Mental Illnesses Explored : Schizophrenia

“Schizophrenia,” written by Jim Stevens depicts how a person with mental illness behave. The author uses the house to symbolize the suffering that people around the sick person lives every day. In my personal experience I know that this disease is more serious than it seems to be. The affected person does not realize the harm is causing to others, and do not want to assume that is sick. Most of them refuse to receive treatment and they find people around them guilty for what is happening. Schizophrenia affects the way people interact and make them be extremely aggressive. The author portrays how the house was destroyed, and although he does not mention any specific character, the house is being destroyed with people inside of it. The author

According to James G. Hollandworth of the University of Southern Mississippi, schizophrenia is primarily characterized by a disintegration of reality perception, consciousness, and thought process which results in a debilitated proficiency in social and professional faculties (Hollandworth, 1990). While schizophrenia can most arguably be classified as a predominantly genetic affliction, there are others factors which can contribute to its development even without a genetic predisposition. These elements include birth defects such as hypoxia and low birth rate, neuroanatomical anomalies, viral infections, along with low IQ and cerebral atrophy (Hollandsworth, 1990). While these components in themselves are not sufficient enough to cause the disorder, they result in an increased risk for developing the disease. One theory for the cause of schizophrenia that has been studied with great validity is the dopamine hypothesis. This theory postulates that schizophrenia is caused by an overabundance of the dopamine-dependent areas of the brain causing an imbalance that affects the entire system (Hollandsworth, 1990). For this reason many of today’s schizophrenia treatment drugs inhibit dopamine receptor activity in an attempt to return it to its natural equilibrium. Although even with advances in modern science and new drugs being developed every day, the illness is still only treatable and its symptoms still emerge even

Schizophrenia which affects approximately 1 percent of the population, usually begins before age 25 and persists throughout life. The illness is a life long debilitating condition for about 40% of patients and is enormously costly in both social and economic terms. Despite the presence of delusions, hallucinations and cognitive impairment which characterize the illness, overall life expectancy is not altered (although there is a significantly increased risk-of suicide in the early years).

Socially the term Schizophrenia has a certain caricature about it that society has turned into a very serious social stigma. Many associate the disorder with criminals, nut houses, and extreme uncontrollable violence. Schizophrenia is portrayed in literature, and in movies so horrendously negative that those who experience symptoms of this very serious mental disorder can be in a stage of denial that can ultimately cause them to go undiagnosed, that is until something goes wrong. In spite of myths and portrayals in pop culture schizophrenia is sometimes viewed as split personality, but the root of the word comes from the Greek word schizo and phrene which loosely translates into split mind (Internet Mental Health Initiative 2010).

Mental disorders such as schizophrenia are feared because they are so misunderstood. Illness such as theses also have a negative stigma associated with them. People believe the disease is in the patients head or there are no treatments for how someone thinks. However, in the case of schizophrenia, many researchers would disagree. Researchers argue that schizophrenia is a brain disorder with brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter differences, and genetic influences. In fact, strong evidence shows schizophrenia develops in the womb.

Schizophrenia is a common neurobiological disorder, striking approximately 1–2% of the world's population, with the average age of onset between 21 and 27 years (Keefe 2). The term schizophrenia refers to an individual split off from the environment, not to be confused with the splitting of an individual's personality into parts (as with multiple or split personality disorder). Clear definitions in psychology, however, are hardly possible; likewise, one for schizophrenia has been difficult to arrive at because of the fact that there is no single symptom or set of symptoms that

Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder. It is not in the same classification as other disorders because, it is not able to be classified as a an anxiety or mood disorder. Schizophrenia has many side effects, most times, negative. Many times schizophrenics have hallucinations. Schizophrenia patients often experience non-existent stimuli that creates images that are not there, most of the time voices.

Schizophrenia as a Biological Disorder As well as the biological approaches there are physiological, psychological and environmental explanations. New theories of schizophrenia are constantly being developed each having their own advantages and disadvantages. How do we know however, which one is correct? The biological explanation suggests that schizophrenia is produced by an unfortunate combination of genes or is due to physical problems in the brain.

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.

Schizophrenia is characterized as a chronic mental disorder that affects a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior (Bartol and Bartol, 2014). Individuals with schizophrenia experience positive psychotic symptoms that consist of hallucinations or delusions. Negative symptoms may also arise such as a diminished emotional expression known as flat affect, as well as poor attention and speech production (Bartol and Bartol, 2014). These symptoms are further categorized into five subtypes that include paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual categories. A person is diagnosed with one of these subtypes depending on how severe their most symptoms are. It affects both men and women equally but tends to appear earlier in men than in women (Bartol and Bartol, 2014). To this day, it is not known what causes schizophrenia and remains to be misunderstood.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that “disrupts the function of multiple brain systems, resulting in impaired social and occupational functioning” (Lewis & Sweet, 2009, pg. 706). Lewis (2009) suggests these functions usually consist of the confluence of disturbance in perception, attention, volition, fluency and production of language, recognition and expression of emotion, and capacity for pleasure. Schizophrenia has calamitous effects on people, and such devastating illness afflicts “0.5%-1% of the world’s population” (Lewis & Sweet, 2009, pg. 706). Lewis (2009) states that people with schizophrenia are at high risk of cardiovascular disease as well as excessive nicotine, alcohol, and

Schizophrenia is a severe and persistent mental illness that crosses all racial, ethnic, cultural and demographic lines. The disease is found in all cultures throughout the world. Whether in Baltimore, Manila, or Rome the rate remains the same. According to (Kaplan, 1994) one percent is treated for schizophrenia in any one year. While it appears that schizophrenia is equally in men and women the two genders show several differences in onset and course of illness. Again according to (Kaplan) men seem to have the onset of illness from age 15 to 25 years. Women peak age of onset is 25 to 35 years.

Participants were eighty college-aged students (expected sample size) not selected at random. Instead, researchers used convenience sampling by selecting half of the participants in person by going up to students on the UT campus who did not appear to be busy, while the other half of participants were recruited through a survey link posted on a UT Facebook group. Participants were randomly assigned into four conditions, twenty participants in each group. They ranged across ages 18-21, multiple ethnic backgrounds, and a mixture of males and females.

Schizophrenia is a disorder that usually begins during the teen through adulthood cognitive developing stages. This disorder affects both female and male and can either appear suddenly or slow developing. The slow developing stage is considered to be chronic and the recovery stage is not very promising. The research that has developed over the years pertaining

Schizophrenia, like many other mental illnesses effects thought processes,behavior, and emotions. The cause of this illness is currently unknown, but is widely researched and studied. Effects caused by this disorder are tremendous. The symptoms include, but are not limited to :Social isolation, Behavioral issues,hallucinations, mood swings,slowness in activities,paranoia, and incoherent speech. Many who live with this disorder must be closely watched and taken care of to ensure their safety and those around them.