there it is (again  ).just remember i'm not a doctor, just had classes about mental health in Uni. Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe brain disease which affects about 1 percent of the population (both men and women). Those who suffer from schizophrenia often have a distorted perceptions of reality (hear voices not heard by others), can develop paranoid thoughts (may believe that other people are reading their minds, or plotting to harm them), and find it hard to function normally in social situations due to disorganized thoughts, speech and behavior. Available treatments usually involve medications and when used regularly and as prescribed, can relieve and control many of the symptoms. Causes and diagnosis of schizophrenia Because causes for schizophrenia are not fully known even to experts, it is important to rule out other illnesses before diagnosing a person as schizophrenic: Commonly abused drugs may cause symptoms resembling schizophrenia, in addition, it is sometime difficult to tell one mental illness from another - people with symptoms of schizophrenia sometime experience extreme moods and it’s important to determine whether such a patient has schizophrenia or actually has a bipolar disorder or maybe manic-depressive disorder. It is still not certain that schizophrenia is related to a defect in the brain or caused by some brain physical abnormality, studies show that it may be, in part, a disorder in development of the brain. Genetic factors and family history may suggest a schizophrenia diagnosis: it is known that schizophrenia runs in families and a child whose parent has schizophrenia has about a 10 percent chance to have it too. Other diagnosis factors include developmental background, continuous presence of symptoms (6 months or more), and deterioration from a prior level of occupational and social functioning. More about schizophrenia - Distorted Perceptions of Reality: Hallucinations, Illusions, and Delusions: People with schizophrenia may suffer from delusions and hallucinations which affects their perception of reality. Delusions are false personal beliefs or thoughts with no basis in reality. Delusions may take on different themes. For example, about one-third of people with schizophrenia patients suffer from paranoid-type symptoms, these patients often have thoughts of persecution, or false beliefs that they are being cheated, or conspired against. They may believe that they, or someone close to them, are the focus of this conspiracy. Hallucinations can occur in any sensory form (sound, sight, touch, taste, and smell), and are without connection to an appropriate source. Most common ones with schizophrenia are sound related: hearing voices not heard by others. Illusions, on the other hand, occur when a sensory stimulation occurs but is incorrectly interpreted. Living in a distorted world, people with schizophrenia may feel anxious, frightened, and confused. In part because of the unusual realities they experience, individuals with schizophrenia may behave differently at various times. Sometimes they may seem detached, distant, or catatonic. Other times they may be alert, wide awake or even agitated and move about constantly. People with schizophrenia often have trouble “thinking straight” - concentration, focus and attention problems are common as thought come and go rapidly. This “thought disorder” makes conversation very difficult and contributes to social isolation. How schizophrenia is treated Antipsychotic drugs are the best treatment available today, although they do not cure schizophrenia they, to some extent, control the psychotic symptoms by changing the balances of chemicals in the brain. Antipsychotic drugs are often effective in treating certain symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions and hallucinations, unfortunately, they are not as helpful with other symptoms, such as emotional expressiveness and reduced motivation. The large majority of people with schizophrenia show substantial improvement when treated with medications but it is said that only 1 out of 5 recovers completely. It is important to note that antipsychotic drugs are associated with side effects that may discourage a patient from taking them regularly. These may include weight gain, muscle contractions, motor problems, restlessness and sometimes addiction. Psychological and psychosocial therapy may also help those patients who have symptoms under control but need help strengthening their communication skills, social and work skills, self care, and motivation. Families sometimes have an important part in supporting people with schizophrenia and minimizing the chance of relapse. |
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