Introduction
Schizophrenia is a serious disorder of the brain due to which the affected persons reflect abnormality in the interpretation of reality. Schizophrenia causes, “hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking and behavior” (MayoClinic.com). This paper aims to research and analyze the causes, symptoms and the risk factors associated with the mental disease and discuss some of the prevention measures of the disease. The term schizophrenia literally means “split-mind” and refers to the “disruption if the usual balance of emotions and thinking” (MayoClinic.com). Schizophrenia is a serious condition in which the affected person requires lifelong treatment.
Main body
Schizophrenia is of particular interest to me because of the disruption of life and mental emotions which it causes among the affected persons. Schizophrenia is a brain disorder which can be controlled through effective medical treatment. The causes of the disease are not yet known to researchers and mental health professionals and the disease necessitates treatment through the entire life span (American Psychiatric Association, 1990). The onset of the disease is genrally believed to occur during adolescence or slightly later at young adulthood (American Psychiatric Association, 1990), and the symptoms appear gradually which makes the disease unnoticable to friends and realtives.
The initial syptoms include tense feelings and the inability to concentrate in addition to social withdrawal, causing severe changes in the personality of an individual. Gradually and more severely, the work performance, appearnce and the relationships of the individual begin to alter and deteriorate through manifestations of nonsensical talk and unusual perceptions of the individual (American Psychiatric Association, 1990).
People affcted by the disease may seem to appear normal but often display the ability to “think straight” and often think that they are being spied at with the intention of harm to them. patients may also tend to feel that others can “hear” their thoughts, and may have halluicantions with regard to their personalities so that they feel that they are “Jesus, Napolean or Franklin Roosevelt” (American Psychiatric Association, 1990). However, an intersting aspect of this disease is that people are not completely out of touch with reality and do very well know that they are supposed to have three meals a day and that they have to use their automobiles for driving on the streeets, which is why the disease may not be easily apparent to otehrs at an early stage (APA, 1990).
Thus, schizophrenia is an illness which may onset at adlescence or a little later and may affect the the ability to distort the perceptions of the affected indicidual. As a result, patinets affected by the disease may be unable to distinguish between the inner voice which may cause uncertainty to their perceptions and may reslut in symptoms of complete withdrawal within the patient. Sometimes, due to the severity of the disease, patinetsmay be unable to perform even the regular tasks for daily living including bathing, dressing up and speaking to socialize. The disease is a serious one due to the lifelong severity of the effects it has on the affected persons and it is therefore vital to treat it with appropriate treatment and inetrvention so that the affected individuals are able to lead normal lives to a certain extent.
References
- American Psychiatric Association (1990). Schizophrenia.
- Henley, Arthur. Schizophrenia: Current Approaches to a Baffling Problem. Public Affairs Pamphlets, 381 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016.1985.
- MayoClinic.com (2008). Schizophrenia. Web.