Is Schizophrenia a Disease - Essay Example

?Running head: IS SCHIZOPHRENIA A DISEASE? Is Schizophrenia a disease? (school) Is Schizophrenia a Disease? Introduction Various discussions on schizophrenia and its status as a disease have been considered by health experts and patients alike. These issues stem from the disease process and symptoms of the disease which seem to imply issues in the validity of its diagnosis as a full-blown mental health disorder. The medical community largely views schizophrenia as a disease; however, others have raised issues in relation to the validity of the diagnosis, the issues of psycho-pharmacological treatment and its efficacy. This paper shall consider both sides of the discussion, using elements of the schizophrenia diagnosis and assessment to establish a clear and comprehensive comprehension of this issue, as well as pertinent elements which refer to its actual status as a disease. Discussion Various arguments have been established on the issue of whether or not schizophrenia is a disease. This disease first and foremost has been discussed as a devastating mental illness. Moreover, about a quarter of hospital admissions are for schizophrenia patients. However, for some experts and authors, schizophrenia is not considered a disease despite the current interventions being implemented for this disease (Szasz, 1988). In a discussion by Van Os, “mathematically, the diagnostic criteria of schizophrenia in the DSM can be combined in 114 different ways” (as cited by Metzelf, n.d). As such, based on the DSM criteria, schizophrenia can be interpreted in different ways. And eventually, these symptoms of psychosis may be eliminated. In fact, researchers point out that children who manifest with symptoms of hearing voices no longer hear it after four years (Metzelf, n.d). Moreover, people who have psychotic incidents do not seek treatment because they are no longer bothered by the disease. Schizophrenia, in effect, is not a disease according to analysts like Van Os, instead, it is a series of psychotic experiences (Metzelf, n.d). These psychotic experiences are often caused by social isolation and limited stimuli. These symptoms do not attribute to one complete diagnosis of a disease, but it has to be understood in the context of individual and separate experiences of symptoms. Kahn, another expert on schizophrenia opposes the above ideas, pointing out that psychosis is not a diagnosis and it is not a disease, but a symptom (Metzelf, n.d). Schizophrenia is, like fever, a disease. Not all people who manifest with psychosis is schizophrenic. It is a disease in itself and is characterized by the qualities which define it as a disease. Kahn also illustrates brain autopsies and scans which all establish that schizophrenia is a disease; in effect, schizophrenia is a scientifically proven disease. Schizophrenia is considered a disease of the brain. Various points may be considered to support this argument. Firstly, individuals with schizophrenia have enlarged ventricles of the brain, based on 100 different studies (Van Horn, 1992). Those afflicted with this disease, as well as those who have already been treated for this disease also appear to have an lower amount of gray matter, most particularly in the temporal and frontal lobes (Lawrie and Abukmeil, 1998). Schizophrenia patients also manifest with neurological issues (Schroeder, 1992). These neurological issues also impact on the cognitive functions, as well as information processing and verbal memory (Goldberg and Gold, 1995). These patients have also been known to manifest with lower prefrontal area functions, the area of the brain involved with planning and independent thinking. Many of these patients also have a skewed understanding of their disease and some of them do not even understanding their disease. This is known as anosognosia where the patients do not accept treatment voluntarily. These points all provide clear support for the contention that schizophrenia is a disease. Opposing points are however apparent from the various discussions of different analysts. The means of diagnosing the disease is very much questionable to some experts who claim that the diagnosis of a disease cannot just be established because various symptoms are present in a patient (Hickey, 2010). Moreover, selecting some signs from the patient would not adequately support the existence of a disease; and that these symptoms make up one disease. This process makes the concept of schizophrenia highly questionable and unreliable. Various authors also discount the existence of delusion as they essentially consider it a false belief. Moreover, a person’s speech which may be illogical at times cannot immediately be assumed as a symptom of schizophrenia (Hickey, 2010). It is important to ask why one is speaking nonsense; it cannot be considered a symptom of a bigger disease because it may be understood as a disease or an issue by itself. The arguments which support schizophrenia as a disease are however undeniable (Torrey, n.d). Modern scientific studies establish that it is a disease of the brain as evidenced by MRI and CT images where structural differences have been seen between a normal person’s brain and a schizophrenic’s brain. These images also manifest low activation of the middle frontal cortex, as well as the inferior parietal cortex (Torrey, n.d). Low activities have also been seen in major parts of the brain. Neurochemical issues have also been seen in patients with schizophrenia with these brains manifesting a different sensitivity to the neurotransmitter dopamine (Nemade and Dombeck, 2009). Support for this position has been seen in the drugs which have been seen to prevent the impact of dopamine in the brain, and these drugs have also been useful in psychotic patients. Moreover, stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine which copy the effects of dopamine have been known to cause hallucinations and delusions among non-schizophrenic patients. This neurotransmitter has also been seen deficient in Parkinson’s patients, with increased use of anti-psychotics causing tardive dyskinesia (Nemade and Dombeck, 2009). Other neurotransmitters are also responsible for this disease with serotonin and glutamate also being considered as neurotransmitters impacting on the presence of this disease. It cannot also be denied that schizophrenics manifest functional deficits as well and these deficits are issues in basic mental and physical activities, including executive functioning, maintaining attention, and making judgments (Nemade and Dombeck, 2009). Conclusion Based on the above considerations, schizophrenia is a disease. Such position is based on medical and scientific research, as well as MRI and CT findings which indicate that there are differences seen in the normal functioning and structure of the brain among schizophrenic patients. Studies also indicate that schizophrenia is apparent in terms of symptoms which are patently grouped together to establish a clear basis for a solid diagnosis. Basis for discrediting this disease is not valid because the symptoms of schizophrenia when appraised together form a coherent basis for the disease. Moreover, even those who claim that schizophrenia is not a disease are hard put to discount the psychotic experiences as not representative of one complete disease. The medical community has already treated this disease as a disease and their contentions are based on sound and scientific principles. The treatment for this disease has more or less targeted the specific symptoms for the disease, and much progress has been gained in this regard. Experts also emphasize that while the causes of schizophrenia are not definitively known, it does not mean it does not exist. Works Cited Goldberg, T. & Gold, J.M. (1995) Neurocognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia: an overview. In: Bloom, F.E. and Kupfer, D.J. (eds). Psychopharmacology: The fourth generation of progress. New York: Raven Press. Hickey, P. (2009). Schizophrenia Is Not An Illness (Part 1). Behaviorism and mental health. Retrieved 22 August 2011 from http://behaviorismandmentalhealth.com/2010/01/21/schizophrenia-is-not-an-illness/ Lawrie, S. & Abukmeil, S. (1998) Brain abnormality in schizophrenia: A systematic and quantitative review of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies. British Journal of Psychiatry 172, 110–20. Metzelf (n.d). Schizophrenia: What? How? Does it exist? Retrieved 22 August 2011 from http://www.metzelf.info/Reports/schizosymposium.html Nemade, R. & Dombeck, M. (2009). Evidence That Schizophrenia is a Brain Disease. Mental Help. Retrieved 22 August 2011 from http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=8812 Schroder, J. (1992). Neurological soft signs in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 6, 25–30. Szasz, T. (1988). Schizophrenia: the sacred symbol of psychiatry. New York: Syracuse University Press. Torrey, E. (n.d). Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are diseases of the brain. Mental Illness Policy. Retrieved 22 August 2011 from http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/medical/schizophrenia-brain-studies.html Van Horn, J. and McManus, I. (1992). Ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia. A meta- analysis of studies of the ventricle: brain ratio (VBR). British Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 687–97. Read More