Is Schizophrenia A Unique Mental Disorder?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, schizophrenia is characterized by the development of two or more symptoms of the following symptoms in a one-month period. The symptoms most characteristic of schizophrenia are delusions, hallucinations, and/or disorganized speech. Schizophrenia has always been a disorder shrouded in mystery. There have been many hypotheses from varying perspectives proposing different sources of causation for schizophrenia. Some of these hypotheses have considerable amounts of research, while some lack support. To fully comprehend and appreciate the disorder, it is important to take into consideration its history. In this way, the full extent to which each branch of the disorder has developed can be

Schizophrenia is a very serious mental disorder. This disorder affects many people across the world as it does not matter an individual’s age, race, and their economic levels. An individual’s personality is distorted and they can lose their sense of reality where the individual has an unclear thought process, false beliefs, or even hearing voices. There have been mental disorders that add on to schizophrenia where the individual develops substance abuse, experience depression, and has an anxiety disorder and among other symptoms. Treatment for schizophrenia has come a long way in

There are three ways that symptoms of schizophrenia are categorized by; positive, negative, and cognitive. Positive symptoms are psychotic behaviors not generally seen in healthy people. These symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, thought disorders, and movement disorders (NIMH). Negative symptoms are associated with disruptions to to normal emotions and behaviors. These symptoms include “flat affect” (reduced expression of emotions via facial expression or voice tone), lack of pleasure in everyday life, lack of ability to begin and sustain planned activities, and reduced speaking. Cognitive symptoms consist of loss of the capacity for very basic human functioning. Symptoms include inability to focus attention, impaired “working memory”, and lack of fundamental individual initiative to do anything (Psychology Today). “It (schizophrenia) has definitely made everything a lot more stressful. It makes it a lot harder for me to be devoted and have the motivation to do basically anything” (Dickey, Madeline).

Roughly 1 in 100 people develop schizophrenia and it usually develops in late adolescence or early adult-hood, often between the ages of 16-30. It seldom develops after the age of 35. The development may take place over months or even years. Women develop the disease at a slightly larger rate than men; however, schizophrenia is more likely to develop in those living in poverty, among ethical/racial minorities. In the United States, approximately 2-3 million people suffer from schizophrenia. (Mueser & Gingerich, 2006)

The most common time for this disease to hit a person is around their early to mid-20’s (Schizophrenia and Psychosis Parah 13, 2014). Just like any other mental disease, there is no specific cause. Genetics, behavioral aspects, health aspects, and many other factors are thought to be a part of the cause of the disease but there is no proven evidence (Smith 2013). It is believed that a prolonged misuse of drugs or alcohol may lead to diseases such as schizophrenia (Phillips 4, 2000). If the disease runs in the family, then it is more than likely a close relative will get the disease later in life. “A child whose parent has schizophrenia has about a 10 percent chance of developing schizophrenia themselves.” (Smith 2013) Many believe that schizophrenia is inherited because genes are shared throughout the family and the mental disease is passed down through the family. Another possible cause of this disease is a bad brain development. Health professionals believe a cause may be from wrong chemical development or physical abnormality. “Neurotransmitters, substances that allow communication between nerve cells, have long been thought to be involved in the development of schizophrenia.” (Smith 2013) Due to more advanced technology today, scientists have become more aware of the differences between a healthy brain and a brain with schizophrenia. “For example, fluid-filled

Schizophrenia is developed by about 1% of the population, which is almost about 2.2 million Americans. It is known to be typical among teenagers and people in their early 20s. However, the worst part is, about 10% of people with schizophrenia decide to commit suicide and or develop problems like alcohol and drug abuse. Most of them however, prefer to be left alone and are not aggressive.

Did you know one percent of our population is schizophrenic? Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling psychiatric disorder that commonly presents during late adolescent and early adulthood (Javitt, Daniel C). Schizophrenia is illustrated by an incapacity to differentiate what is real from what is not. The way they live can affect their brain functions causing relationships to end because of the symptoms schizophrenia produce in them, but there are treatments and support that can help with the symptoms.

