schizophrenia
...ered normal, and reactions to other situations may seem lacking any sign of emotion. Health care professionals, friends, family, and acquaintances recognize inappropriate emotions. This is because they are ill timed, and improper, and usually cause other people to feel uncomfortable. Most normal people have a good feeling about who they are. This feeling of self often helps us to get through a day filled with many problems and many different things to do. Schizophrenia distorts, even destroys this important concept of self. These people cannot shift activities easily, or keep straight who they are, how they should act, or what they should feel at the right time. People with schizophrenia usually tell of feeling very empty and worthless. Feelings are a normal human trait, but if feelings are blocked the person may feel non-human on the inside. Imagine what it must be like to suffer from schizophrenia and constantly think of yourself as a bad, incompetent, or worthless person. Maintaining a close relationship with another person is obviously difficult with all this confusion. Such a state of constant agitation also greatly reduces the concentration a person would need to work at a job. People with schizophrenia often fail in their marriages and careers after a short time. Because schizophrenia is such a serious illness, scientists and doctors have been trying for a long time to understand what may be the cause. They now believe that the primary cause is biological abnormalities in the brain caused by genetics. But some of these abnormalities in the brain may be triggered to create schizophrenia’s symptoms. Triggers may include a difficult birth, a viral infection, poverty, physical or emotional abuse, or even living in a crowded city. The more stress factors there are, the more likely a person with a biological predisposition is to become schizophrenic. Genetic predisposition is not the same thing as directly inheriting hair, skin, or eye color, because it is uncertain whether or not a person with a predisposition will actually develop symptoms. Because of this, a study was done in the 1920’s on whether or not twins raised in separate homes would develop schizophrenia. What they found was that both twins developed schizophrenia 58% of the time, and 15% for non-identical twins. Other studies revealed that if you have one parent with schizophrenia, you have an 8-18% chance of developing the disease. With two schizophrenic parents the number rises to around 46%. Scientists have been trying for along time to pinpoint the genes responsible for schizophrenia, but have not yet come up with anything for sure. A group of scientists found 12 different chromosomes that are likely to carry genes related to schizophrenia, but nothing that can be linked directly to causing it. It is hoped that through further research, scientists will one day be able to locate the exact gene and perhaps be able to remove it using genetic modification. There are a few different types of schizophrenia, I will tell you about the three most common. The first one I will mention is catatonic schizophrenia. Catatonic people have a loss of voluntary motion and their arms and legs may hold any position in which they are placed. The person may slow down or stop completely. They may sit or stand endlessly in what is called a catatonic stupor. Sometimes the catatonic person is rigid and difficult to move. Other times he or she may seem very excited and flail their arms around for what may appear no reason. During periods of catatonic stupor, these people may be dangerous to themselves and may need help to stay safe. Catatonic schizophrenia used to be very common, but thanks to modern medicine it is rare today. The second kind of schizophrenia is called disorganized schizophrenia. All people with schizophrenia have some disorganized thinking and behavior. But there are several levels of disorganized thinking. Disorganized schizophrenia is used to refer to people who have extremely disorganized behavior. They show highly inappropriate emotional reactions, odd behavior withdrawl from other people, and continuous complaints about their health. It is identified by senseless laughter, hallucinations, and dilusions. The third type of schizophrenia is called paranoid-type schizophrenia. Paranoid individuals focus their delusions and hallucinations on a single theme or idea. They may have a conversation with someone from their imaginary world. They may become angry easily, argue a lot, and become violent. People with paranoid-type schizophrenia have highly organized imaginary worlds that they live in. They usually fear that someone is out to get them and build fantasies about imaginary enemies. For as long as scientists have been trying to understand schizophrenia, there have been other scientists trying to find a cure. Well today there has been no cure found yet, but there is medications a person can take to help relieve the symptoms. Anti-psychotic medications are used to treat psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. The psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by overactive dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain. Anti-psychotic drugs help to reduce the dopamine production and activity. There are several types of anti-psychotic drugs on the market; the first type we will look at are called typical or conventional medications. Several types of typical medications are Haldol, Prolixin, Navane, and Moban. Haldol and Prolixin are given through a needle 1-2 times a month. Side effects may include muscle stiffness, cramps in the neck, and fingers, dry mouth, weight gain, and involuntary muscle movements. All these side effects may stay forever, even after the person stops taking the medication. Another kind of ant-psychotic drug prescribed to people with schizophrenia is called atypical medication. Atypical medications were created to have fewer side effects; some of these newer drugs are called Aripiprazole, Cloaril, Risperdal, Sequel, geodon, and Zyprexa. Clozaril has most of the same side effects, that the typical medications have, but it also has a tendency to cause low white blood cells, these are needed to fight infection, and weekly blood tests need to be done to check for this. Seroquel may cause cataracts, and memory problems. Geodon is not recommended for people with heart problems, it also has many of the same side effects. Along with the anti-ps...