Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a group of psychotic disorders in which the patient has severely disordered patterns of thinking, emotions, and behaviors (Gulli, 2001). They may see, hear, or feel things which are not there (Dewan, 2001). It is estimated that approximately one percent of the population worldwide suffers from schizophrenia, and it occurs across all races, cultures, social classes, and educational classes. The male female ration is 1.2:1, and it occurs earlier in males than in females. Schizophrenic patients may have enhanced perceptions of sounds, colors, and other features from their environment, and if these patients are left untreated, they gradually withdraw into themselves, stop communicating with others, and lose the ability to take care of their personal needs.

In adults, schizophrenia is usually divided into three stages: in the first (acute) stage, the patient suffers a psychotic episode in which they lose all contact with reality, and they require treatment (Gulli, 2001). In the second phase, when the psychotic symptoms have been brought under control, the patient must remain in treatment otherwise they may suffer a relapse. The third stage occurs when the patient is on a maintenance program and the symptoms are stabilized by antipsychotic medications. However, this stability may not last, and relapse can occur.

Sometimes psychotherapists divide schizophrenia into two main types, depending on the rate of onset (G

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ia is not known (Dewan, 2001; Gulli, 2001). A major theory is that there is a connection between schizophrenia and excessive levels of dopamine. It may also be due to a combination of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental causes. The genetic factor is supported by the fact that schizophrenia is 10 time greater in first-degree biological relatives of schizophrenics than in the general population, and it is higher in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins. Another theory is that it is caused by a virus that attacks the hippocampus, the area of the brain that processes sensory perceptions, and antiviral medications are being tested in schizophrenics. Stress can also trigger psychotic episodes in schizophrenics (Dewan, 2001). Diagnosis of Schizophrenia There are no specific tests to diagnose schizophrenia, and so it is done by ruling out all other causes of the psychosis such as brain disorders, epilepsy, Huntington's chorea, etc (Gulli, 2001). When organic disorders and other mood disorders have been eliminated, the patient must fit certain criteria for a diagnosis to be made: during a one-month period they must have two or more episodes of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior, or negative sy

Category: Psychology - S