Schizophrenia
What You Need to Know
Schizophrenia is a serious disorder which affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary; may be unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal emotions in social situations.
Contrary to public perception, schizophrenia is not split personality or multiple personality. The vast majority of people with schizophrenia are not violent and do not pose a danger to others. Schizophrenia is not caused by childhood experiences, poor parenting or lack of willpower, nor are the symptoms identical for each person.
What causes schizophrenia?
The cause of schizophrenia is still unclear. Some theories about the cause of this disease include: genetics (heredity), biology (the imbalance in the brain’s chemistry); and/or possible viral infections and immune disorders.
Genetics (Heredity). Scientists recognize that the disorder tends to run in families and that a person inherits a tendency to develop the disease. Schizophrenia may also be triggered by environmental events, such as viral infections or highly stressful situations or a combination of both.
Similar to some other genetically-related illnesses, schizophrenia appears when the body undergoes hormonal and physical changes, like those that occur during puberty in the teen and young adult years.
Chemistry. Genetics help to determine how the brain uses certain chemicals. People with schizophrenia have a chemical imbalance of brain chemicals (serotonin and dopamine) which are neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters allow nerve cells in the brain to send messages to each other. The imbalance of these chemicals affects the way a person’s brain reacts to stimuli--which explains why a person with schizophrenia may be overwhelmed by sensory information (loud music or bright lights) which other people can easily handle. This problem in processing different sounds, sights, smells and tastes can also lead to hallucinations or delusions.
What are the early warning signs of schizophrenia?
The signs of schizophrenia are different for everyone. Symptoms may develop slowly over months or years, or may appear very abruptly. The disease may come and go in cycles of relapse and remission.
Behaviors that are early warning signs of schizophrenia include:
Hearing or seeing something that isn’t there
A constant feeling of being watched
Peculiar or nonsensical way of speaking or writing
Strange body positioning
Feeling indifferent to very important situations
Deterioration of academic or work performance
A change in personal hygiene and appearance
A change in personality
Increasing withdrawal from social situations
The causes of schizophrenia and the related psychotic illness have been the subject of much
Schizophrenia has multiple symptoms; according to the World of Health Organization, these symptoms include “delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior [as well as depressive behavior].” Monomania
Our nation had many great people who have changed our nation’s fate throughout the history. These people may not be remembered but have changed our nation’s direction. People like John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, John Adams, George Washington, and etc. were remembered. But a person like John Hancock, about 1/300 of the population of Unites States of America knows about him. Even though he is not remembered, John Hancock is one of the most extraordinary people who have change the fate of our nation.
Every year one hundred thousand young Americans are diagnosed with the disease schizophrenia (Carman Research). Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that is associated with unnatural behavior or thinking . The disease usually affects people during the late adolescence stage or early adulthood, typically during this time they develop the symptoms linked to the disease.
According to the DSM-IV, schizophrenia is classified under the section of “Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders”. Schizophrenia is one of the most serious major chronic brain disorders in the field of mental health; it is a neurological disorder that affects the cognitive functions of the human brain. People living with this incapacitating illness can experience multiple symptoms that will cause extreme strain in their own and their families and friends life. The individual can lose reality, unable to work, have delusions and hallucinations, may have disorganized speech and thought processes, will withdraw from people and activities, they may become suspicious and paranoid, may behave inappropriately in every day social situations. They may neglect personal hygiene and dress improperly, use excessive make-up; every day life is becoming chaotic for everyone involved.
For many years schizophrenia was thought to be caused by bad parenting, the so-called "refrigerator mother" was to blame. Today there exists much more information on the disorder and the evidence points to the commonly accepted notion of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Unfortunately, many people still confuse schizophrenia with multiple personality disorder when, in fact, the two are separate. Schizophrenia however, deals more with people who simply don't have a firm grip on reality.
There is still no unanimously accepted definition of schizophrenia, and appreciable differences exist between the narrowest and widest definition (Tsuang 13). It is a disease that includes a disturbance in cognition that renders the individual "out of touch with reality". Emotions are distorted in schizophrenia and they are typified by being socially withdrawn (Lahey 555).
Environmental factors may help the symptoms of schizophrenia to be more noticeable, but genetic factors are at the core of the illness. Although the major cause of schizophrenia is still yet to be officially determined, evidence points towards genetic physical abnormalities of the brain. Examples of a set of quadruplet sisters and MRIs and CT scans of a schizophrenic mind prove that genetics play a major role in the cause of schizophrenia. Nicotine may cause schizophrenic-like symptoms, however there is no concrete evidence that smoking directly causes schizophrenia. In conclusion, the cause of schizophrenia is more genetic than environmental.
