Essay on psychological description of schizophrenia

Arguably, is among the known destructive illnesses in the world. As a matter of fact, Schizophrenia it affects more than one percent of the population, meaning it affects people more than Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Despite its effects on the human mental system, recent progressive research reveals little information about the illness. The illness hits individuals at a critical point in life, in most scenarios immediately after high school when individuals begin to depend on themselves. The illness makes a patient look chaotic and mentally confused. Those suffering from this mental illness are mostly disillusioned; this implies that the patient convincingly beliefs that all the people who are around them can read their minds, and are planning to force them out. Schizophrenia occurs in different forms, but its symptoms and progression can be very predictable. At an average level, the illness is treatable if diagnosed. Perhaps, the disease does not only have adverse effects on the human mental system, but also affects the physical sensation of the patients. In most cases, individuals suffering from Schizophrenia cannot cope or react to a situation due to confusion.
Schizophrenia undergoes three stages in an adult; these phases include the acute phase, stabilization phase and the maintenance phase. Certainly, each of these phases has different characteristics and effects. In the acute phase, the patient becomes psychotic, meaning the individual has no contact with a reality, Perhaps, these phases requires treatments and intervention measures. In the second phase, shows total control of Schizophrenia symptoms but if treatment is interrupted it may cause relapse . In the final stage, the patient becomes stable and is kept on antipsychotic medication.
People suffering from Schizophrenia disease loses sense of themselves and faces a lot of difficulties in everyday functioning. Such people believe that they can take control of peoples’ thoughts. People suffering from Schizophrenia act and behave violently because they cannot control their thoughts, in fact, they act violent thinking they are protecting themselves. It is evident that individuals with schizoid personality are heading to Schizophrenia. Recently, psychotherapists have classified Schizophrenia into two main types; these include Type I and Type II. Individuals with Type II are mostly associated with negative symptoms, while those with Type I tend to show positive symptoms.
Apart from the two types of Schizophrenia, there are five other subtypes. These subtypes include paranoid, disorganized, residual, undifferentiated, as well as catatonic. These symptoms are classified according to the characteristics of the person suffering from Schizophrenia disease. Studies carried out by doctor’s show that the causes of the Schizophrenia disease are the same, as well as having similar condition and abnormalities in the brain. The similar mental conditions include enlarged brain ventricles, small volume of gray matter, increased white matter, enlarged amygdale, as well as neuro-psychological abnormalities. There is no specific symptom of Schizophrenia that is so unique. In the year 1959, Kurt Schneider a German psychiatrist came up with first-rank symptoms that he sort as diagnostic. These symptoms are somatic, delusions, thought withdrawal, and hallucinations.
For many decades, it has become exceedingly difficult to identify specific cause of Schizophrenia. This has led to difficulties in the classification process of the disease. It is asserted that Schizophrenia could be the end result of a combination of environmental, genetic and neurobiological causes. According to neurobiological hypothesis, Schizophrenia could be caused by excess dopamine; this is a signal transmitting chemical in the brain. In addition, another hypothesis asserts that Schizophrenia is could be caused by a virus, which attacks hippocampus, preventing sense perception process.
The treatment process of Schizophrenia depends on the phase that the patient is. Psychotic behaviors and symptoms are mostly deemed to be psychiatric emergencies. People who are diagnosed psychotic are mostly hospitalized against their will according to the legal system, especially if the patient is violent, and threatening to commit suicide or harm people. The primary treatment of Schizophrenia is through the administration of antipsychotic medicine. These will help in controlling positive symptoms of Schizophrenia. Patients who are at the acute phase, are given medications by intramuscular injection or by mouth. After the individual has stabilized, then antipsychotic drugs can be administered in a depot dose. Perhaps, depot dose could take about two to four weeks; it protects the patient from skipping or forgetting the medication. Other beneficial form of treatment includes psychotherapy, and family therapy.
Statistics of patients who suffered from Schizophrenia after diagnosis shows various outcomes. The patients include various groups which include those who live a normal life, need hospitalization, live normally but needs therapy, homeless, as well as those who committed suicide. Treatment in most scenarios is not successful because patients does not access proper care and support from family and friends. The patients feel isolated and cannot overcome the stress and depression. Despite the availability of treatment, most people with Schizophrenia deal with its symptoms in their entire life. However, other people can live a meaningful and rewarding life after been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Researchers and medical practitioners are developing various effective medications and using modern research methods to comprehend the causes of Schizophrenia.