When it comes to the complexities that the average human endures on a daily basis, there are way more than what meets the eye. Just to get by from day to day, you need to think about what you are doing, what you want to do, and what you’ve already done. But for some people, just these everyday functions can become something that changes their whole demeanor and outlook on life. The human brain consists of billions of cells called neurons. These neurons are linked by connections called synapses in which chemical neurotransmitters communicate through. The connections are complex but are organized carefully throughout a neuron. The brain in itself is a very complex thing to understand because it is always changing such as when you learn something new, the connections change to compensate your new knowledge. These changes within the connections, however, aren’t always beneficial and can result in the development of many disorders. When looking into what is known as normal brain functioning, a person’s genes and environment play a major role in the development of the brain. Genes and environment, however, can also be at fault when psychological and neurological disorders are formed. The cause of these faults can either be attributed to gene mutations, viral infections, or fetal exposure to alcohol which in return can cause major psychological disorders later in life. One particular disorder is a psychotic disorder known as schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is clinically described as “a complex and often disabling mental illness that is among the most serious of brain diseases...a psychotic disorder that causes severe mental disturbances that disrupt thoughts, speech, and behavior” (Barnett Veague, 2007). Even though the symptoms of this dis...
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... a similar fashion and at similar rates in every country and among every ethnic and religious group (Whitney Hicks, 2005). This kind of fact suggests that no matter where you are, who you are, or what you are, it doesn’t matter when it comes to the development of the disease. Schizophrenia also occurs at the same rate between males and females although the way the symptoms of the disease are expressed can be very different between male and female.
Works Cited
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"NAMI - The National Alliance on Mental Illness." NAMI. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.
Insanity, then, is inordinate or irregular, or impaired action of the mind, of the instincts, sentiments, intellectual, or perceptive powers, depending upon and produced by an organic change in the brain.
The domination of schizophrenia in specific geographical countries suggests a strong association between genetics and schizophrenia’s aetiology. Surveys regarding adopted, by different families, monozygotic twins were made. These surveys were established to investigate the relationship between schizophrenia and genes. The studies showed a potent genetic aetiology. Chances increase by fifty percent to develop schizophrenia once the other twins be diagnose with the disorder. Among schizophrenic patients, having schizophrenic siblings increases the chances of developing schizophrenia by eight percent. Other family studies have showed that 12% of children with schizoph...
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)
Coon, D. & Mitterer, J. (2013) Introduction to Psychology Belmont CA. : Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Retrieved May 07, 2014
When people think about mental illness they think about people with mental voices or psychopathic killers like Michael Myers from the movie Halloween , but not all mental illnesses or disorders are so not visible or easily distinguished. Psychological disorders can vary from as minor as drinking problems to as severe as depression and anxiety. Though all mental illnesses are severe and harmful in many ways psychiatrist and doctors still are yet to find permanent cures. There is research linked to genes, hormone problems, brain development, and environment that trigger mental disorders but no research yet indicates the true cause.
Barlow, H. D., Durand, V. M. (2012). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
There are many disorders throughout the world that affect people on a daily basis. They are life altering and life changing. They affect how a person can function on a normal level of life. This, in itself, is an interesting way of viewing the disorder, but it truly is the way that schizophrenia is viewed. The term normal is in its self a complex concept, but to understand that for the purpose of schizophrenia; normal is anything that deviates from the socially accepted way of conducting one’s self. The person affected by this disorder is drifting away from reality and, at the same time, drifting away from who they have been their whole life.
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Barlow, David H., Vincent Mark. Durand, and Sherry H. Stewart. Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2012. 140-45. Print.
Barlow, D., Durand, V., & Stewart, S. (2009). Abnormal psychology an integrative apporach. (2nd ed.). United States of America: Wadsworth
Kessler, R., Chiu, W., Demler, O., & Walters, E. (2005, June). The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America. Retrieved Febuary 13, 2011, from National Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov
In some cases the causes of mental illness primarily found inside the individual. Some of them have been associated with an abnormal balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. If they are out of balance the communication between nerve cell in the brain disrupted (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of psychiatrist, 2005). Hence, leading to symptoms of mental illness like depression, schizophrenia. On the other hand, genetics also plays a significant role to acquire mental disorder, which is passed...
Halgin, R. P., & Whitbourne, S. K. (2010). Abnormal psychology: clinical perspectives on psychological disorders (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Kessler, Chiu . et. al."The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America."NIMH RSS. National Institute of Mental Health , n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.