Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has affected people throughout history. The sufferers feel that everybody tries to read and threat his or her mind. So it make the sufferers are agitated. It influences the way they talk because they will think very carefully before talking, so you see them very quiet. Therefore, in families and society, they feel uncomfortable and so do the families and society. Most of the sufferers of Schizophrenia try to treat their self through the lives. Through it all, some researchers develop some treatments to the sufferers that may prevent and better treat the illness.

There are three kinds of symptoms of schizophrenia, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms.

1.      Positive symptoms actually are usually seemed as “insanity” behaviors. It is divided into four types.

a)      The first one is Hallucinations. Hallucinations are things a person sees, hears, smells, or feels that no one else can see, hear, smell, or feel. “Voices” are the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia. The voices talk about the behaviors, warnings, or something to do.

b)      The second one is Delusions. Delusions are false beliefs that are not part of the person’s culture and do not change. The sufferers believe the delusions even after other people prove that the beliefs are not true or logical. They may have paranoid delusions and it is called “delusions of persecution.”

c)      The third is Thought Disorder. It is unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking. The sufferers talk illogically and garble. If they were asked to stop talking (Thought Blocking), they would say that the thought had been taken out of their head. Finally, they might make up meaningless words, or “neologisms (making new word)”

d)     The last one is Movement Disorders. It may appear as agitated body movements. A person with a movement disorder may repeat certain motions over and over. In the other extreme, a person may become catatonic.

2.      Negative symptoms have relationship to abnormal emotions and behaviors. The symptoms include the following:

a)      “Flat affect” (a person’s face does not move or he or she talks in a dull or monotonous voice)

b)      Lack of pleasure in everyday life

c)      Lack of ability to begin and sustain planned activities

d)     Speaking little, even when forced to interact.

3.      Cognitive symptoms are subtle. It often makes the life abnormal and can cause great emotional distress. It includes the following:

a)      Poor “executive functioning” (the ability to understand information and use it to make decisions)

b)      Trouble focusing or paying attention

c)      Problems with “working memory” (the ability to use information immediately after learning it).

Schizophrenia can affect either men or women. Hallucination and Delusion usually start between ages 16 and 30. Children rarely get Schizophrenia and people rarely get schizophrenia after 45. Teenagers are difficult to diagnose getting it because their common behaviors are same with the symptoms like withdrawing from others, an increase in unusual thoughts and suspicions, and a family history of psychosis. For young people who develop the disease, the stage, is called the “Prodromal” period.

People with schizophrenia are not usually violent but some symptoms are associated with violence, such as delusions of persecution. Substance abuse may also increase the chance a person will become violent. Most researchers do not believe that substance abuse causes schizophrenia. Substance abuse can make treatment for schizophrenia less effective. Some drugs, like marijuana and stimulants such as amphetamines or cocaine, may make symptoms worse. The relationship between smoking and schizophrenia is complex. Smoking may make antipsychotic drugs less effective. Addiction to nicotine is the most common form of substance abuse in people with schizophrenia. They are addicted 75 to 90 percent vs. 25 to 30 percent.

Actually, Schizophrenia is caused by several factors:

1.      The first is genes and environment; Schizophrenia is only 1 percent in the world, 10 percent is inherited from families and the highest risk is from an identical twin with Schizophrenia, it is about 40 to 65 percent. Beside the genes factor, many environmental factors may be involved, such as exposure to viruses or malnutrition before birth, problems during birth, and other not yet known psychosocial factors.

2.      The second is different brain chemistry and structure. Imbalance brain’s chemicals like neurotransmitters (substances that allow brain cells to communicate with each other), dopamine, and glutamate, plays a role in schizophrenia. Some experts think problems during brain development before birth may lead to faulty connections and it will show in the puberty because major change happens here and could trigger psychotic symptoms.

Because the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Treatments include antipsychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments.

1.      Antipsychotic medications have been available since the mid-1950’s. The older types are called conventional or “typical” antipsychotics. Some of the more commonly used typical medications include Chlorpromazine (Thorazine), Haloperidol (Haldol), Perphenazine (Etrafon, Trilafon), and Fluphenazine (Prolixin).

2.      “Atypical” Antipsychotics developed in the 1990’s. One of these medications, Clozapine (Clozaril) is an effective medication that treats psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, and breaks with reality. However, Clozapine can sometimes cause a serious problem called Agranulocytosis (a loss of the white blood cells that help a person fight infection). Besides that, Clozapine is potentially helpful for people who do not respond to other antipsychotic medications. The other medications include Risperidone (Risperdal), Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Ziprasidone (Geodon), Aripiprazole (Abilify), and Paliperidone (Invega). People who are taking antipsychotics have some side effects like Drowsiness, Dizziness when changing positions, Blurred vision, Rapid heartbeat, Sensitivity to the sun, Skin rashes, and menstrual problems for women. It also disturbs metabolism and risks of getting cholesterol, suggested to check the weight, glucose levels, and lipid levels to a doctor. Typical antipsychotic medications can cause side effects related to physical movement, such as Rigidity, Persistent muscle spasms, Tremors, and Restlessness. Long-term use of typical antipsychotic medications may lead to a condition called Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) and it causes muscle movements a person cannot control. Therefore, Antipsychotics is usually in pill or liquid form and shots once or twice a month.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia may have a relapse and get worse. Usually, relapses happen when people stop taking their medication without recommendation of the doctor. The sufferers should be aware with the other medicines because Antipsychotics can produce unpleasant or dangerous side effects when taken with certain medications. To find out more about how antipsychotics work, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded a study called CATIE (Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness). The study found the older typical antipsychotic Perphenazine (Trilafon) that worked as well as the newer, atypical medications.

Psychosocial treatments also can help people with schizophrenia that is already stabilized on antipsychotic medication. There are six psychosocial treatments:

a)      Illness management skill, it giving the knowledge all about Schizophrenia, and it makes the patients can learn to prevent relapses.

b)      Integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse. When schizophrenia treatment programs and drug treatment programs are used together, patients get better results.

c)      Rehabilitation. It emphasizes social and vocational training to help people with schizophrenia function better in their communities.

d)     Family education. Family should know about the disease because after discharging from hospital they have to treat.

e)      Cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on thinking and behavior. The therapist teaches people with schizophrenia how to test the reality of their thoughts and perceptions, how to “not listen” to their voices, and how to manage their symptoms overall.

f)       Self-help groups. It is not included the professional therapy, people in self-help groups know that others are facing the same problems, which can help everyone feel less isolated.

People with schizophrenia may not think they need help because they believe their delusions or hallucinations are real. Family and friend should give support, and if they were dangerous, just call the police to take them to hospital. The doctor will need some information from family and friends to help a mental health of the sufferers. After he or she leaves the hospital, family and friends can help for the treatment. If patients stop taking their medication or stop going to follow-up appointments, their symptoms likely will return. Sometimes symptoms become severe for people who stop their medication and treatment. Giving them some supports about life is one solution.

The outlook for people with schizophrenia continues to improve. Although there is no cure, treatments that work well are available. Many people with schizophrenia improve enough to lead independent, satisfying lives.