Schizophrenia is a disorder that affects men at a higher rate as compared to their female counterparts. It is a mental disease, which affects the thinking capacity of an individual. A considerable number of populations around the globe are affected by this disease following the various observable signs. Misunderstanding of reality is among the symptoms.
A person with this kind of illness is not able to have a clear feeling and does not appreciate reality. For instance, a schizophrenia victim does not “…hear certain sounds being produced or may not have a sense of feeling for example he may not feel any pain which is inflicted to him/her” (Edwards Para. 1). More so, other symptoms include having disorganized speech. The speech of a person suffering from this disorder becomes unclear and difficult to comprehend because it does not make any sense. Furthermore, a sufferer of this disorder is incompetent depicting unusual behaviors not expected by the wider population.
My grandmother’s case depicts most of the symptoms of the disorder. Slackness and physical stringency to tell a schizophrenia victim from the rest, a condition known as Catania and one well depicted by the late grandma. Before her death, she could not identify herself and could not experience any feelings. In addition, catatonic schizophrenia fatalities like her have trouble moving from one place to another. Often, these people are reluctant to move and in most cases become fond of repeating the words of what other people say.
Furthermore, individuals suffering from Paranoid kind of schizophrenia are characterized by various hallucinations but do not exhibit any symptoms of disorganization. Several models, depending on the researchers’ approach, are in place to explain the causes of schizophrenia.
Causes of the Disorder
The Medical, Moral-Behavioral, Psychoanalytic, and Social models describe the causes of schizophrenia, with each author approaching the cause differently. This disorder as opposed to other types of disorders is not innate or rather hereditary, but rather it is a disorder, which “…results from some sort of complexion of environmental, genetic, and psychological factors combined” (Morris & Maisto 32). There are certain genes, which are transmitted to the person hence resulting in the disorder. Environmentally the disorder can emanate from lack of good parental care, bullying at a tender age, emotional disturbances, death of parents at an earlier age, poverty among other reasons. Lastly, psychological factors also may contribute to the feeling of being secluded for example a minority group of people may develop these disorders due to the feeling of being isolated.
Treatment of the Disorder
Diagnosing this disorder is a bit difficult, as there is no test, which clearly shows or indicates that an individual is suffering from it. Therefore, this disorder is “Diagnosed through a comprehensive collection of vital information on the mental health of the individual” (Edwards Para. 3). In most circumstances, the best solution is gained when successive information on the person is collected. Information ranging from his or her societal fiscal status, belief, cultural setting, and gender among other vital information in the entire life of the person, is gathered and an appropriate solution is given. In most cases, the individuals suffering from these ailments are taken through systematic guiding and therapy sessions to be able to reduce their anxiety. Other treatments include engaging them in speech therapy whereby the patients are trained gradually in speech. The disease is also treated using antipsychotics, which assist patients to recover from their conditions. It is advisable to start administering this treatment at an earlier phase upon identification of the disease symptoms. Furthermore, patients can choose a variety of medicines, which work for the better.
Reference List
Edwards, Dryden. Schizophrenia, 1996.
Morris, Charles and Maisto, Albert. Understanding Psychology. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.