Causes of schizophrenia from a relatives’ point of view
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia have a completely different perception of reality, such as a significant loss of contact with it for example, compared to people who do not suffer from this mental disease. They tend to panic a lot, feel like someone is trying to harm them or their loved ones, fear that someone is watching every move they make. Although they hallucinate a lot and/or are delusional, most people with schizophrenia are not violent and are not a danger to others. (Helpguide.org, 2015)
Schizophrenia is a common mental disease these days. Statistics show that the chance of developing it
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Relatives know the patients better than anyone else and might have a clearer concept as to what has caused the development of this illness, which situation in the lives of the patients has played a role as a causer to schizophrenia. They can give the doctors and researchers of this illness, a clearer look to the traumatic experiences of the patient and perhaps help the doctors find out the main cause of the mental disorder.
Given the fact that no one exactly knows why some people develop schizophrenia, researchers have come up with different theories, but none is yet confirmed. Some researchers think it is possible that the mental disease called schizophrenia is actually several diseases which, when combined, have the symptoms, known as possible symptoms of schizophrenia. (Catherine Harrison, 2015) On the other hand, there are those who believe that it is a single disease, which affects different parts of the brain.
Researchers also believe that genes are one of the causes of schizophrenia, however they are convinced that genes alone can’t be the main cause, they just make a person more likely to develop the mental disease. (Nimh.nih.gov,
Given these facts, this research paper will address this question. I will examine the effects of schizophrenia upon adults in the US. I have presented an overview of schizophrenia, the discovery of the illness. I will explain how genetics intertwined with schizophrenia. To fully explore the topic this paper will discuss the following questions.
Those that are recognized increase the possibility only by extremely small quantities. Consequently, these “genome scans” are improbable to offer a whole image of a person’s danger for acquiring a mental disorder like schizophrenia. Additionally, it possibly endures more than genes to instigate the disorder (Stefansson, Ophoff, Steinberg, Andreassen, Cichon, Rujescu, & Kahn, 2009). Experts reflect communications amongst genes and the environment are essential for schizophrenia to grow. Several environmental issues might be comprised, such as revelation to viruses or malnourishment before birth, difficulties during birth, and other not yet recognized psychosocial issues.
Schizophrenia is everywhere you look. Out of one hundred thousand people at least one hundred and fifty people have schizophrenia. Like any other disorder,
By keep a house that is quiet and calm also helps the person with schizophrenia. Family members have to change talking habits and remember that chaos only make the only makes the ill person more likely to see a relapse. It generally helps to keep voices a low level and when specking with the ill person to remember to talk one person at a time and at a reasonable pace.
Doctors do not yet know exactly what the cause of schizophrenia is. However, doctors do know genetic predisposition is a major cause of schizophrenia. Studies have
Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder. Like many other illnesses, schizophrenia is believed to result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. All the tools of modern science are being used to search for the causes of this disorder.
Experts think that schizophrenia is caused by many contributing factors according to the NIMH and Berstein. Although there is a lot about schizophrenia that experts may not know, they do know that it is a genetic disease hat runs in families. According to the NIMH, those affected individuals are highly likely to have a close relative such as a mother, father, sibling, or grandparent with the disorder. According to Tischauser, a person with one parent who has the disease is ten times more likely to develop schizophrenia than a member of the general public. Thirty-nine percent of people who have both parents afflicted with the disease also develop schizophrenia. Schizophrenia majorly affects a person’s brain. The disorder disrupts the way that the brain cells function and communicate with each other. In the affected persons’ brain, the neurotransmitters that carry signals from one cell in the brain to the other may be abnormal or the transmitter may be malfunctioning (Bernstein). It is believed that several genes are associated with an increased risk of having schizophrenia. No single gene causes schizophrenia by itself. In fact, the genetic differences may include up to hundreds of different genes and the disruption of brain development. Bernstein states that we do know that there is an affected gene that is key to making important chemicals for the brain. Also, experts say that the environment is a factor in people with schizophrenia. For example, some environmental factors may include exposure to viruses, malnutrition before birth, problems during birth and other not yet known psychological factors. According to Anushree Bose, other factors that contribute to having schizophrenia include an imbalance of brain chemistry and different structures of the brain (7). The NIMH also adds that a person’s brain who has schizophrenia will look similar to a healthy person’s brain, but only in small ways. They
Instead, schizophrenia genetics leave some people susceptible to the illness, which is triggered by environmental factors.
Schizophrenia is quite possible the most dreaded psychological disorder there is. It is also one of the most heavily researched (Myers, 477). Unfortunately there is no certain cause of this disease. Researched show that genetic predisposition enhances the probability of schizophrenia. A child who has a biological parent that has been diagnosed with schizophrenia has approximately a one in eight chance of developing this dreaded disorder (Berger, 407). In a study this is evaultion
Family therapy began in the 1950’s to help increase the family members’ understanding of the illness as well as the patient’s behavior due to the disease. It is “a form of psychotherapy that tends to focus on the family unit, or at least the parent and child” (APA P Kahn, 1993). This more or less helps the people involved with a person with schizophrenia deal with the disease whereas behavioral therapy assists the patient maintain their own behaviors to be able to live in their communities. It is also referred to as the Token Economy and works most effectively when the person is admitted into inpatient or day hospitals or are living in a half-way house. This form of therapy changes the patient’s behavior with a reward and punishment system and must be monitored and the rewards and punishments controlled. Patients must exhibit a certain behavioral change according to the program that was laid out for them and in turn will receive poker chip like tokens which can be used to buy rewards such as food, television privileges and access to special activities. This program focuses on creating the appropriate social behavior the patient needs to have to enter back into the
Schizophrenia is a very serious mental disorder. This disorder affects many people across the world as it does not matter an individual’s age, race, and their economic levels. An individual’s personality is distorted and they can lose their sense of reality where the individual has an unclear thought process, false beliefs, or even hearing voices. There have been mental disorders that add on to schizophrenia where the individual develops substance abuse, experience depression, and has an anxiety disorder and among other symptoms. Treatment for schizophrenia has come a long way in
One in four adults experience a mental health disorder every year. According to the Health Reference Series, schizophrenia affects 1.1% of the US population and the majority of those who suffer with schizophrenia go untreated or are unaware that they even have the disorder. Approximately 2,200,000 people in the United States suffer from schizophrenia, and they have a lifespan 20% shorter than those who do not have schizophrenia (Fentress, Moller 1). Schizophrenia is a unique mental disorder that is made up of distinctive characteristics, causes, signs and symptoms, and requires specific treatments.
Researchers favouring the biological explanation look at genetic factors, brain structure and biochemical explanations. Many researchers would suggest that the debate over whether schizophrenia is passed down through genetics is no longer a
2. A strong family history of mental disorders is considered as a highly probable cause of schizophrenia, while those who are much less genetically vulnerable are believed to catch the disorder through environment stressors during their lives.
(Szasz,1982, p.4, p.29) In 1900, the term schizophrenia, now used worldwide, was used to describe the condition that one out of every hundred people had. This statistic remains the same today. Through research and years of study, the world has a better understanding of schizophrenia, its forms, characteristics, symptoms, types, possible causes, and treatments, if any. ( Pierce, 1990. p.263 )