Schizophrenia as a Serious Mental Disorder - Research Paper Example

? SCHIZOPHRENIA Introduction This is a mental disorder of a complex nature. A patient suffering from the ailment has an abnormal emotional responsiveness, behaves abnormally in the social world and can not think logically. There is no cure for schizophrenia but doctors have been able to treat the patient with antipsychotic medication and psycho-social therapy. It has been found that patients introduced to the two treatments have a higher success rate compared to patient without access to such medical attention. Schizophrenia has received low funding towards research for a cure compared to other dangerous diseases. It is estimated that the cure to the ailment will be discovered soon due to advances in medical technology. Schizophrenia The disorder which is at times referred to as split personality disorder affects a small percentage of the global population. It cause can not be adequately noted, but a combination of factors has shown an increase in prevalence to the disorder. Genetic factors produce a vulnerability to the disorder with environmental factors depending on the environment the patient is exposed determining the degree of the disorder amongst different patients. There are five types of the disorder assessed by the symptoms the patient exhibits. Paranoid Schizophrenia is where the patient is occupied by many hallucinations but lacks the symptoms of disorganized schizophrenia. Disorganized Schizophrenia is where by the patient suffers from disorganized speech and behaviour. The third type is Catatonic Schizophrenia where by the patient experiences a difficulty in moving, resistance to moving, repeating words from other people, abnormal movement. For catatonic Schizophrenia, a patient exhibits two or more of the named symptoms (Harvey, 2011). Undifferentiated schizophrenia is where the patient shows the symptoms covered under Catatonic Schizophrenia and Disorganized Schizophrenia. Residual Schizophrenia is the last type and the patient in this case reflects negative symptoms. Treatment for the disorder helps the patients cope with the disorder, but since there is no cure, the patient copes with the symptoms for a life time. Prevalence The disorder is not sex or ethnic specific. It affects both men and women and all ethnic groups globally. Symptoms have been detected at age as early as 16 to 30. The difference occurs in the time taken to experience symptoms. Men have shown symptoms at an early age compared to women. The disorder has not been detected in children below the age of 15 and the probability of suffering from the disorder at the age of 45 and over is low. Detecting the symptoms at an early age is crucial for treatment of the disorder but detecting them is difficult. Predicting the disorder has become increasingly accurate with medical practitioners using family history, increase in extraordinary thoughts, withdrawal and isolation (Smith et al, 2011). Violence is not as a result of the ailment and few patients exhibit this characteristic. Substance abuse does not cause the disorder. Research has found that a high percentage of schizophrenia patient’s abuse drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes. Substance abuse is discouraged, but it is difficult for a patient to quit due to the increase of psychotic symptoms due to withdrawal (Tarbox, 2012). Impact of Schizophrenia Patients with the disorder rarely hold on to their jobs, and their treatment is relatively expensive. This causes a financial burden to people caring for the patient. Financial strain can affect the quality of healthcare the patient gets. Patients with supportive families have shown a high recovery rate and ability to cope with the symptoms. Family support is pivotal in the recovery process and the family should ensure that they provide emotional support. Patients suffering from the ailment can not maintain a relationship thus can not exist in a society. This makes it harder for them to relate to people in the work place, school or family. A family may end up being social outcasts as they avoid social events that may bring embarrassment. A community lacking education about the behaviour can be a negative environment for a schizophrenia patient. Schizophrenia patients who have mild symptoms is always emotional tormented by the probability of their symptoms (Bola, 2011). Since the cause of schizophrenia has not been accurately determined, research work has found a relationship between genetics and the disorder. This research has impacted families and relationships. Relationships with patients have reduced with spouses afraid of exposing their children to the ailment. Children may blame their parents for passing on the disorder to them. Emotional impacts also include the feeling of hopelessness, confusion and anger among the patients which may negatively impact their recovery process. Causes of Schizophrenia The cause of schizophrenia has not been established, but a number of