Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder characterized by a dysfunctional thinking process and withdrawal from the outside world. The word schizophrenia comes from two Greek words schizo which means split and phrenia, which means mind. This doesn't mean that a person with the disorder has multiple personalities, but rather parts of the mind seem to be operating independent of each other. The disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people and there are thought to be over 2 million schizophrenics in the United States today. Schizophrenia has been found to be a biologically based brain disease due to the imbalance of two of the brains chemicals dopamine and serotonin. In the brain of a schizophrenic there are
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Catatonic Schizophrenia has more of a physical notability. A rigid body, a very odd posture, and repetitive motioning are the main characteristics, which are together called catatonia. A Catatonic Schizophrenic is also very unresponsive to surroundings. There are 2 other types of schizophrenia, and they are Undifferentiated and Residual. Undifferentiated is characterized by symptoms that tend to match either none or more that 1 of the above types of schizophrenia. Residual Schizophrenia is characterized by rare episodes of attack and there are less severe symptoms after the initial attack.
The diagnosis of schizophrenia is not an easy process and diagnosis is looked into very seriously and extensively. Characteristic symptoms are one are looked into for the diagnosis. These symptoms must be present for a significant period of time during a one-month period. The characteristics used for the diagnosis include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms. Social or occupation dysfunction is another are for diagnosis. This may be characterized by a disturbance in one or more areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care way below a level a person may have previously been at. Duration, or continuous disturbance for 6 months of which 1 month must show symptoms, is also used to diagnose the disease. Schizoaffective and Mood Disorder exclusion
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects the brain. It interferes with mental functions in a person and may cause changes to a person’s personality. It usually starts from adolescence unto adulthood which also affects the elderly. At first the illness may be rapid due to acute symptoms or it can develop slowly and prolong into months or even years. People with schizophrenia show symptoms of hearing voices that others are unable to hear, they believe that people are reading their mind or trying to harm them. The illness affects men and women,
Another type of schizophrenia is disorganized schizophrenia. With this condition people behave oddly or disturbed, with no particular reason why they would behave in such a way. Disorganized schizophrenia has multiple symptoms to be on the look out for, and some to your surprise may be very distinct. Some symptoms include being active but in an aimless sort of way, inappropriate emotional responses. An
When I lived in Germany, I had a friend who played on my High School tennis team. On a sunny afternoon after our tennis lessons we decided to drink an ice tea and have a little snack at the tennis snack bar. We started talking about tennis strategies, but my friend, Thomas, was kind of depressed and sad. When I asked him what was really bothering him, he started tell me about his sick mother. He tried to explain her disease to me, but I could not understand it. He said, “ my mother is suffering from persecution mania and in addition, she sometimes talks about things that make no sense. Nevertheless, I saw Thomas again after the summer holidays and I asked him how his mother was doing now. He responded with a very sad voice and also had
SCHIZOPHRENIA Schizophrenia, from the Greek word meaning “split mind”, is a mental disorder that causes complete fragmentation in the processes of the mind. Contrary to common belief, schizophrenia does not refer to a person with a split personality or multiple personalities, but rather to a condition which affects the person’s movement, language, and thinking skills. The question of whether schizophrenia is a disease or collection of socially learned actions is still a question in people’ mind. People who are suffering from schizophrenia think and act in their own the world and put themselves in a way that is totally different from the rest of society. In other words, they have lost in touch with the reality. Most schizophrenics accept
Schizophrenia is classified as hysteria in our camaraderie. If you are diagnosed with schizophrenia, the world and our society now-a-days will deem you unfit and delusional. Schizophrenia is a disease that impinges approximately 1.1% of the population. I am going to be scrutinizing the effects of schizophrenia on the brain and personality. Schizophrenia is a diagnosed mental illness which is known for hallucinations (auditory, visual, tactile, sensory, etc.), and most people believe that if you are schizophrenic you are just psychopathic, and not credible. What I hope to discover is what schizophrenia actually does to the brain and personality, and if that assumption of a psychotic mentality is accurate.
Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a metal illness which is characterized by a disruption in cognition and emotion that affects the most fundamental human attributes, such as thought, perception, language, and the sense of self. There are a large number of symptoms of schizophrenia which can include hearing internal voices, hallucinations, and delusions. No single symptom can diagnose a person as schizophrenic, but rather the collection of multiple symptoms which persist for a prolonged period of time. Symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into two categories, positive and negative. These categories define how the symptoms are defined and treated.
B. There is continuing evidence of the disturbance, as indicated by the presence of negative symptoms or two or more symptoms listed in Criterion A for Schizophrenia, present in an attenuated form. Diagnostic criteria for Schizophreniform Disorder: A. Criteria A, D, and E of Schizophrenia are met. B. An episode of the disorder (including prodromal, active, and residual
Symptoms may also include obsessions with sex or feces. The simplest form is known as Simple Schizophrenia. Simple is merely a steady withdrawal from reality and results in severe apathy. Finally, Undifferentiated Schizophrenia is the only type that does not fit with the others. The patient often is affected by it suddenly and suffers a dream-like state due to major trauma, such as a brain injury or a denial of oxygen at birth. Symptoms include emotional turmoil and confusion. Although they are all different, a major common symptom for all Schizophrenia cases is violent behavior and irrational thoughts due to limited contact with reality.
Exploring Schizophrenia A disease that leads to more suicide deaths than AIDS, SIDS, and MS combined is present in one in one hundred people globally. Schizophrenia is prone to lead to long-term disability, unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, and family trauma. Ten percent of all patients commit suicide.
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.
In order for schizophrenia to be diagnosed, the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual requires two symptoms to be present for a substantial amount of time during a 30 day period. It also requires major areas of functioning to decrease, with continuous signs for at least six months (Fentress, Moller 1). Three different types of symptoms characterize schizophrenia: positive, negative, and cognitive (Richards 1). Positive symptoms refer to an exaggeration of brain function. This can be characterized by unusual thoughts, hallucinations, and delusions. Hallucinations are things a person sees, hears, smells or feels that no other person can. Hearing “voices” is the most common
There are four kinds of schizophrenia, including paranoid schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia, and undifferentiated schizophrenia. Causes are not clear, and biological, psychological and environment factors are being investigated. It is certain that there is a genetic component. (Passer and Smith, 2004)
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.
There are three major types of schizophrenia, Paranoid, disorganized, and catatonic. Paranoid schizophrenia is when an individual develops absurd or suspicious ideas and beliefs. Their hallucinations and delusions typically revolve around an organized theme or "story" which consists over time. Disorganized schizophrenia generally appears at an earlier age than other types. It causes those to have disorganized speech, behavior, and have inappropriate emotions. These patients usually have trouble taking care of them and are unable to perform simple tasks. They sometimes suffer hallucinations and delusions, but their fantasies and imaginings aren’t consistent or organized like those who suffer from paranoid schizophrenia. Catatonic schizophrenia in general is a disturbance in movement with two different states (Veague 24). Stuporous state is when there is a decrease in motor activity. During this state, a patient can cease
In some people's cases, Schizophrenia appears suddenly and without warning. But for most it comes slowly, with subtle warning signs and a gradual decline in functioning long before the first severe episode. “In the early phases of Schizophrenia people often seem eccentric, unmotivated, emotionless, and reclusive (Helpguide.org).” They may isolate themselves and not want to participate in daily activities such as playing with their children, going outside, or getting off the couch. They abandon their hobbies and they do not do well in their jobs. “The most common early warning signs of Schizophrenia include: social withdrawal, hostility or suspiciousness, deterioration of personal hygiene, having a flat and expressionless gaze, the inability to cry or express joy, inappropriate laughter or crying, depression, oversleeping or insomnia, odd or irrational statements, forgetfulness or the inability to concentrate, extreme reaction to criticism, and or strange use of words or way of speaking (Helpguide.org).” There are five types of symptoms of Schizophrenia. Positive is a symptom that involves having hallucinations or delusions. Negative is when one shows no emotion or flat behavior. Avolation is when a person shows little interest in whatever they are doing. Cognitive behavior is when you have disorganized speech or memory loss. Catatonic behavior is considered poor functioning such as your voluntary muscles