Understanding Schizophrenia Essay -- Essays on Schizophrenia

In my senior year of high school, I began to experience personalitychanges. I did not realize the signification of the changes at the time, and Ithink others denied them, but looking back I whoremonger see that they were the earliestsigns of illness. I became increasingly withdrawn and sullen. I entangle alienatedand lonely and hated everyone. I felt as if there were a huge gap between meand the rest of the world everybody seemed so strange from me. This excerptdescribes part of Esse Leete 20-year battle with schizophrenic psychosis. She committedherself to leading the fullest life her disease will allow and to educatingothers about mental illness. schizophrenic psychosis is a very unspoiled disease, butthrough defining schizophrenia and getting the patient help and treatment aschizophrenic can lead a full life.Schizophrenia is defined as any of a group of psychotic reactionscharacterized by withdrawal from reality with highly variable affective,behavioral and intellectual dis turbances by the American Heritage Dictionary.No definition of schizophrenia can adequately describe all people with thisillness. Schizophrenia is an extremely complex mental illness. It is clearthat schizophrenia is a disease which makes it vexed for the person with theillness to decide what is real and what is not (Swados 5). It is also clearthat this brain disease affects normal, intelligent people in all walks of life.There are six concrete phrases that describe schizophrenia it is a realdisease, has concrete and specific symptoms, is different from other mentalillnesses, is the dissolvent of flaws brain biochemistry, whitethorn be treated by specificantipsychotic drugs, and is almost always treatable.Scientist are unsure of the causes of schizophrenia, although researchis progressing rapidly. Scientist are almost certain that schizophrenia hasmore than one cause. One cause could be a chemical imbalance. An imbalance ofthe brains chemical system has long been suspected as the main cause of theillness (Youth 2). A second cause could be stress. Most authorities disagreethat severe stress can cause the illness. Stress can however, worsen thesymptoms when the illness is already present. A third cause could possibly begenetic predisposition. Genetic transmission has yet to be proven purge thoughschizophrenia tends to run is some families(Youth 3). F... ...hould have an interest in the illness, becompetent, and has empathy with the patients. If there is any apprehensionabout the physician/psychiatrist the family has the honorable to get a secondopinion. Assisting the doctor/psychiatrist is the third step of gettingtreatment. Since patients with the illness may not volunteer much informationduring the assessment, the family should chatter to the doctor or write a letter.In some cases, it may be necessary to send written information. Theinformation that is supplied will greatly dish the physician to make anaccurate assessment and outline a suitable course of action.Presently schizophrenia is not a curable disease, but is controllable(Youth 15). The treatment of schizophrenia could possibly be medication. Mostpatients with schizophrenia must regularly take maintenance medication to keepthe illness under control. It is difficult for the doctor/psychiatrist to knowwhich medication will work best for a given individual. Many changes in type ofdrug and dosage may be required. This period of trial and error can beextremely trying for everyone involved. Some medications have unusual anddifficult side effect