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Schizophrenia |
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 General Info about Schizophrenia |
| What are the causes of Schizophrenia ? |
| What are the symptoms of Schizophrenia ? |
| How can we diagnose Schizophrenia ? |
| How can Schizophrenia be treated ? |
| More valuable information about Schizophrenia |
| Frequently asked questions about Schizophrenia |
| Glossary |
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| General Info about Schizophrenia |
There are billions of nerve cells in the brain. Each nerve cell has branches that transmit and receive messages from other nerve cells. The branches release chemicals, called neurotransmitters, which carry the messages from the end of one nerve branch to the cell body of another. In the brain afflicted with schizophrenia, something goes wrong in this communication system. Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties.
Connected with the loss of memory, there is a form of insanity which occurs in young persons…. The attack is almost imperceptible…. The sensibility appears to be considerably blunted…They do not bear the same affection towards their parents and relations…As their apathy increases they are negligent of their dress, and inattentive to personal cleanliness. Thus in the interval between puberty and manhood, I have painfully witnessed this hopeless and degrading change, which in a short time has transformed the most promising and vigorous intellect into a slavering and bloated ideot.
-John Haslam, 1809
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| What are the causes of Schizophrenia ? |
The cause of schizophrenia is unknown. There are various theories to explain the development of this disorder.
Environment
Possible environmental factors include obstetric complications such as exposure to influenza during pregnancy or nutritional deprivation during pregnancy. It has also been suggested that stress and trauma can lead to the emergence of schizophrenia.
Neurodevelopmental Factors
There is a possibility that individuals who develop schizophrenia in early adult life have suffered some from of cerebral disorder in the development of their brain while in the womb.
Drug Misuse
Some research suggests that substance misuse is related to the development of schizophrenia.
Biochemical Factors
Certain biochemical imbalances in the brain are believed to be involved in the cause of schizophrenia. Neurotransmitters (the substances that allow communication between nerve cells) have long been thought to be involved in the development of schizophrenia.
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| What are the symptoms of Schizophrenia ? |
 They are usually referred as positive and negative symptoms.
Positive Symptoms, or "psychotic" symptoms, include delusions and hallucinations because the patient has lost touch with reality in certain important ways. "Positive" as used here does not mean "good." Rather, it refers to having overt symptoms that should not be there. Delusions cause the patient to believe that people are reading their thoughts or plotting against them, that others are secretly monitoring and threatening them, or that they can control other people’s minds. Hallucinations cause people to hear or see things that are not there.
Disorganized Symptoms include confused thinking and speech, and behavior that does not make sense. For example, people with schizophrenia sometimes have trouble communicating in coherent sentences or carrying on conversations with others; move more slowly, repeat rhythmic gestures or make movements such as walking in circles or pacing; and have difficulty making sense of everyday sights, sounds and feelings.
Negative Symptoms include emotional flatness or lack of expression, an inability to start and follow through with activities, speech that is brief and lacks content, and a lack of pleasure or interest in life. "Negative" does not, therefore, refer to a person’s attitude, but to a lack of certain characteristics.
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| How can we diagnose Schizophrenia ? |
It is important to rule out other illnesses, as sometimes people suffer severe mental symptoms or even psychosis due to undetected underlying medical conditions. A medical history should be taken and a physical examination and laboratory tests should be done to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms before concluding that a person has schizophrenia. A detailed family history.
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| How can Schizophrenia be treated ? |
People who experience acute symptoms of schizophrenia may require intensive treatment, sometimes including hospitalization. Hospitalization is necessary to treat severe delusions or hallucinations, serious suicidal inclinations, inability to care for oneself, or severe problems with drugs or alcohol.
Neuroleptics or anti-psychotic drugs are highly effective in dealing with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Some of these symptoms can normally be brought under control in a matter of days; others in weeks. Usually, a few months may be required to achieve a fully stabilized condition. For people with recurrent schizophrenia, neuroleptics are used to try to prevent a relapse into acute symptoms. Unfortunately, the negative symptoms of chronic schizophrenia, such as depression and apathy do not respond well to medications.
Supportive therapy involves the teaching of skills such as managing medication, learning to socialize, handling finances, and getting a job. Ideally, in-patient programs should be linked as much as possible with appropriate community-based programs to provide a continuing pattern of care.
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| More Valuable information about Schizophrenia |
Social Rehabilitation :
To make the patient function normally and become a productive member of society, social rehabilitation becomes essential. One aspect of rehabilitation is Occupational therapy, which aims at the acquisition of simple social and trade skill in keeping with the patient's capabilities so that he may be gainfully employed and resettled in life. A second aspect is Group Therapy. Through this the patient is helped to interact freely with others and thus to regain and strengthen his inter personal skills and self-confidence.
Schizophrenia is the most severe of the mental illnesses and can affect all spheres of life, including perception, thought, judgement, mood, drive and ultimately, personality.
Schizophrenia occurs in all societies at about the same rate, regardless of class, colour, religion, culture or intelligence.
The majority of people will develop schizophrenia between the ages of 15 and 25 - during their most formative years.
Schizophrenia affects both males and females alike, however, onset often occurs earlier in men than in women.
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| Frequently asked questions about Schizophrenia |
Can schizophrenia be prevented ?
There is no known way to prevent schizophrenia.
Can the medicines be stopped once the symptoms recede ?
No. Continue taking the medicine as long as the doctor advises. Discontinuation can produce a relapse.
Can a schizophrenic go back to daily routine work once treated ?
Yes, given the adequate encouragement and occupational therapy the patient can employ himself in a suitable occupation.
Can Children Have Schizophrenia ?
Children over the age of five can develop schizophrenia, but it is very rare before adolescence. |
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| Glossary |
Neuroleptics - Drugs like Anti-psychotics which reduce the features of psychosis.
CTScan - Computerized Tomography Scan.
Delusion - Fixed, irrational ideas not shared by others and not responding to reasoned argument.
Hallucination - Perceptions that occur without any external stimulus.
Neuroleptic drugs - The standard drugs currently used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Manic depressive disorder - A periodic, recurrent mood disorder with intervening periods of complete normalcy.
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