Jul 27, 20213 min read

Schizophrenia

Updated: Jul 27, 2021

Outline

Introduction
Common age for getting diagnosed
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment

Introduction

Schizophrenia is a long-standing disorder that affects the brain. Psychologists often refer to this condition as psychosis which includes problems in thinking, feelings, intellect and behavior.

The term “schizophrenia” comes from the Greek roots schizo that means split and phrene that means mind. The term was invented and used for the first time by a Swiss psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler, in 1911. Although the term does not have to do with a split personality (schizo – split), it is often misunderstood with multiple personalities. As a result, this has led it to become a myth gradually.

Common age for getting diagnosed

Schizophrenia usually occurs in males by the early 20s and females in the late 20s and 30s. Nevertheless, it is possible to occur earlier or later, but it is unusual being diagnosed in a person that is younger than 12 or older than 40.

Symptoms

The symptoms of schizophrenia are categorized as positive(They are called positive due to the hyperactivity of certain parts of the brain)

and negative.

Positive symptoms

Hallucinations: Seeing and hearing things that do not exist. Most schizophrenics experience auditory hallucinations which include hearing constant voices that can even command them. Other hallucinations can be visual ones during which the person sees things that the others do not.
Delusions: Strong false beliefs that even the person experiencing them cannot tell the difference between these beliefs and the reality. For example, a schizophrenic might strongly believe that they are living in another country, people around are hiding something from them or they are being watched. They get very convinced about these beliefs that even if there is evidence proving them wrong, they will still continue to believe them. They are unique and different to each schizophrenic.
Irregular thoughts
Speech difficulties

Negative symptoms

Disordered behavior: this includes irregular actions, such as incapability to feel satisfaction and show emotions (“flattened affect”) as well as deficiency of desire to socialize. These symptoms make the person face problems on daily tasks that can result in problems with the maintenance of an independent life. Some other symptoms are called “cognitive” and include struggling with remembering and processing information.

Since the negative symptoms are more complex than the positive ones, they are more likely to be treated harder. This is also because they depend on the person and the areas of the brain affected.

Causes

The causes of schizophrenia are thought to be a combination between physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors which are more likely to trigger its dominance.

Genetics

Usually, genetics does not exactly indicate and mean whether a person might develop schizophrenia or not. However, some studies on identical twins have shown that they can actually develop it, despite the chances of living separately. This tells that the genes have played a role here, despite not being the main and only factor as a cause.

Brain Development

Although the anatomical changes do not occur in every schizophrenic’s brain, its structure can indicate that schizophrenia is a brain disorder.

Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters can be defined as the chemical messengers of the brain cells. Drugs that are used to adjust the number of neurotransmitters can make them trigger schizophrenia symptoms. These neurotransmitters are usually dopamine and serotonin.

Other triggers for causing schizophrenia can also be stress, pregnancy complications or drug abuse. An overactive dopamine neurotransmitter

Treatment

There is no cure for schizophrenia. Nonetheless, it can be treated successfully. The treatment usually consists of a combination between antipsychotic medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is a talking therapy that helps the patients cognitive behavior.

People with this condition often receive assistance from a community health team (CMHT). It offers daily support and treatment which are crucial in helping them.

However, support from family and the social circle is most of the time more beneficial and vital, since these people need constant love and affection.