Schizophrenia: A Great Illness

Schizophrenia is a disorder that is characterized by a broken thought process and poor emotional responses. Typical symptoms of this disorder include delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, social dysfunctions,

Paranoia, hallucinations, emotional withdrawal - . fFor victims of schizophrenia everyday life is a strange and terrifying journey. Schizophrenia shatters people’s ability to feel, to communicate, to understand or interact with the everyday world. The symptoms represent what we know best about the disease however no one knows exactly why it strikes, who the next victim will be and how to reverse its life ruining effects.

Schizophrenia occurs in people from all cultures and from all walks of life. Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that affects a small portion of the population in the world. When schizophrenia is active there are many different symptoms that can appear. Some symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, trouble with thinking and concentration, and lack of motivation. When these symptoms are treated, most people with schizophrenia will improve over time with treatment. With the different studies we are able to see how schizophrenia works in different ways. The different ways being what is happening in the brain when a person has schizophrenia. Along with the different treatments from counseling to medication what works better.

First off I would like to tell you what exactly schizophrenia is. Schizophrenia is a brain disease, with concrete and specific symptoms due to physical and biochemical changes in the brain. This illness strikes young people in their prime age usually between 16 and 25. Schizophrenia is almost always treatable with medication. Contrary to what most think schizophrenia is not a "split personality", or caused by childhood trauma, bad parenting, or poverty, and not the result of any action or personal failure by the individual.(3)

By affecting these areas of the brain causes many causal factors. While it is still thought to be an imbalance of the chemicals, this disorder exhibits many associated symptoms. Because there are no tests that can diagnose schizophrenia, a psychologist must rely on analyzing clinical symptoms. One must pay close attention to the diagnosis because this disorder may exhibit the same symptoms as another disorder.

Schizophrenia is a long-term psychological disorder characterized by a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior. The disease corrupts the biological functions in the brain pathways, thus causing phenotypic symptoms to occur. Diminished and or immobile facial expression, flat or inappropriate,

Additional, inferences about the disorder are provided by Whitcomb and Merrell (2013). The authors characterize the symptoms of schizophrenia as delusions that are “typically bizarre and implausible” and pronounced hallucinations such as hearing voices for long periods of time (p. 363). Additional, impairments noted by the authors include “severe disturbances in perception, thought and affect, a severe decline in personal and social functioning, poor personal hygiene, inability to function effectively at school or work, and a severe impairment in social relationships” (Whitcomb and Merrell, 2013 p.363).

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is long-term and affects mostly adults. However, schizophrenia makes the body capable of displaying symptoms early on, possibly around adolescent years. The disorder makes it difficult to distinguish reality often causing a tainted perception of reality. Schizophrenia is defined by its symptoms of irritable feelings, hallucinations, isolation, lack of attention, and rapid thought process. While schizophrenia has no cure, it is treatable and has the ability to be tolerable. The long-term affect it has is the damaging of tissue in the brain, making it a lifetime struggle. Schizophrenia only induces itself on about 1 percent of adults in the world, however; it is still a burdensome disorder. Upon receiving

Level of functioning affects you, for example if you've had the disorder since childhood or adolescence, you are more than highly affected to not achieve expected level of interpersonal, academic or occupational functioning, It must last at least 6 months and must include one month of symptoms. First episode is currently an acute episode if symptoms are for a year. An acute episode is a time period in which the symptoms criteria are fulfilled. Individuals maybe start expressing unusual or odd beliefs. Mood symptoms and full mood episodes are common in schizophrenia. The 5 main symptoms to be diagnosed in this criteria are cognition, depression, and mania symptoms. Currently there are no radiological, laboratory, or psychometric tests for this disorder. It's on the

The diagnosis of schizophrenia is made based on a thorough psychiatric interview of the person and family members. As yet, there are no defining medical tests for schizophrenia. The following factors may suggest a schizophrenia diagnosis, but do not confirm it:

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that affects more than one percent of the population. When schizophrenia is active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, trouble with thinking and concentration, and lack of motivation. However, when these symptoms are treated properly, a large portion of those diagnosed will greatly improve over time.

When a person has schizophrenia many of their abilities are going to be compromised. Some of those abilities are that they may not be able to think clearly, manage their emotions, or have the ability to be able to make decisions (National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI], 2018). With the person not being able to have these specific abilities, they may seem like they are not in touch with reality. This mental illness is not as common as many of the other ones are (National Institute of Mental Health [NIH], 2016). This mental illness affects about 1% of Americans which equals out to be around 2.4 million adults (NAMI, 2018). With that being said many people may not know much about what schizophrenia is and how a personality develops in a person

Schizophrenia is classified as a psychotic disorder. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, in order to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, an individual must present two (or more) of the following symptoms for a significant portion of time during a one-month period: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, catatonic behavior, or negative symptoms (such as diminished emotional expression or avolition). The DSM-5, however, has a continuum (schizophrenia spectrum) of disorders that may be similar to schizophrenia disorder but not as severe or persistent.

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

In some people's cases, Schizophrenia appears suddenly and without warning. But for most it comes slowly, with subtle warning signs and a gradual decline in functioning long before the first severe episode. “In the early phases of Schizophrenia people often seem eccentric, unmotivated, emotionless, and reclusive (Helpguide.org).” They may isolate themselves and not want to participate in daily activities such as playing with their children, going outside, or getting off the couch. They abandon their hobbies and they do not do well in their jobs. “The most common early warning signs of Schizophrenia include: social withdrawal, hostility or suspiciousness, deterioration of personal hygiene, having a flat and expressionless gaze, the inability to cry or express joy, inappropriate laughter or crying, depression, oversleeping or insomnia, odd or irrational statements, forgetfulness or the inability to concentrate, extreme reaction to criticism, and or strange use of words or way of speaking (Helpguide.org).” There are five types of symptoms of Schizophrenia. Positive is a symptom that involves having hallucinations or delusions. Negative is when one shows no emotion or flat behavior. Avolation is when a person shows little interest in whatever they are doing. Cognitive behavior is when you have disorganized speech or memory loss. Catatonic behavior is considered poor functioning such as your voluntary muscles