Objective for awareness of Schizophrenia

The scary thing about schizophrenia is that suferers may be so confused by the
symptoms that they are unable to tell what is real and what is fantasy. For instance, when
serial killer David Berkowitz saw black dogs barking out orders to kill, he believed they
were actually there.
any schizophrenics keep their voices and thoughts to themselves, for fear of being
labeled !crazy.! "nother schizophrenic, #anice #ordan, mentioned being unable to tell her
counselors about a delusional $gure known as !The %ontroller! who barked orders at her
during psychotic episodes.
The more patients learn about the illness and its many efects, the better e&uipped they
are to handle the symptoms. 'nfortunately, taking life(long medication is also a realistic
assumption on the road to recovery.
)chizophrenia research reports some interesting $ndings. For instance, the mental illness
is largely caused by a neuro(chemical imbalance of Dopamine, )eratonin and
*orepenephrine.
+n a normal brain, the frontal lobe increases its blood ,ow and the !listening! part of the
brain diminishes. -.T scans reveal that in a schizophrenic brain, the frontal lobe is active
but the !listening! part remains /ust as active.
Family members who know about schizophrenia can learn to recognize symptoms of an
acute attack0 a change in personality, social withdrawal, sleeplessness, agitation, using
words that do not make sense and seeing things that aren1t there. +t is important to
create an environment that facilitates recovery. 2eeping peace and serenity at home,
helping the schizophrenic set realistic goals, sharing tasks, gradually increasing
independence and encouraging new hobbies can all provide schizophrenia support.
)chizophrenia is the most persistent and disabling of the ma/or mental illnesses. +t
usually attacks people between the ages of 34 and 56, as they are beginning to realize
their potential. +t afects appro7imately one in 366 people worldwide, 8one per cent of the
population9, afecting men and women almost e&ually. :hile it is treatable in many cases,
there is as yet no cure for schizophrenia.
The mind controls the basic functions of thinking, feeling 8emotions9, perception 8the $ve
senses9 and behaviour. These functions ordinarily work together, enabling us to0
tell the diference between fantasy and reality
keep an7iety at manageable levels
have appropriate emotional responses
make sense of what happens to us
maintain a stable sense of who we are
establish and maintain relationships with others
+n schizophrenia, the interaction of these mental functions is disturbed in various ways.
The word schizophrenia does not mean !split personality! but a disruption of the balance
among mental functions.
Causes of Schizophrenia
:e do not yet understand what causes schizophrenia. )cientists generally agree that
schizophrenia is a group of conditions rather than one simple disease and may therefore
be found to have several causes. +t is generally accepted by researchers that diferences
in the brain ; chemical or structural, or both ; may play a part in the disorder. <enetic
research also suggests that while no one gene has been found for schizophrenia, several
genes may cause a predisposition that can be triggered by certain life events.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
)ymptoms vary greatly. %ommon symptoms of schizophrenia are0
Delusions0 False, but strongly held beliefs, which feel entirely real to the suferer. They
can cause the individual to have a greatly e7aggerated belief in his or her own
importance, power, knowledge, abilities, or identity. )ome people have delusions of
persecution 8paranoia9(for e7ample, the false belief that they are being attacked,
harassed, cheated, spied on or conspired against by others. =ther people with
schizophrenia believe that occurrences in the outside world are referring to them 8ideas
of reference9. .7amples are believing that other people are doing things because of you
or that the T> or radio are referring speci$cally to you, often in negative ways.
Hallucinations: )eeing, hearing, feeling, touching smelling or tasting things that aren1t
there. ?allucinations have to do with the senses. ?earing voices is the most common
hallucination among people with schizophrenia.
Illusions: Disturbances in perception that are less intense than hallucinations. "n
individual with schizophrenia may e7perience periods of heightened sensory awareness,
during which sounds seem louder or sharper than usual and colours appear brighter, or
periods of muted awareness, when sensory input seems closed of. =ther illusions may
include ob/ects seeming closer or farther away than they really are, or one1s own voice or
re,ection seeming diferent or even threatening.
Thought isturbances: =ften called muddled thinking by those who e7perience them,
thought disturbances are characterized by an inability to concentrate, to connect
thoughts logically, or to think clearly. Thought processes may speed up 8racing thoughts9
or slow down, or may seem blocked so that the person1s mind feels completely blank.
Disturbances in thinking are sometimes compared to a broken $lter that allows
everything that enters the mind to have the same importance ; for e7ample, attaching
the same signi$cance to licence plate numbers as to a &uestions from a teacher.
!motional " #ehavioural %hanges0 " person with schizophrenia can e7perience
sudden, ine7plicable changes in mood, such as intense sadness, happiness, e7citement,
depression or anger that come on without reason or warning. @ack of feelings can be
e&ually disturbing. )ymptoms that deprive a person of a range of normal emotions are
often described as !negative.! The person seems less able to feel anything, including pain
or /oy. )ometimes this loss of feeling e7tends to the !sense of self!. The individual
e7periences a sense of unreality about who and where they are or where their body ends.
ore than any of the symptoms described above, the behavioural changes indicate to
others the possible presence of schizophrenia.
$n early sign of %isturbance is often social with%rawal& as the in%ivi%ual 'n%s
interactions with people an% things progressively more %i(cult. One such
common response is inability to ta)e an interest in personal hygiene an%
appearance. *ac) of energy& interest an% motivation or %ecrease% levels of
activity& movement or speech shoul% alert frien%s an% family that something
may be amiss. Similarly& behaviour patterns that are unusual in the particular
in%ivi%ual& or responses that are clearly inappropriate +e,cessive laughing or
crying in inappropriate circumstances& or e,cessive tal)ing to oneself- may
in%icate the approach of an episo%e of schizophrenia.
Treating Schizophrenia
*ew medications for schizophrenia along with better prescribing practices 8more
appropriate dosing9, make treatment more successful than in the past. )chizophrenia is
treated with medications called antipsychotics. +n the last 36 years new compounds have
been introduced that have a signi$cantly reduced side(efect pro$le. +n addition it has
been recognized that stabilization and recovery from schizophrenia are signi$cantly
enhanced with the complimentary treatment of social, employment, and family supports.
"ntipsychotic medications work on several levels. They can have an immediate calming
efect, reducing an7iety, agitation and restlessness in the person with symptoms of
schizophrenia. +t can take up to four weeks to reduce symptoms such as hallucinations.
Thought disturbances and paranoia are more resistant to medications.
)ome people are unwilling to take tablets, even for a short period, because they do not
believe they are ill, or because of a previous unpleasant e7perience with medication. +n
addition to tablets, medications are also available by in/ection every two to three weeks.
These are especially helpful for people who forget to take their pills.
-eople with schizophrenia are particularly vulnerable and need social supports ; decent
housing, income support, supportive friends and family, and something worthwhile to do.
ost people with schizophrenia become ill at the age they would be making career
choices, undergoing training and forming adult relationships. "s a result, they often lack
social and work skills. )o in addition to medication, people with schizophrenia may need
training in social skills, money management and problem(solving. Those who can work
often need further training and employment support.
Course of Schizophrenia
36 Aears @ater
BCD completely recovered
BCD much improved, relatively independent
BCD improved but re&uiring e7tensive support network
3CD hospitalized, unimproved
36D dead 8mostly suicide9
"fter 56 years
BCD completely recovered
5CD much improved, relatively independent
3CD improved but re&uiring e7tensive support network
36D hospitalized, unimproved
3CD dead 8mostly suicide9.