Schizophrenia And Its Treatments :: Disorder Illness Schizophrenic Medical Essays

Schizophrenia And Its Treatments Schizophrenia is a devastating brain disorder affecting people worldwide of all ages, races, and economic levels. It causes personality disintegration and loss of contact with reality (Sinclair). It is the most common psychosis and it is estimated that one percent of the U.S. population will be diagnosed with it over the course of their lives (Torrey 2). Recognition of this disease dates back to the 1800's when Emil Kraepelin concluded after a comprehensive study of thousands of patients that a "state of dementia was supposed to follow precociously or soon after the onset of the illness." Eugene Bleuler, a famous Swiss psychiatrist, coined the term "schizophrenia," referring to what he called the "splitting of the various psychic functions" (Honig 209-211). Having a "split personality" is often incorrectly associated with schizophrenia. Possessing multiple personalities on different occasions is a form of neurosis vice psychosis (Chapman). Symptoms most commonly associated with schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorder (Torrey 1). Delusions are irrational ideas, routinely absurd and outlandish. A patient may believe that he or she is possessed of great wealth, intellect, importance or power. Sometimes the patient may think he is George Washington or another great historical person (Chapman). Hallucinations are common, particularly auditory, as voices in the third person or commenting upon the patient's thoughts and actions (Arieti). Persons may also hear music or see nonexistent images (Sinclair). Schizophrenic thought disorder is the diminished ability to think clearly and logically (Torrey 2). Many times, schizophrenics invent new words (called neologisms) with unique meanings (Chapman). Often it is apparent by disconnected and meaningless language that renders the person incapable of participating in conversation and contributing to his alienation from his family, friends, and society (Torrey 2). There appears to be three major subtypes of Schizophrenia: paranoid, hebephrenic, and catatonic. Delusions, often of prosecution, are prominent in the paranoid type (Arieti). Hebephrenic schizophrenia is characterized by thought disorder, chaotic language, silliness, and giggling (Eysenck, Arnold, and Meili 961-962). In the catatonic form, the person may sit, stand, or lie in fixed postures or attitudes for weeks or months on end. The person may also have a symptom known as "waxy flexibility" in which the victim will maintain positions of the body in which he is put for long periods of time, even if they are uncomfortable (Arieti). There have been many theories to explain what causes schizophrenia. Heredity, stress, medical illness, and physical injury to the brain are all thought to be factors but research has not yet pinpointed the specific combination of factors that produce the disease (Sinclair). While schizophrenia can affect anyone at any point in