Definition
Schizophrenia is a kind of psychotic disorder characterized by a variety of psychotic symptoms including major disturbances in thought, emotion, and behaviour.
Causes
Genetics is a very important factor in causing the mental disorder of Schizophrenia. This mental illness occurs in only a very small proportion of the general population. Some genes can cause disruptions in brain development during certain periods in people’s lives, thereby causing this disorder.
Biochemical imbalances in the brain are also another cause of the mental disorder of Schizophrenia. Two major neurotransmitters involved are dopamine and glutamate. The Schizophrenic brains tend to have less gray matter, and their brains tend to use different areas as compared to normal people. Scientists have discovered the thought and higher mental function abnormalities in people with Schizophrenia.
There are also environmental factors involved in the reasons why people are being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Some environmental factors involved are environmental toxins or deficiency in nutrition before birth, problems occurred during birth, and some other unknown psychosocial factors.
SYMPTOMS
Positive symptoms:
- Excesses or distortions
- Thought disorder
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
Negative symptoms:
- Behavioural deficits
- Avolition
- Alogia
- Anhedonia
- Flat affect
- Asociality
Other Symptoms:
- Catatonia
- Inappropriate affect
TREATMENTS
While there is no perfect cure for Schizophrenia, there are a variety of means to reduce the symptoms of the mental illness. The most common treatment for Schizophrenia is using medications. There are two types of medications. First-generation medications have severe and disabling side effects whereas the second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) have less severe side effects because the improvements that have been made by drug manufacturers. It’s important to consult with your doctors to consider all the factors to figure out the best medication for yourself. Sometimes the older medications are as effective as the newer medications depending on the person.
Psychotherapy is the second treatment that doctors want to turn to when they try to treat their patients. Doctors can teach patients illness management skills to help them better manage their own illness when they are returning to their home. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of psychotherapy that can help people with symptoms that cannot be cured by medications.
It is also helpful to conduct seminars at the hospital to educate family members about mental disorders. Consequently, family members can develop coping strategies to assist the patients in their recovery. Self-help groups can also be formed to help patients to connect with each other to discuss about their problems and seek help in their community.
REFERENCES
http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/facts-about-schizophrenia/
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=schizophrenia9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia
Davison, C. G., Blankstein, R. K., Flett, L. G., Neale, M. J. (2007) Abnormal Psychology (3rd Canadian ed.) Mississauga, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.