Common Themes Of Schizophrenia

There is a large history associated with helping profession. It was once believed that mental illness was caused by evil spirits. In early forms of treatment the focus was on eliminations of the demons within the person. One procedure used was called trephining the skull, which removed a disk of bone in the head to let the evil spirit escape. Another common treatment

Despite both individuals presenting ‘schizophrenic traits’, such as claiming to hear voices, it seems that spiritualists do not have a diagnosis of schizophrenia; instead, they are considered as sane within western society. Reasons for such a distinction is that whilst spiritualists share similarities to schizophrenics, they are very different in nature; they present a sense of calmness, organise such experiences, draw information and make sense of it. Ultimately, they are able to come away and analyse such information. In contrast, someone clinically diagnosed as schizophrenic is unable to explore, question, or resist their perceived realities, hence, act in relation to their perceived reality, that is portrayed as madness. Consequently, how people present their experiences to society, whether it be their hallucinations or delusions, will determine whether society will consider individuals as mad or sane. Leifer (1990) supported such an argument stating that it is considered ‘sane’ to pray to a God, whose existence cannot be objectively demonstrated, but, if that God answers back, it is a symptom of mental illness. Such examples of behaviours clearly demonstrate an explanation of the distinction between sanity and madness in today’s western society as being a result of social construction, where such distinction is determined by what your society deems behaviour as

It was believed that patients who suffered symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and behaviour, and other symptoms that cause social or occupational dysfunction; characterised as Schizophrenia in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), were said to be suffering from demonic possession, mental retardation, or from exposure to poisonous materials. During this time there was no social support systems such as community based treatment like we have today. In addition, treatments that where available where barbaric and ineffective in helping the

The patient is a 36 year old female who presented to the ED with acute psychotic features. The patient reports experiencing God giving her a massage and seeing butterflies. The patient reports hearing God giving her commands. The patient denies suicidal ideations and homicidal ideations. The patient reports depressive symptoms as: guilt, fatigue, tearfulness, irritability, and inflated self-esteem.

Have you ever wondered what it was like in the mind of a person with Schizophrenia? Many people don't understand what it means to have this illness. The media has twisted and turned the image of Schizophrenics, so a lot of people have misconceptions. Would you like to better understand how it feels? Just simply sitting alone in your bedroom can be easily twisted into something terrifying. Now close your eyes and imagine.

Schizophrenia is one of the disorders that have been debated over the years also it has a difficult past and it is a psychological disorder that is noticeable by numerous diminished thinking, behaviours and emotions. The individuals who suffer from schizophrenia they usually hear voices in their head, have unusual beliefs but not based on reality and have different thoughts that are based on hallucination and delusions also changing in behaviour. However, even this very day the cause of schizophrenia is still unknown. Yet the psychologist states that the cause of the disorder is the combination of genetic and environmental factors. Schizophrenia is one of the most serious mental health disorders and it is treated with combination of

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that still challenges the healthcare community today. This mental disorder has plagued people throughout history, from great artists and thinkers to your average run of the mill individual. People living with the disorder may hear voices others around them do not hear. “They may believe other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. This can terrify people with the illness and make them withdrawn or extremely agitated.” (Schizophrenia. (n.d.) Because of this internal battle, it becomes much harder for people with the disorder to hold down a job or have intimate relationships. “People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk. They may sit for hours without

People are stricken with the illness due to the history of family members who have had it, it is biological. About 2.2 million people in the United States suffer from Schizophrenia, and as many as 51 million people suffer worldwide. Yet people that suffer are being viewed as abnormal. Different treatment is required for different ages and symptoms but the most known treatments are medications, electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, or possibly even hospitalization. Although with treatment, it is an illness that is

Treatment of schizophrenia may vary according to what clinicians believe to be its causes. For example, some believe (and this is backed by evidence) that the condition is caused by over activity of the dopamine system, so that the person experiences too much stimulation. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, so that in effect too much activity is occurring in the brain. Clinicians who believe this is the case are likely to use drug therapies to correct this over activity, and will use antipsychotic drugs.

