Name
Institution
Course
Date
Schizophrenia
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia refers to a chronic mental condition that is characterized by symptoms such as lack of inspiration, challenges in concentration and thinking, hallucinations, and delusions. Nevertheless, in case these symptoms are managed, the patient significantly improves over a given period (Owen 60). In most cases, approximately one per cent of people in the population are affected by the condition. Both men and women are equally susceptible to the disease although it tends to portray earlier onsets in males as opposed to females (Heckers et al., 12). The disorder normally appears in individuals aged 16 to 30 years. In most instances, schizophrenia begins gradually that the person fails to understand that they possess the condition. Nevertheless, there are instances when it can start instantly (Boyle 15). Scholarly evidences illustrates that the disorder is a product of erroneous neural growth in the foetus brain, which fully develops during adulthood.
Symptoms
A large per cent of patients suffering from schizophrenia are fully dependent on others since they cannot care for themselves or conduct any duty. In addition, most oppose treatment claiming that they are not sick. Other patients may display candid symptoms but in other instances, they may appear fine and describe they are going through. The impacts of this condition reach to the society, friends, friends, and families (Owen 60). Furthermore, the signs and symptoms of the disorder differ across different individuals. Notably, symptoms are categorized into four divisions, which include positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive symptoms, and emotional symptoms. Positive symptoms are also referred to as psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions while negative symptoms are conditions such as lack of inspiration, and inability to display facial expressions. Furthermore, cognitive symptoms influence the thought process of an individual hence may be negative or positive symptoms (Heckers et al., 13). They include lack of capacity to concentrate. Emotional symptoms are normally negative symptoms, which include blunted emotions. Nevertheless, the most common symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorder. In delusions, an individual portrays incorrect beliefs, which may appear in different forms. For instance, a patient may exhibit delusions of torture (Owen 62). In this regard, they sense that other persons are trying to manage them distantly. Additionally, they may believe that they possess strange abilities and powers.
Concerning hallucinations, their ability to hear voices is more prevalent that smelling, tasting, feelings, and seeing which are non-existent (Boyle 15). Therefore, such patients demonstrate a series of hallucinations. In addition, though disorder are very common among such individuals. In so doing, they may start to move from one topic to another without coherence or logic (Heckers et al., 13). Therefore, they become hard to understand or follow their conversations. In other instance, they demonstrate social withdrawal, cognitive challenges, and unawareness of disorder.
Causes
Various factors are believed to be the cause of this disorder. Studies have indicated that environmental and genetic factors play a part in the disease. For instance, an individual having a family history of the disease has a risk proportion of 10 per cent while that without family history possess a risk of below 1 per cent. Therefore, genetic inheritance is one of the contributors of the disorder (Owen 63). Additionally, the brain chemical imbalances involving neurotransmitter (dopamine) is engaged in the onset of the illness. Similarly, serotonin imbalance may play a part in the schizophrenias onset (Heckers et al., 13). Environmental factors such as viral infections and trauma trigger the onset of the infection.
Stressful conditions normally precursors of emergence of the illness. Prior to any acute signs are evident persons suffering from the disease behaviourally turnout to be unfocussed, anxious, and bad-tempered (Boyle 15). Factors such as unemployment, divorce, and relationship issues often trigger the problem. Furthermore, drug abuse is also associated with schizophrenias onset. Marijuana is linked with the causes of disorder relapses. Similar, for persons susceptible for the disease, the abuse of marijuana may activate the first episode (Owen 65). Scholars have also pointed out that prescription drugs such as stimulants and steroids can lead to schizophrenia.
Diagnosis
The illness can be diagnosed through observation of the characters and behaviours of the patient. In case where the physician believes that it is a case of schizophrenia, they ask for psychiatric and medical history (Heckers et al., 14). Tests will then follow to eliminate other conditions or illnesses, which may have similar symptoms. In this respect, blood tests, imaging studies, and psychological evaluation are conducted (Boyle 17).
Treatment
Treatment of schizophrenia is important to reduce most of the symptoms. However, for some patients the symptoms relapse throughout their lives. Precisely, the most successful treatment of the condition is often a combination of psychological counselling, medication and self-help properties (Heckers et al., 15). Anti-psychosis medications are very useful in the treatment of schizophrenia. Some of these include Risperidone, Olanzapine, Ziprasidone, and Clozapine as well as Haloperidol. The fundamental method of managing the disease is through medication (Owen 67). Unfortunately, most of the patients fail to comply with these medications, which turn out to be very costly to their families. The individuals are advised to continue with their medicine even when there are no symptoms to avoid relapse. Recovery from this condition may take long time (Boyle 19).
Work cited
Boyle, Mary. Schizophrenia: A scientific delusion?. Routledge, 2014.
Heckers, Stephan, et al. “Structure of the psychotic disorders classification in DSM‐5.” Schizophrenia Research 150.1 (2013): 11-14.
Owen, Patricia. “Dispelling myths about schizophrenia using film.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 37.1 (2007): 60-75.