Prognosis of Schizophrenia

The prognosis of schizophrenia varies from person to person. As I stated in a previous blog post, there is currently no cure for schizophrenia. Medications are given to control or suppress the symptoms of the illness. According to Emergence Health Network, in ten years after diagnosis of the illness, about 50% of those suffering from the schizophrenia will recover or manage to lead a functioning life in society under the right medication. 25% are improved but still need medical, family, or group support. An additional 15% does not improve and are hospitalized or kept in a mental institution. 10% of people that are overwhelmed by the illness see no way out and commit suicide. Although living with schizophrenia is difficult but with the right medication  and support system, it is possible.


http://info.emergencehealthnetwork.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=8806&cn=7

Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Symptoms of Schizophrenia fall into major categories. There are positive, negative, and cognitive. A person with the illness may suffer from some or all of these following symptoms. These symptoms can be more observable depending on if the person is getting the proper treatment and medications. 

Positive Symptoms: are usually behaviors not seen in people without the illness. This is when schizophrenics can not distinguish between reality and what they are imagining. This includes:

• Hallucinations- things a person can sense using their five senses (hear, see, touch/feel, smell, and taste) that others can not. For example, the most common is hearing voices that usually tell them that someone is watching and wants to harm them.
• Delusions- something that the person believes but is not real or logical and in most cases has been proven not to be. For example, a schizophrenic may believe that someone can control their behavior with magnetic waves.
• Neologism- making up words without a meaning

Negative Symptoms: disruptions of normal behavior or emotion. These symptoms often get recognized as depression which makes it harder to differentiate between the two. These symptoms include:

• Flat affect- not showing facial movements when talking or talking in a dull toned voice
• Not being interested in everyday life
• Social withdrawal or very little interaction
• Difficulty taking care of themselves

Cognitive Symptoms: symptoms involving the thought process. These symptoms are difficult to recognize like negative symptoms but can be detected by a series of tests.

• Poor executive functioning-  inability to understand information and use it to make decisions.
• Trouble focusing or paying attention
• Poor working memory- inability to use information right after learning it
• Difficulty understanding the environment
• Difficulty remembering simple tasks

http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/guide/schizophrenia-symptoms
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml#part4

Physiology of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness which cause is not specifically known. Many factors are thought to cause the illness. Having a family member with the illness increases a person's to have a likelihood to develop the illness in their lifetime. According to The National Mental Institute of Health, schizophrenia occurs in 1% of the general population. In identical twins, the risk of the one twin that doesn't suffer from the illness increases by 40-65%. 10% occurs in people that have a close relative like a parent, brother, or sister and those with distant relatives such as a grandparent, uncle, aunt, or cousin are likely to develop the illness than the general population. Another possible cause of schizophrenia is an imbalance of the  neurotransmitters in the brain like dopamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. This chemical imbalance disrupts the person's ability to process information and function properly.

What is dopamine?

 

 

 

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/get-info/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-what-you-need-to-know

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml

http://neurotransporter.org/glutamate.html

Overview of Schizophrenia

      

 

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that inhibits the way a person can distinguish what is reality and what is fictional due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Someone suffering from schizophrenia will often have a difficult time thinking, interacting with others, may have violent tendencies towards themselves or others, and can suffer from hallucinations. Schizophrenia varies from person to person. There are many different subcategories based on the severity of symptoms.

Symptoms of schizophrenia includes social withdrawal, loss of appetite, loss of hygiene, disorganization of speech, and depression. A schizophrenic may not experience all of these symptoms at once since they may occur over a period of time or even in small mild episodes. Diagnosis of schizophrenia include going to a psychiatrists or a mental health professional, patient's medical and family history, and observation. Although there is not a cure for schizophrenia, Antipsychotic medication may be given to reduce the symptoms experienced.

Living with schizophrenia is manageable depending on how severe your illness is. Despite the negative stigma that comes with the illness from society, different treatments such medication, psychotherapy, and behavioral therapy can be used to treat the illness. The key to coping with this illness is to know that you are not alone and to have some type of support. If you know a person or think you may suffer from this illness, contact a psychiatrist so that they can evaluate you.


http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/