Schizophrenia And Its Treatments :: Disorder Illness Schizophrenic Medical Essays

Schizophrenia And Its TreatmentsSchizophrenia is a devastating brain derangement affecting people worldwide of allages, races, and economic levels. It causes personality disintegration and lossof contact with reality (Sinclair). It is the most common psychosis and it isestimated that one percent of the U.S. population testament be diagnosed with it overthe course of their lives (Torrey 2). Recognition of this disease dates back tothe 1800s when Emil Kraepelin concluded after a comprehensive study ofthousands of patients that a state of dementia was say to followprecociously or soon after the onset of the illness. Eugene Bleuler, a famousSwiss psychiatrist, coined the term schizophrenic psychosis, referring to what he calledthe splitting of the various psychic functions (Honig 209-211). Having asplit personality is oft incorrectly associated with schizophrenia.Possessing multiple personalities on different occasions is a form of neurosisvice psychosis (Chapman). Symptoms most co mmonly associated with schizophreniainclude delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorder (Torrey 1). Delusionsare irrational ideas, routinely absurd and outlandish. A patient may believethat he or she is possessed of big(p) wealth, intellect, importance or power.Sometimes the patient may think he is George Washington or another greathistorical person (Chapman). Hallucinations are common, specially auditory,as voices in the third person or commenting upon the patients thoughts andactions (Arieti). Persons may also hear music or see nonexistent images(Sinclair). Schizophrenic thought disorder is the diminished ability to thinkclearly and logically (Torrey 2). Many times, schizophrenics invent new words(called neologisms) with unique meanings (Chapman). Often it is apparent bydisconnected and nonmeaningful language that renders the person incapable ofparticipating in conversation and contributing to his alienation from his family,friends, and society (Torrey 2). There appears to b e three major subtypes ofSchizophrenia paranoid, hebephrenic, and catatonic. Delusions, often ofprosecution, are prominent in the paranoid type (Arieti). Hebephrenicschizophrenia is characterized by thought disorder, chaotic language, silliness,and giggling (Eysenck, Arnold, and Meili 961-962). In the catatonic form, theperson may sit, stand, or lie in fixed postures or attitudes for weeks or monthson end. The person may also perplex a symptom known as fictile flexibility in whichthe victim will maintain positions of the body in which he is put for longperiods of time, even if they are uncomfortable (Arieti). There have been manytheories to explain what causes schizophrenia. Heredity, stress, medicalillness, and physical injury to the brain are all thought to be factors butresearch has not yet pinpointed the peculiar(prenominal) combination of factors that producethe disease (Sinclair). While schizophrenia can affect anyone at any point in