A Thorough Look at Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia can be described as a cluster of severe brain disorders which causes a person's reality to be abnormally interrupted. This interruption results in things such as disordered behavior and thinking, delusions, and hallucinations. Most of the time, people diagnosed with schizophrenia are very withdrawn from the rest of the world, from the activities and people around them while they retreat to their own world which exists around their psychosis. Most people believe that schizophrenia is the same thing as multiple personality disorder or split personality, but, while schizophrenia literally translates to 'split-mind', it is in reference to a disturbance in the brain's usual balance of thinking and emotions (MFMER, 2008).

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder which requires treatment throughout the life of the patient. However, symptoms of schizophrenia can nowadays be managed with various available medications which can allow the patient to live a somewhat normal, productive life. Schizophrenia exists in several different forms, but symptoms of schizophrenia generally include, false beliefs not based on reality (delusions) which commonly include things such as believing that people are conspiring against you, having hallucinations such as hearing voices in your head, neglecting personal hygiene, lack of or inappropriate emotions, outbursts of anger, a feeling of constantly being watched, trouble functioning in daily activities, catatonic behavior, movements that are uncoordinated or clumsy, and social isolation. These symptoms can range from being mild to very severe. In certain cases, symptoms of schizophrenia can become a sudden occurrence while other cases involve a gradual development not noticeable at onset (NIMH, 2009).

In addition to the basic symptoms of schizophrenia, there are three categories of signs and symptoms; negative, positive, and cognitive. Negative symptoms appear in the form of a lack of emotions or decrease in behavioral abilities such as no interest in completing daily activities including personal hygiene along with social withdrawal. Positive symptoms involve strange thoughts involving a loss of reality. Such symptoms may not exist all the time and can come and go such as having delusions and hallucinations as well as disorders of thought involving speech difficulty such as stopping mid-sentence or mixing up insignificant words, and also difficulties with movement including repetitive movements, involuntary movements, or a lack of coordination. Cognitive symptoms involve attention and memory and are considered the most disabling such as understanding certain information, attention issues and loss of memory (MFMER, 2008).

There is no set cause of schizophrenia, but it is believed that the cause is somehow related to the environment as well as genetics such as problems with brain chemicals. Schizophrenia exists in about 1 percent of the population, and is much more common in families where 1 member has already had it, rising then, to 10 percent. Symptoms generally occur in the teens through the 20s in men and normally begin between the 20s and 30s in women. Even though there is no set cause for schizophrenia, there are several risk factors such as family history of schizophrenia, exposure to any diseases or viruses or malnutrition in the womb, stress, having older parents, and taking drugs that are psychoactive during the teen years (Duckworth, 2007).

Anyone experiencing these symptoms of schizophrenia should immediately seek help due to the fact that schizophrenia worsens if left untreated. However, some people who suffer from schizophrenia will not be able to recognize that they have any symptoms. When doctors are testing for schizophrenia a battery of tests are completed to rule out any other causes for the symptoms. These tests include physical exams, lab tests such as a CBC, drug and alcohol screening, and imaging tests such as MRI and CT scans. A psychological evaluation will also be completed (Duckworth, 2007).

In order to actually be diagnosed with schizophrenia, you must meet specific criteria according to the DSM (Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). The criteria for schizophrenia include the presence of at least two of the following symptoms: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior, catatonic behavior, disorganized speech, or the presence of the negative signs and symptoms. Other criteria includes the inability to complete daily activities including working or going to school, having symptoms for at least a six month time period, the ruling out of other disorders. Once a diagnosis of schizophrenia has been made, you will then be placed in one of more of the five sub-categories of schizophrenia which are: paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, residual, and undifferentiated (MFMER, 2008).

As previously stated, leaving schizophrenia untreated is not a good idea. Complications that could occur include suicide, self-mutilation, depression, drug or alcohol abuse, poverty or homelessness, conflicts within your family, and even heart disease. The best treatment for schizophrenia includes a combination of medications to cope with or reduce the symptoms as well as psychosocial treatments such as therapy. In terms of medications, antipsychotic medications are most common because they are thought to manage symptoms by manipulating neurotransmitters in the brain, dopamine and serotonin. There are two types of medications; typical antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics. Typical medications include Haldol, Thioridazine, and Fluphenazine. Atypical medications include Clozaril, Risperdal, Seroquel, Abilify, and Zyprexa. Of course all of these medications can be severe side effects which will be discussed with your doctor prior to taking them (Mental Health America, 2000).

While medications work the best at treating schizophrenia, they will have a better chance of working if used in combination with some form of psychosocial treatment. These could include individual therapy to learn to cope with daily challenges, family therapy which provides support to all involved, and rehabilitation to help the patient live independently. Regardless of which medication or form of therapy you choice, a combination is the best option and it is important to get on a treatment plan as soon as a diagnosis of schizophrenia has been reached (Mental Health America, 2000).

References:

Duckworth, K. M.D. (2007). National Alliance on Mental Illness. www.nami.org

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. January 31, 2008. www.mayoclinic.com

Mental Health America. Schizophrenia: What you need to know. 2000. www.mentalhealthamerica.net. National Mental Health Association.

National Institute of Mental Health. Schizophrenia. September 2009. www.nimh.nih.gov