of schizophrenia can be broken down into different categories: positive, negative and disorganized. Positive symptoms include hallucinations and delusions. These tend to be the more obvious signs of psychosis. On the other hand negative symptoms indicate deficits or absence of normal behavior which can affect sp...
Schizophrenics may often be withdrawn from other people and usual everyday reality, frequently into a life of strange delusions and hallucinations. Schizophrenia is known to cause such huge disruption within that person’s life that it is unsurprising that it has been very difficult to find out what the underlying causes of the disorder are and to develop methods to try and treat it. There is still a long road to travel before anyone understands the various factors that trigger schizophrenia
Mental illnesses are diseases that plague a being’s mind and corrupts one’s thoughts and feelings. Schizophrenia is one of the many disastrous illnesses that consume one’s life, is known as a real disease that deserves much attention. Experts believe that what causes the illness is a defect in the gene’s of the brain, and little signs of schizophrenia are shown until about one’s early adult years. Some effects of schizophrenia can either be negative or positive, but even if the effects could be either one, people should still be aware that there is something puzzling and alarming happening in the mind of a schizophrenic patient.
This chapter got into more depth about people with schizophrenia. This was one topic I never really knew too much information about it. For a person to be classified as having a psychological disorder, the person’s behavior must not only be unusual, but also disturbing. The people with schizophrenia often suffer symptoms such as hearing voices, people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, plotting against them. Reading this chapter has showed me that schizophrenia is a serious disorder and a very dangerous psychological disorder to themselves and the people around them. The cause of schizophrenia is still unclear. Some theories about the cause of this disease are genetics, biology; and possible infections and immune disorders. Symptoms may develop slowly over months or years, or may appear very