Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia General Information

Schizophrenia is a well known medical condition. It is a chronic, disabling brain clinical illness that presents several severe forms. Studies have shown that about 11 out of 1000 Americans are suffering from this medical disorder. Patients who present this medical disorder often hear voices that do not exist, think that others (generally, enemies) broadcast their thoughts, hopes and fears to the entire world. Patients with this medical condition present a rough conviction that the people around them are actually plotting to cause them harm. This is a strong barrier between such individuals and other people. For this reason, patients who are suffering from this medical condition have difficulties in trying to form a relationship with others.

Studies made regarding this disorder have concluded that early environment, genetics, psychological processes as well as social processes, neurobiology, and so on, play an important factor in establishing which patient is prone to developing this mental clinical condition. As a patient who is suffering from Schizophrenia may develop a wide range of combinations of various clinical manifestations that are associated with the presence of this medical condition, scientists are still debating on whether this disorder is a single medical condition or a number of different mental syndromes. This disorder is not the same as dissociative identity disorder (split personality or personality disorder) although they are commonly mistaken for one another. This medical disorder is known to primarily affect the patient’s cognitive functions. However, the presence of this mental illness also triggers chronic disturbances of emotion and / or behavior. Patients who are diagnosed with the presence of this medical condition also present anxiety disorders, clinical depression and / or various other comorbid medical disturbances. 

Schizophrenia Symptoms

This mental disorder is generally characterized by the presence of abnormalities of the patient’s expression of reality, of his or her perception of it. Most patients present auditory hallucinations, bizarre delusions, paranoia, disorganized thinking, senseless speech, and so on. The symptoms of Schizophrenia generally appear during the patient’s young adulthood. Almost 0.6% of young adults are suffering from this disorder. The diagnosis of this condition is generally based on the individual’s confessions and on observing the patient’s behavior. No laboratory tests are able to confirm the presence of this medical disorder.

Female patients generally present the first symptoms of this medical disorder during their twenties or even during their thirties. Male patients develop their clinical manifestations during their late teens. However, in some cases, the clinical manifestations of this mental medical condition may appear during the patient’s childhood. The initial symptoms of this medical disorder include the following signs: flat affect, cognitive deficits, social withdrawal, movement problems, disordered thinking, and so on. The presence of Schizophrenia is also known to determine the appearance of symptoms similar to those caused by paranoia. Other clinical manifestations that are present in individuals who are suffering from this clinical disorder include avolition, apathy, and so on.

In one rare subtype of Schizophrenia, the individual buries himself in muteness, stays still in odd positions, presents anxiety, agitation of an unknown cause, and so on. This form of this disorder is called Catatonia. In order for the patient to be diagnosed with the presence of this medical disorder, he or she must present symptoms such as the ones that we have listed above for a prolonged period of time (several moths at least). The symptoms of this medical disorder can also be triggered by the presence of other clinical mental conditions.

Schizophrenia Treatment

The idea of a cure for this medical condition is still controversial, as although scientists have discovered several ways to determine the remission of the patient’s symptoms, they sill were not able to determine the causes of this medical condition. The most severe cases of Schizophrenia may require hospitalization, either involuntary (civil commitment) or voluntary. The main therapy option for patients who are suffering from this mental clinical condition is an effective medication therapy. The most common drugs that have proven to be recommended in the case of Schizophrenia belong to the class of antipsychotic medicines. A therapy with such drugs is able to reduce the symptoms that are commonly associated with this medical condition. Most medicines of this kind provide their first beneficial effects after 2 weeks of therapy.

Risperidone (commonly known under the trade name of Risperdal) is a widely known Atypical antipsychoticatypical antipsychotic drug that is commonly employed in the therapy of patients who have been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Although such medicines (atypical antipsychotic drugs) are quite expensive, their effects are better than those of the older, typical antipsychotic remedies. Patients tolerate them in a better way and they do not increase the patient’s risks of developing complications such as tardive dyskinesia. However, a therapy with such medications may trigger obesity-related medical disorders, as well as rapid weight gain. Some female patients who have followed a therapy with such drugs in order to deal with their medical condition (Schizophrenia) have developed elevations in their prolactin levels.

Botch classes of antipsychotic medicines are thought to have the main beneficial effect against the possible symptoms of this medical disorder. However, cases of treatment resistance to all antipsychotic medicine have been reported. In such clinical cases, the main therapy involves the intake of Clozapine. This medicine has highly effective results; however, a prolonged treatment trial with this drug is known to possibly trigger a set of lethal medical reactions, including myocarditis.

Patients who have been diagnosed with the presence of this mental clinical condition have also been prescribed psychotherapy. This is a widely recommended treatment option that is commonly confined to medication therapy. CBT (a common abbreviation for cognitive behavioral therapy) is generally employed in order to ease the individual’s symptoms and to increase his or her social functioning and / or self esteem levels. Recent studies have proven that this treatment option is an effective remedy for the patient’s psychotic symptoms that were triggered by the presence of this mental clinical illness (Schizophrenia). Education and / or family therapy involves the participation of the entire family of the individual who has been diagnosed with this disorder. If the patient follows this type of treatment for a prolonged period of time, he or she may receive various beneficial results.