Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Schizophrenia Essay

There are many symptoms that can come with schizophrenia. So people can see and some people are not able to see. The mind of the person can be very different than what we might think is going on. The difference between inward and outward signs can be difficult for a person to notice. Even when looking at brain scans you may not be able to see what is going on in the mind and what might be wrong. The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three categories; positive, negative and cognitive.

Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder that affects the cognitive functions of an individual. The cause of this illness is unknown, but there are several theories of how an individual may acquire schizophrenia. Because there are many symptoms of the disease and because the symptoms can vary quite dramatically among several individuals and even within the same individual over time, the diagnosis of schizophrenia can be quite difficult.

A good question to ask here is how disorganized schizophrenia is diagnosed? There are a few things that need to be done in order to diagnose someone. First a physical exam is issued. The patient’s height, weight, heart rate, and blood pressure is measured. Second the patient’s complete blood count is taken to check for alcohol and drugs in the system. An MRI is then done because the physician wants to look for any brain lesions or any abnormalities in the brain. Last but not least a psychological evaluation is done by the patient being asked about their thoughts, feelings, and their behavior

Symptoms can affect people more than others, but in the end they lead to the same thing. Hallucinations and delusions are the most common symptom, it is only diagnosed as schizophrenia if it lasts more than 6 months. Some other symptoms are behavioral changes for example, social isolation, disorganized behavior, repetitive movements, self

But doctors use certain tests to make sure nothing else as at the root of the symptoms.” The doctor will begin to ask you questions about your mental health and medical history. If you are hearing voices, having odd experiences or having confusing thoughts that you can’t control. If they think you need to be further tested they may proceed with a MRI, CT scan. Those will then check the structure, function and size of your brain. From then on they will diagnose you with the Schizophrenia mental disorder if you have hallucinations, delusions. Other factors may also show symptoms of Schizophrenia but those two are the main ones that are most easily recognizable.

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.

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.

To be diagnosed with schizophrenia these symptoms have to be apparent for at least 6 months (NAMI, 2017). It is not an easy diagnosis regardless what age an individual falls into. The majority of people who suffer do not believe they have the mental disorder, this can make the diagnosis very difficult to accept. A health care provider must examine someone under the suspicion of having schizophrenia for 6 months to ensure the correct diagnosis. This is because a simple lab test or physical test can not be done to push out a positive or negative result. Brain tumors, and possible other mental illnesses must be ruled out before the health care provider makes the final diagnosis (NAMI, 2017). Once diagnosed it is easier to get treatment right away to get psychotic breaks under control, an understanding as to why they are happening and on the road for treatment.

During your lifetime, chances are you’ve probably met someone who has been affected by schizophrenia in some way and you might not have even known. So what is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a group of severe disorders involving major disturbances in perception, language, thought, emotion, and behavior. People with schizophrenia are able to control the disorder with medications and therapy and can even lead normal lives. Schizophrenia is not something everyone understands. This disorder is more than just hearing voices. To be able to fully understand schizophrenia you must know the symptoms, how it affects you biologically, psychologically, socially, and how to treat it.

There is currently no test, radiological, laboratory, or psychometric tests for the disorder. However, there differences in multiple regions of the brain when compared to normal individuals. The gray matter and white matter of the brain is architecturally different from those who do not have schizophrenia. There is also a difference in eye tracking and the volume of the brain reduces with age. There are also neurological conditions that

Depending on what type of schizophrenia a person has can determine the symptoms that they have. “The symptoms can be put into three categories which are positive symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2011). Schizophrenia can have positive symptoms which consist of hallucinations, delusions and thought disorders that can be seen in healthy individuals. Negative symptoms are constant disruption of normal behavior along with emotions. Then, the cognitive symptoms which are difficult to recognize and a majority of the time tests has to be run to determine what symptoms or what type of schizophrenia that individual has.

However, identifying this constellation of symptoms can be difficult as some symptoms of Schizophrenia last for a relatively short period of time and may not be present at the same time as other symptoms (DeLisi, 2011), while others persist for six months at a time, or longer. In schizophrenia, problems in functioning occur in two categories of symptoms: positive and negative.

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder of the brain, which is incurable but treatable to live a close to a normal life. There are different types of schizophrenia and they each have different symptoms and affect a person's life in different ways.

It states that “To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, two diagnostic criteria have to be met over much of the time of a period of at least one month, with a significant impact on social or occupational functioning for at least six months. The person had to be suffering from delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech. A second symptom could be negative symptoms, or severely disorganized or catatonic behaviour” (Schizophrenia, 2018). There are also many different types of Schizophrenia. These include Paranoid, Disorganized, Catatonic, Undifferentiated, and Residual. The most common form being Paranoid Schizophrenia. It is also very important to make sure that it is diagnosed correctly. There are other types of mental disorders with similar symptoms that could not be diagnosed as Schizophrenia. Some of these are borderline personality disorder, social anxiety disorder, and

Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that causes severe mental disturbances which disrupt ones thoughts, speech, and behavior. According to Paul Thompson, Associate Professor of Neurology, one percent of the world’s population suffers from this disorder. There is no one specific cause of schizophrenia, because it is caused by a combination of problems during development. It is a disorder which not only affects the patient, but their family and society as well. Schizophrenia can be a debilitating disorder, however, there are many treatments that can allow people who suffer from it to lead normal lives.