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Schizophrenia: The Modern Definition

Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder that makes the affected people act abnormality and create a world of their own where they can escape. Schizophrenia causes “hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking and behavior” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008). The paper aims at researching and analyzing the causes, symptoms and the risk factors associated with the mental disease and discussing some of the prevention measures of the disease. The term schizophrenia literally means “splitmind”, and refers to the “disruption if the usual balance of emotions and thinking” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2008). Schizophrenia is a serious condition in which the affected person requires a lifelong treatment.

Schizophrenia causes the disruption of life and mental changes to the affected people. Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that can be controlled with the help of effective medical treatment. The causes of the disease are not yet known to researchers, mental health professionals, and the disease necessitates lifelong treatment (American Psychiatric Association, 1990). The onset of the disease is generally believed to occur during adolescence or slightly later at young adulthood (American Psychiatric Association, 1990), and the symptoms appear gradually, which makes the disease unnoticeable to friends and relatives.

The initial symptoms include an increasing feeling of tension and inability to concentrate; combined with social withdrawal, the disease causes severe changes in the personality of an individual. Gradually and more severely, the work performance, appearance and the relationships of the individual begin to alter and deteriorate through manifestations of nonsensical talk and unusual perceptions of the individual (American Psychiatric Association, 1990).

People affected by the disease may seem to appear normal but often display the disability to “think straight”. They often think that they are being spied at and fear that the “spies” can cause them harm. Patients may also tend to feel that others can “hear” their thoughts, and may hallucinate with regard to their personalities, making the consider themselves as “Jesus, Napoleon or Franklin Roosevelt” (American Psychiatric Association, 1990). However, it is quite peculiar that people affected by schizophrenia are not completely out of touch with reality and know quite well that they are supposed to have three meals a day and use their automobiles for driving on the streets, which is why the disease may not be apparent to others at an early stage (American Psychiatric Association, 1990).

Thus, schizophrenia is an illness, which may start in adolescence or a bit later and may affect the ability to perceive the reality in the normal way. As a result, patients affected by the disease may be unable to distinguish between the inner voice and the reality, which may cause uncertainty in their perceptions and may result in symptoms of complete withdrawal from the entire world. Sometimes, due to the severity of the disease, patients may be unable to perform even regular tasks of their daily life, including bathing, dressing up and speaking. The disease is a serious one because of the lifelong effects it has on the affected people, and it is, therefore, vital to treat it with appropriate methods, and create intervention schemes so that the affected individuals could be able to lead normal lives.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1990). Schizophrenia. BNET. Retrieved June 23, 2011

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008). Schizophrenia. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved June 23, 2011