factors can be associated to the disorder. Schizophrenia is not passes from one generation to another but patients suffering from the ailment have displayed genetic characteristics that support hereditary factors as a cause of schizophrenia. Psychological and environmental factors have been linked to the disorder. Mental disorders such as Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share the same risk genes (Kring et al, 2011). The environment in which a person lives exposes him to environmental risks that facilitate the disorder. This environmental factor may affect the patient as early as before birth. The ailment may result from ailments the mother suffered such as infections during pregnancy. Traumatizing events early in life can also cause the ailment to manifest in a child. Such events may include violence, emotional neglect or physical abuse (Mavranezouli, 2010). The brain chemistry and structure have also been studied to explain the cause of schizophrenia. According to scientists, an imbalance in the chemical reactions taking place in the brain may play a vital role in schizophrenia. Studies are going on to establish the relationship between the brain chemistry with the ailment. Postmortem done on patients with schizophrenia has also revealed a change in the brain structure. Changes may occur after or before birth. Changes before birth may result in problems leading to faulty connections between neural transmitters and glutamate. The need for research into the disorder should be addressed to explain how the ailment develops (Masi, 2011). Common treatment Since the cause of the ailment remains unknown, treatment of schizophrenia deals with symptoms that the patient shows. The oldest form of medication used to treat the ailment is antipsychotics medications. The first generation antipsychotics also called conventional antipsychotics were developed in the mid 1950’s. The second generation antipsychotics were developed in the 1990’s and was more effective than the first generation due to the technology available in designing and making the medications (Snowden et al, 2011). These medications have side effects that visible in patients that have started taking the medication. These side effects fade with time or can be successively managed by the medical practitioner. The medication changes body metabolism and can cause a patient to increase body weight. The patient may experience drowsiness and blurred vision. Dizziness spells can experience when the patient changes sitting position. Photosensitivity, skin rashes and rapid heart rate can also be experienced by the patient. Psychosocial treatment is also effective in treatment of the disorder. This treatment may incorporate family therapy, skill training or cognitive behaviour therapy. Family therapy is the most effective form of psychosocial treatment. The family members and the patient are taught how to interact to avoid hospitalization or relapse of the patient. Emotional support is an effective tool when dealing with mental illnesses (Tormoehlen & Lessick, 2010). Conclusion Schizophrenia is a dangerous disease with no cure. The cause of the disease is unknown, but can be attributed to a combination of factors. It is essential to avoid the suspected avoidable causes of the disorder. It is also vital to undergo evaluation in order to detect the ailment at its early stages. Education of the society and especially a family with a schizophrenia patient is necessary to ensure that the community understands the patient. Emotional and financial support should be offered to patients with the disorder to enable them to cope with their symptoms. References Bola, J. (2011). Antipsychotic medication for early episode schizophrenia. Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews, (11), Harvey, P. D. (2011). Mood Symptoms, Cognition, and Everyday Functioning in Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(10), 14-17. Kring, A. M., Germans Gard, M., & Gard, D. E. (2011). Emotion deficits in schizophrenia: Timing matters. Journal Of Abnormal Psychology, 120(1), 79-87. Masi, G., & Liboni, F. (2011). Management of Schizophrenia in Children and Adolescents. Drugs, 71(2), 179-208. Mavranezouli, I. (2010). A Review and Critique of Studies Reporting Utility Values for Schizophrenia-Related Health States. Pharmacoeconomics, 28(12), 1109-1121. Snowden, A., Flemming, M., Marland, G., & McNay, L. (2011). Towards concordance in schizophrenia: a case study. Nurse Prescribing, 9(5), 234-242. Smith, V., Reddy, J., Foster, K., Asbury, E. T., & Brooks, J. (2011). Public perceptions, knowledge and stigma towards people with schizophrenia. Journal Of Public Mental Health, 10(1), 45-56. Tarbox, S. I., Almasy, L., Gur, R. E., Nimgaonkar, V. L., & Pogue-Geile, M. F. (2012). The nature of schizotypy among multigenerational multiplex schizophrenia families. Journal Of Abnormal Psychology Tormoehlen, K., & Lessick, M. (2010). Schizophrenia in women. Nursing For Women's Health, 14(6), 482-495. Read More