Schizophrenia Disorder By: David Duong Edison Thai Schizophrenia Disorder

Life in the Eyes of a Schizophrenic “Shonda has a 12 year history diagnosis of schizophrenia. Shonda is constantly preoccupied with delusions and frequent auditory hallucinations. She is under the occasional supervision of a caseworker from a local community health center. Shonda’s medication and treatment has been reassessed multiple times due to the frequency of hospitalization and number of different complaints which include auditory hallucinations and many other delusions. Shonda suffers from a pattern of confused speech often lacking orderly continuity. After interviewing Shonda for a period of more than an hour, her caseworker reports Shonda’s paranoia has her convinced that she is under the surveillance of the FBI and CIA. She has been hospitalized for many years and due to her recent escalation of symptoms she will be recommended for reassessment and an increase in antipsychotic medication.”

What Schizophrenia Means in the Eyes of a Psychology Student According to WebMD, “Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others.”

Symptoms Delusions –False beliefs that don’t make sense in the context of a person’s culture. Sometimes the psychotic delusions seem so real to them that they are convinced it’s true, no matter how unreasonable it is. Hallucinations – Hallucinations are false sensory experiences. People with schizophrenia see things that aren’t really there without being under the effects of a hallucinogens. Disorganized Speech –Schizophrenic people sometimes find it hard to talk and communicate. Flattened affect – Very emotionless or limited range of emotions Anhedonia – Failing to express pleasure in things they once found enjoyable. They can also have difficulty maintaining attention, memory problems, and lack of insight.

Causes of Schizophrenia Genetics – Parents could pass it on to their children. Brain Chemistry – An imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain including DISC1 and Dysbindin might be interfering with messages through the brain Environmental Factors- Viral infections or highly stressful situations.

Treatment Schizophrenic patients can use anti-psychotic, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. Anti-psychotic drugs include Clozapine, Seroquel, Risperdal, Zyprexa and Clozaril. The most recommended being Clozapine. The traditional anti-psychotics that help control hallucinations, delusion, and confusion include : Haloperidol, Chlorpromazine, Fluphenazine.

Facts Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was diagnosed with Schizophrenia The average rate of schizophrenia in people is 1.1% of the entire population over the age of 18 . A total of 63$ billion dollars has been used for direct treatment in just last year.

References http://schizophrenia.about.com/od/whatisschizophrenia/f/schiz_symptoms.htm http://psychcentral.com/disorders/schizophrenia/ http://www.news-medical.net/health/Schizophrenia-Diagnosis.aspx http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/default.htm