Schizophrenia (Essay Sample)

Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Introduction
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is categorized as a psychotic illness. It is the most feared of all mental illnesses and has troubled mankind for many years. This illness usually occurs in the early adulthood or in the late adolescence. However, the condition can also emerge at any time in life. Evidently, Schizophrenia results to results to illogical thinking in an individual that result to melodramatic and emotional responses to normal situation. For a schizophrenia patient, the brain messaging system doesn’t work properly (Jablensky).The objective of this essay is to analyze the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Schizophrenia.
Causes of Schizophrenia
Researchers propose that both environmental and genetic factors generally interact to bring about schizophrenia. This indicates that schizophrenia diagnosis though significantly influenced by environmental triggers, it has an inheritance element. This is a fact that is reliant to an individual genetic makeup (Jablensky). For example, chances of developing schizophrenia are high if in a family’s history, someone else has been previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia. As a result, this would not be avoidable by any proactive measures. Secondly, brain chemical imbalance which refers to the imbalance of dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters contributes to schizophrenia. This imbalance is majorly attributed to genetic makeup of an individual that make him or her susceptible to the illness. Thirdly, although it lacks evidence, some patients with this illness believe family tensions may lead to the trigger of relapses. Additionally, many believe that the environment characterized by prenatal or perinatal trauma and viral infections might contribute to the disease development.Schizophrenia is preceded by stressful experiences and before any acute symptoms, individuals with schizophrenia become anxious, unfocussed and bad-tempered (Stefansson 379).Lastly, some drugs like LSD and cannabis are also known to cause schizophrenia relapses.
Symptoms
There are three major symptoms of Schizophrenia. First, the patient may experience delusions, which refer to strong convictions despite superior evidence to the contrary. For instance, they may feel that things are being controlled from outside or may think that they have unusual gifts and powers. This explains why it’s common for them to describe plots against them and someeven hide to protect them from an illusory persecution. Secondly, the patient may experience hallucinations, which is characterized, by experiencing unreal voices, smell, feel and visions. Thirdly, the patient can experience thought disorder which makesthe patient jump from one subject to another for no logical reason leading to incoherent and muddled speech and in some cases believe that someone is messing with his/her mind (Jablensky 1374).
Other symptoms may include poor emotional expression where the patients lacks or has inappropriate response to sad or happy occasions. Consequently, he/she can also lack motivation which involves loss of self-drive and abandoning daily basic chores like washing and cooking.The patient can also withdraw socially because he/she believes that someone is likely to harm themor have afear of interacting with other humans resulting from poor social skills.Additionally, the patients may not believe they are ill as the delusions and hallucinations are so real for them and may decline to undergo medication for fear of side-effects (illness unawareness).Lastly, the patient’s ability to remember things, plan ahead, concentrate and organize himself/herself is greatly affected making communication more difficult.
Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
The first step of diagnosis involves doctor’s observation of the patient’s action where he enquires about psychiatric and medical history if he suspectsschizophrenia.Further, certain tests like blood tests, imaging studies and psychological evaluation are ordered to rule outother illnesses and determine conditions that may trigger schizophrenia-like symptoms (Lehman et al 23). It is equally important to establish that the signs and symptoms are not as result of a medical condition, a prescribed medication or substance abuse. The patients must also have at least two of the typical symptoms of schizophrenia, experience a considerable impairment in the ability to carry out daily tasksand the symptoms should persist for six or more months.
Treatment
Psychiatrists suggest that, the most effective treatment for schizophrenia patient...