There is a definite biological basis for this disease, although it is not totally understood. For a long time schizophrenia was a mystery to doctors and scientists. Virtually any patient with a psychological disorder used to be placed under the expansive umbrella that defined the disease. Poor parenting was a misleading, early excuse for the troubles caused by what is now known to be substantially based in genetics. The most current idea of origin is that this disorder occurs during the crucial beginning months of life, those spent within the womb. Neither ...
In all of American history, there are many men who stand out and emphasize the history ofour country. This man, John Hancock, is one of those extraordinary men that stand out.John’s life began on January 16, 1736 in Braintree, Massachuchetts.John was the middle child of three. He was the son of (Rev.) John Hancock, born on June 1, 1702 in Lexington, Massachuchetts and son of Mary Hawke, born on October 13, 1711 in Hingham, Massachuchetts. Mary was once married before she married John Hancock Sr. Her previous marriage ended in her former husband’s death.(Rev.) John Hancock was well-liked by his parish, was paid well, and was provided a very comfortable home. In return of their generosity, he was a "faithful shepard." He kept an attentive watch over the morals and religious well-being of all members of the parish.
...scover the cause of schizophrenia. Is it caused by various genes, by a virus, or from trauma? This too is still a mystery. The only thing that is truly known is that the disorder is debilitating and that it affects nearly every portion of the brain. Obviously, much more research still needs to be done to help those who suffer from it.
There are many different genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development of schizophrenia. Some environmental factors would include exposure to certain viruses, stress within that person’s life ( Parents of the person going through a divorce, trouble in school, etc.), prenatal malnutrition in pregnant women, and certain types of drug use in teens. These drugs, such as cannabis, methamphetamine, hash, and marijuana, could be a very likely cause of schizophrenia in teens. Alcohol has also been considered a very likely contribute to the disorder as well. Over all of that, the factors that contribute the most to the development of this disorder are complications during pregnancy. This can include having diabetes while the woman is pregnant, complications during the birth of the child, unusual growth of the fetus, low birth weight, and birth before the baby is fully developed. A pregnant woman can get a response to an infection by the placenta, the fetus, or even the woman herself. Having this infection can set off a certain toxic effect on the developing neurons within the baby, and it will regulate the neurodevelopment processes such as the ones found in schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a complex psychological disorder, which affects 1 -- 2 % of the world's population (www.nami.org/helpline/schizo) Schizophrenia can affect anyone at any age, but most cases develop between adolescence and age 30. The relative prevalence of schizophrenia is staggering compared with the likes of muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. (See appendix one).
To answer the question stated earlier, adolescent schizophrenia is an interesting and puzzling disorder where the brain becomes severely immobilized. There are 4 main types of schizophrenia all based on age. Very early onset schizophrenia, VEOS, occurs before the child’s 13th birthday. Early onset schizophrenia, EOS, will be seen before the 18th birthday. Childhood onset schizophrenia, COS, which occurs at the pre-pubertal stage, in relation to the chronological age of the child, will be shown when the child is 12 years old or younger. Finally adolescent-onset schizophrenia is shown between the ages of 13 and 17. Some of the main reasons for this disorder are neurobiological and neurophysiological difficulties and genetic problems. The problematic part of the genes happen on chromosomes 6, 8,10,13,18 and 22. With neurobiological problems, some symptoms would be reduced cerebral volume, changes in serotonergic and noradrenergic systems. Neurophysiological aspects consist of a lowered IQ, reduced language perception, poor speech production and formal thought disorders. Many other problems can come with having schizophrenia. Some the main reoccurring problems that are associated with this disorder are hallucinations and delusions, and there is actually a vast difference between the two. Hallucinations can be auditory, gustatory or ...
Starbucks is a worldwide company, known for is delicious brews of coffee and seasonal varieties of tasty drinks for any occasion. Starbucks opened with two main goals, sharing great coffee with friends and to help make the world a little better. It originated in the historic Pike Place Market of Seattle, Washington in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. The creation of Starbucks’ name came from the seafaring tradition of early coffee traders and the romance evoked from Moby Dick. At the time, this individual shop specialized in the towering quality of coffee over competitors and other brewing services enabling its growth to becoming the largest coffee chain in Washington with numerous locations. In the early 1980s, the current CEO Schultz saw an opportunity for growth in the niche market. After a trip to Italy he brought back the idea of a café style environment of leisure and social meetings to the United States we now see in Starbucks locations today. Schultz ultimately left Starbucks to open his own coffee shop, Il Giornale which turned out to be a tremendous success. Fast forward a year later, Schultz got wind that Starbucks was going to sell all their components of Starbucks including their stores and factories, he immediately acquired the funds to buy Starbucks and linked both operations. Within five years he was able to open more than 125 stores starting in New England, Boston, Chicago, and gradually entered California. He wanted Starbucks to be a franchise system based on the mission of telling the truth and emphasize the quality,