Schizophrenia

What Is Schizophrenia?

• Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder • It is classified separately from other disorders

because it is not easily categorized as an anxiety or mood disorder

• Schizophrenia is characterized by the inability to separate reality from and a non-reality

• Schizophrenia patients often experience non-existent stimuli that create perceptions of things that do not exist, such as voices

• Symptoms may include: flat effect (exhibiting no emotion), delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized thinking

Causes of Schizophrenia

• No one knows the exact cause of schizophrenia, but multiple possible factors have been discovered

• Genetics appear to play a part; someone is more likely to develop schizophrenia if they have an identical twin with schizophrenia than if they have a fraternal twin with schizophrenia

• Women infected with the influenza virus during their pregnancy are more likely to give birth to children who will develop the disorder

• Schizophrenics’ brains also contain larger fluid-filled areas than their healthy brain counterparts

The left brain is diagnosed with schizophrenia. The brain on the right is healthy. The schizophrenic’s fluid-filled areas are larger.

Johan and Ad van Bennekom are identical twins, both diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Types of Schizophrenia

• There are five types of schizophrenia:– Catatonic – little to no movement, possibly a vegetative

state– Disorganized – common archetype of schizophrenia;

disorganized thinking, flat effect, inappropriate emotions or behavior

– Paranoid – common archetype of schizophrenia; delusions, hallucinations, false beliefs of grandeur

– Residual – long-term schizophrenia where most symptoms have disappeared, negative symptoms (detractions from normal behavior) often remain such as flat effect or a refusal to talk

– Undifferentiated – does not fit in one of the above categories because the patient suffers from symptoms of multiple types

Schizophrenic Delusions

• A delusion is a false belief• Some common schizophrenic delusions include:

– Being cheated– Being harassed– Being poisoned– Being spied upon– Being plotted against

• Most delusions are very grandiose and involve the patient at the center of some large plot or scheme

Schizophrenic Hallucinations

• A hallucination is a nonexistent stimulus that is perceived as real

• The most common schizophrenic hallucination is hearing voices, however the patient may also have visual hallucinations where they see a person or object that does not exist

• Hallucinated voices often interact with the patient:– By commenting on their behavior– By ordering them to do things– By warning of impending dangers– By talking to other voices about the patient

Treating Schizophrenia

• Antipsychotic drugs have been effective in treating the symptoms of schizophrenia

• Unfortunately, these drugs can also have some mild side effects including drowsiness, weight gain, jitters, movement problems, and muscle contractions

• A possible long-term side effect of antipsychotic drugs is a condition called tardive dyskinesia where patients will develop uncontrollable movements

• Another treatment is atypical antipsychotic drugs which have less side effects and can better treat patients not treated effectively by the normal drugs

• Therapy and counseling are also effective in improving behavior as well as creating a system of support for the patient in their family and friends

How Do People Live With Schizophrenia?

• Many people diagnosed with schizophrenia are still able to live normal, happy lives

• For those diagnosed with the disorder, it is very important that they continue to take their medication and abstain from drugs and drinking

• One man diagnosed with schizophrenia presents this optimistic picture of living with his disorder:"Those early years when you are first diagnosed are very hard. Many people

are very surprised by the illness and don't know what to do. Many refuse medicines. But as time goes on, most people learn what works. They find their best medication. They find a way to live that is satisfying and doesn't stress them too much. They learn not to drink too much alcohol, and to take care of themselves. The find a good doctor, and often others help them, such as friends, priest, or counselor. People make a decent life for themselves. They find love, ,they find work....it gets better. The key is to stick with the medication, and to never give up."

Famous People With Schizophrenia

John Nash – Nobel Prize winner

Syd Barret – guitarist for Pink Floyd Mary Todd Lincoln

– wife of Abraham Lincoln

A Beautiful Mind

• The movie, A Beautiful Mind, was created based on the life of schizophrenic John Nash

• The movie drew the audience into Nash’s delusions, with the imagined people and conspiracies seeming to be completely real

• Half-way through the movie, Nash is diagnosed with schizophrenia and his delusions are revealed to the audience

• The movie then documents Nash’s struggles with his disorder and his coming to terms with it

• In the end, Nash is able to live with his schizophrenia and becomes a professor at Princeton as well as the recipient of a Nobel Prize for one of his economic theories

• The movie creates a decent portrayal of schizophrenia and helps viewers understand how reality can become so mixed up in the mind of a schizophrenic

Nash’s two main delusions as seen in the movie

Schizophrenia Trivia

• Schizophrenia, along with depression, is one of the only disorders known to exist in every culture and society around the world

• Schizophrenia affects men and women equally, but it is usually diagnosed earlier in men

• Schizophrenia has received a significant stigma in history and in modern society, further facilitating social withdrawal among schizophrenics

• Although seemingly primitive, electroconvulsive therapy has proven to be safe and effective in treating sever cases of schizophrenia

Bibliography

• Psychology, 8th Edition by David Meyers• https://health.google.com/health/ref/

Schizophrenia• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia• http://schizophrenia.emedtv.com/schizophrenia/

types-of-schizophrenia.html• http://www.schizophrenia.com/family/

FAQgen.htm#prognosis• http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/

famous-schizophrenia.shtml• A Beautiful Mind