Mental health problems are common everywhere. They affect people in many ways. Sometimes it is a condition that one can prevent. It is because one’s behavior causes it. Other times it may be uncontrollable since its causes are beyond human control. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes one have abnormal social behaviors. It makes one not to differentiate between what is real and what is not real.
The word schizophrenia originates from the Greek word skhizein and phrenos, which mean mind (Medical News Today, 2014). A human being’s brain consists of millions of nerve cells. The neurotransmitters at the ending of the nerve cells transmit messages from one area to another nerve cell in the body (Medical News Today, 2014). Schizophrenia condition attacks these nerves and which leads to a lack of transmission of messages. As a result, there is confusion in the thought process of the individual.
People suffering from this kind of mental disorder portray a sense of false belief. One believes and lives in a world of fantasy (Parks, 2011). The thoughts of the affected persons give unclear and confusing ideas. They cannot think correctly (van der Gaag, Nieman & Ruhrmann, 2014).
Sometimes they hear things that are unreal, and one observing them may think they are mad. Due to this kind of feeling, they tend to keep away from people and retreat to their comfort zones of loneliness. Sometimes they lack motivation. It can result in them giving up quickly on life.
Sometimes the patient may remain still, completely without talking (Medical News Today, 2014). They just look normal. The difference is when they talk, one discovers that their mind was very far. Other times they may begin talking, and one may not quickly understand what they are saying. It is not possible to medically diagnose Schizophrenia (Parks, 2011). The doctor only diagnoses the patient relying on the clinical symptoms. Positive symptoms are symptoms that appear that are different from people without schizophrenia (Medical News Today, 2014). An example is a delusion. Negative symptoms refer to the typical traits that an individual normally has.
One finds that these characteristics are no longer available. They consist of the loss of regular characters. An example of this symptom would be blunted emotions. Cognitive symptoms are available within a person’s thinking capability (Medical News Today, 2014). They can be negative or positive. Poor concentration is one example of a negative one. Emotional symptoms affect the normal feelings that the person exhibits. The negative feelings may include blunted emotions. The problem becomes severe in the UAE because of stigma. The lack of education also contributes to the menace. And hence, the affected people miss out on diagnosis and treatment.
The person is severely affected psychologically. It also affects his or her relatives, friends, and partners. It makes people experiencing such symptoms to become dependants. It is because they can no longer do things on their own (Medical News Today, 2014).
The causes of this disease are varied. People may inherit from their past relatives. If none of the family members has every suffered from schizophrenia, the chances of one acquiring it are minimal. But if there is a family member who has ever had this disorder, then the chances of having it are about 10% (Rector & Beck, 2012).
Research explains that schizophrenia is the result of faulty neuronal development in the brain of the fetus (Rector & Beck, 2012). As the child grows, it grows with it, and later on, life becomes a full-blown sickness. Men begin experiencing the symptoms between the ages of 15 to 25, while women start in years between 20 and 30. It is more common in males than in females. Sometimes the symptoms begin earlier. The disorder may develop for a long time that the infected person may not discover it soon (Medical News Today, 2014). It can strike so suddenly that the person suffering from it seems to be made to those close to him. It develops very fast in such a case.
Research and development have helped a great deal (van Meijel, van der Gaag, Kahn Sylvain & Grypdonck, 2004). Many patients can now receive treatment in hospitals. Since the research is still going on, many of those suffering from this sickness have to live with it for life (Medical News Today, 2014). However, the person receiving treatment can still live a productive and meaningful life among other people.
Schizophrenia kind of splits the brain functions and takes away the sufferer’s normalcy. It affects a small percentage of people globally (Medical News Today, 2014). It consists of many illnesses portraying many symptoms. A person cannot be able to think clearly, emotions become hard to manage, and decision-making becomes almost and at most times, impossible. They are unable to relate to others.
The reports released from various medical institutions only give the record of those who have suffered from the disorder at some point in their lives. So it becomes challenging to have the correct figures.
People suffering from this disorder need special care from those affected. Their hallucinations could lead them to do things that are harmful. The good news is that the condition is manageable if the infected persons can get medical care in time.
James Malote’s Struggle with Schizophrenia Disorder
James Malote loved soccer and was the captain of his class team. One day he woke up early at 5:00 A.M in the morning and did all the preparations he does when going to school. That day they had a sports competition, and his team was competing with another school. He left early in the morning for school to meet with his colleagues before classes so that they could prepare for the match.
Everyone had just assembled in the sports room and waiting for a briefing from their captain. The members had just discussed the challenge ahead while James sat down quietly. It was not normal since he always intervened to give solutions to their arguments. They waited for about ten minutes for him to talk but in vain. He remained quiet for some time and started shouting and running aimlessly from a danger that others could not see (van der Gaag, Nieman & Ruhrmann, 2014). He was trying to scare away something he called a lion, holding onto the wall and pillars referring to them as trees. He was in a world of his own.
His colleagues locked him up in the room. His parents joined him at the hospital after receiving a call from the Headteacher. The physician revealed to them that their boy had symptoms of schizophrenia and explained to them the kind of medication he needed. James received medication that would help manage his condition. The medication helped to calm him, and he started to recognize himself slowly. He was able to identify with people and could communicate with them. The symptoms were still visible.
James could not attend school as he had done before. Even though his thoughts made him think things that were not present, he still had feelings. He lost friends. He felt that the world was unfair to him. People treated him like an abnormal being because they did not understand him. Sometimes his parents had to lock him up in the garage parking to hide him from people and to keep him safe. He was hearing voices and responding to them as if the person talking to him wanted to harm him. James was hallucinating. He could point at things and animals that were actually not in existence. Then he would start running from a danger that was unknown to those who would care to watch him.
Due to stigma, his parents did not want to let him out in the open. They would rather that he stay indoors. His friends deserted him. His former teammates never visited or asked about him. They knew that if they ever discussed him, they would be scolded by their parents. Some relatives even refused to have any relations with him or his family.
Schizophrenia is a condition that makes one look isolated from others (van Meijel, van der Gaag, Kahn Sylvain & Grypdonck, 2004). It is a painful condition. It makes people misjudge one’s condition. However, if one follows the doctor’s advice and medication, one can live a healthy life for a long time.
Due to this, James became very emotional. The treatment he received from the people he called friends and relatives made him realize how serious his condition had become. He decided to keep to himself. He saw himself as a person who was now forgotten by society. When left in the house, he stayed away from the windows, and only left the room when he saw the people who cared about his condition.
References
What is schizophrenia?. (2014). Web.
Parks, P. (2011). Schizophrenia. San Diego, CA: Referencepoint press. Web.
Rector, N., & Beck, A. (2012). Cognitive behavioral therapy for schizophrenia. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(10), 832-839. Web.
van der Gaag, M., Nieman, D., & Ruhrmann, S. (2014). At risk mental state treatment update. Schizophrenia Research, 153, S41. Web.
van Meijel, B., van der Gaag, M., Kahn Sylvain, R., & Grypdonck, M. (2004). Recognition of early warning signs in patients with schizophrenia: A review of the literature. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 13(2), 107-116. Web.