For over a century there has been observations and research that schizophrenia is a syndrome with a set of core symptoms. In defining what is and what is not schizophrenia it is important in the diagnostic process but also essential to determining the treatment plan and projected outcomes. Diagnosing schizophrenia is about identifying the core symptoms of the illness, while at the same time eliminating numerous other psychiatric or medical conditions that can be present in similar ways. Therefore, the proper recognition of symptoms and their relation to each other is of utmost importance. The most common signals of schizophrenia can be divided into three major categories (terms used by mental health

Schizophrenia has a worldwide prevalence of approximately 1%. Incidence of the disease is about 1.5 per 10,000 people per year. Patients are typically diagnosed during adolescence. The condition appears to be more common in men than women – men may also have a worse prognosis compared to women. Individuals with schizophrenia frequently have coexisting psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. They also have a higher incidence of suicide.

The prevalence rate in the United stated is about 1.1 % of the population. (Cite ncbi.nim.nih.gov) Schizophrenia affects various societies and does not discriminate by race class, culture, or religion. Schizophrenia has been considered to be a brain disorder and can also be seen as genetic. (Kress, V. 2014). The perception is that there are people who have a predisposition to getting schizophrenia if a relative has been diagnosed. According Having a parent or sibling who have been diagnosed increases a person chances in developing the disorder from 1% to 10%. (Kress, V. 2014) The symptoms of Schizophrenia usually begin to appear in late adolescence and early adulthood, between the ages of 15 and 25. Men tend to show signs earlier then women. There are higher incidences in males then in females.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the following features: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech, behavior delusions, and hallucinations. Delusions are beliefs that are not true, like people are trying to hurt them, believing other people can read their mind, or they have special abilities or powers. Hallucinations are hearing voices that are not there. People with schizophrenia may also see, smell, taste, and feel things that are not there. Disorganized speech is when the individual speaks in ways that are hard to understand or uses sentences that might not make sense. Sometimes the speech is completely incomprehensible.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the

The NHS has said that around 1 in 100 people will experience schizophrenia in their lifetime, with most still continuing to lead normal lives. (NHS Choices, 2015) Schizophrenia can be treated through medication or Cognitive Behavioural therapy which is given by psychologists but there is no permanent cure for the illness.

Environment plays a role in determining the severity of schizophrenia in an individual. In the text, “Schizophrenia in Focus”, it states, “An urban environment seems to particularly likely to give rise to schizophrenia” (Taylor, 2006, p. 14). This depicts that the surroundings of an individual may be a stressor for them. For instance, in urban settings, stress is higher due to noise pollution, competition, and pressure. Genetics also influences the development of schizophrenia. In the text, “Schizophrenia A Very Short Introduction”, it states, “…the risk of schizophrenia increases from approximately 1% in the general population to 50% in the offspring of two schizophrenic patients…” (Frith & Johnstone, 2003, p. 93). This illustrates that individuals with inheritances from their parents may tend to lean towards a certain mental illness. If their parents have schizophrenia, it is somewhat likely for them to also develop it. Obstetric complications also influence the development of schizophrenia. Obstetric complications may consist of problems in pregnancy, fetal growth, and delivery (Taylor, 2006, p. 13-14). It is evident that many individuals who had complications at birth showed signs of schizophrenia later in life. The season an individual was born can also trigger the rise of schizophrenia. Many individuals with schizophrenia had been born in late winter

A person diagnosed with schizophrenia typically struggles with cognitive, behavioral and emotional, occupational and social dysfunction. The essential features of schizophrenia must include at least two symptoms for a considerable amount of time during one month. These symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, highly disorganized/catatonic behavior and negative symptoms (diminished emotional expression). In conjunction with the symptoms, continuous signs of the disturbance must carry on for at least six months as well, along with the inability to function in one or more major areas (work, self-care, interpersonal relationships). Lastly, the indicators of the disorder is not caused or linked