Delusion of persecution may occur in the following conditions: Schizophrenia, depression, and psychosis. Persecutory overvalued ideas are a prominent facet of the litigious type of paranoid personality disorder (Content of Delusions). Currently, there is solution that involves psycho-therapy and medications for patients with delusion of persecution in which most cases are successful with only a standard treatment although others “elaborate and develop their belief into a comprehensive system which may remain unaltered even with regular medication,” (Resolution of Delusion). Ultimately people suffering with any type of delusion holds his or her belief with the same conviction and intensity as they hold other non-delusional beliefs about

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that manifests itself in the patient by causing drastic changes in the person 's behavior and causing other symptoms that are divided into two categories: positive symptoms and negative symptoms (Mental Health America [MHA], n.d.). The positive symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized and deluded speech, and an exhibition of inappropriate laughter, tears, and aggressiveness (MHA, n.d.). The negative symptoms include having a toneless voice, expressionless face, having rigid bodies or catatonia, and extreme apathy (MHA, n.d.). Their decline in health would be evident when the patient’s symptoms start to prevent them from excelling in their work, social life, and school (Mental Help, 2009). The most common type of delusion is that of persecution and the most common type of hallucinations are auditory (MHA, n.d.). These persecution stories can be inconsistent, meaning they do not follow a timeline. In addition, the patient is unable to give a great amount of detail about who is persecuting them, why they’re are being persecuted and when the persecution started. Another type of delusion is grandeur in which people believe they are someone important such as a respectable scientist or the president. The positive symptoms are also manifested in the early stages of the disorder and the negative symptoms are presented in the late stages of the disorder. The disorder affects about 1% of the population worldwide, and

In conclusion, schizophrenia cannot be cured, but researchers and medical personnel have encountered other ways to improve many of the symptoms and problems associated with the illness. The use of medications such as antipsychotics drugs and psychotherapy help reduce the symptoms in some patients, although they do not restore the normal functioning. Having a predisposition, chemical imbalances, stress and or alcohol or drug use does not make anyone have a guaranteed development of the disease. Knowledge about this mental health illness is important to recognize it and to cope with it.

In an online article from the Catholic Education Resource Center, author Paul Burnell interviews exorcist Father James LeBar, who explains that “people suffer the phenomena without actually being possessed. An exorcism is primarily used for people who are possessed by the devil.” Burnell also interviews psychologist Father John Hampsch who credits the recent rise in people claiming to be possessed to their “involvement in the occult, with practices such as Ouija board or tarot cards or some kind of New Age practice. The other form is through some kind of sin addiction such as alcohol, drugs or pornography.” For Catholics, there has been an increasing amount of claims to possession, while priests have at the same time emphasized their doubts that most of these possessions are worthy of actual exorcisms.

The goal of this paper is to thoroughly analyze the history of demonic in comparison to the psychological illness, schizophrenia, a disorder that remains without a complete cure and is still extremely debilitating for the diagnosed if they are not receiving treatment. This will be done by describing both the origin of demonic possession and schizophrenia, identifying the way each are diagnosed, and how they are treated. I will then provide an example of an exorcism done to banish a demon where schizophrenia might have been a better diagnosis. I will finally discuss why demonic possession and the illness schizophrenia are

Possession is defined by many religions as the act by an outside force, either demonic or spiritual in nature, which takes physical control of an individual's body or an object. According to many religions and beliefs, humans, animals, places and objects alike are all susceptible to these supernatural forces. Possession can be ended in two different ways: through an exorcism as seen by the Catholic Church, or using an anti-possession symbol seen in voodoo, witchcraft, hoodoo, and shamanism. Possession is also seen, mainly in Christian beliefs as being unwanted, however there are other religions that allow and attract spirits for possession to take place such as spiritual healing mediums in Brazil (Greenfield). Anthropologists have