Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia

Cloth embroidered by a schizophrenia sufferer

Day and night, I am constantly depressed,
My burden is not broken love, but stress,
How it comes, I could not tell,
I wish it could go away, with one coin in a well.


But, alas, I am not that fortunate,
My life, I can not shorten it,
Or perhaps I can, with one twitch of a knife,
Begone with all problems in my life.


No one listens, so no one will care,
Neither the ones who intake water, nor the ones that breathe air,
For to them, to them I am just nothing
Yes, to them I am just fussing.


The amount of due happiness had came to it's peak,
Of which I now have nothing to speak,
My disease isn't contagious, they don't understand,
I should just pull the trigger, and forever know the sandman.


How should I do it though,
a bullet? Too messy. A knife? no.
Perhaps I could use my bath,
die without feeling death's grasp.


Yes, that'll do, should I leave casual, or in style,
I haven't been in my formal clothes for quite a while,
My tuxedo? No, I was saving that for my cousin to wear,
But wait! Of my death or clothing, what does he care.


So the tuxedo it is, with the bath in the shower,
Perhaps it would be appropriate if I carried a flower?
Sunflower? No, I never liked those,
Maybe a rose? Yes, a rose for it's thorns.


But wait, I'm changing, my reason for being,
A new perspective I have started seeing,
The feeling of depression is slipping,
And yes, now a warm bottle of milk I am sipping.


But someday, the disease will get me,
Yes, someday my death will free me,
How long it will take, I do not know,
But for what it's worth, I will not show.

The term was coined by Eugen bleuler

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it difficult to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses, and to behave normally in social situations.

Causes

Schizophrenia is a complex illness. Even experts in the field are not sure what causes it. Some doctors think that the brain may not be able to process information correctly.

Genetic factors appear to play a role. People who have family members with schizophrenia may be more likely to get the disease themselves.

Some researchers believe that events in a person's environment may trigger schizophrenia. For example, problems (infection) during development in the mother's womb and at birth may increase the risk for developing schizophrenia later in life.

Psychological and social factors may also affect its development. However, the level of social and family support appears to affect the course of illness and may protect against the condition returning.

There are 5 types of schizophrenia:

1. Catatonic
2. Disorganized
3. Paranoid
4. Residual
5. Undifferentiated

Schizophrenia usually begins before the age of 45, symptoms last for 6 months or more, and people start to lose their ability to socialize and work.

Schizophrenia is thought to affect about 1% of people worldwide.

Schizophrenia appears to occur in equal rates among men and women, but in women it begins later. For this reason, males tend to account for more than half of patients in services with high numbers of young adults. Although schizophrenia usually begins in young adulthood, there are cases in which the disorder begins later (over 45 years).

Childhood-onset schizophrenia begins after the age of 5 and, in most cases, after normal development. Childhood schizophrenia is rare and can be difficult to tell apart from other developmental disorders of childhood, such as autism.

Symptoms

Schizophrenia may have a variety of symptoms. Usually the illness develops slowly over months or even years.Patients with a possible diagnosis of schizophrenia are evaluated on the basis of a set or constellation of symptoms; there is no single symptom that is unique to schizophrenia. In 1959, the German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider proposed a list of so-called first-rank symptoms, which he regarded as diagnostic of the disorder.
These symptoms include:

delusions
somatic
hallucinations
hearing voices commenting on the patient's behavior
thought insertion or thought withdrawal

At first, the symptoms may not be noticeable. For example, you may feel tense, or have trouble sleeping or concentrating. You can become isolated and withdrawn, and have trouble making or keeping friends.

As the illness continues, psychotic symptoms develop:

An appearance or mood that shows no emotion (flat affect)
Bizarre motor behavior in which there is less reaction to the environment (catatonic behavior)
False beliefs or thoughts that have nothing to do with reality (delusions)
Hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there (hallucinations)
Thoughts "jump" between unrelated topics (disordered thinking)
Symptoms can be different depending on the type of schizophrenia.

1. Catatonic type:

Agitation
Decreased sensitivity to pain
Inability to take care of personal needs
Negative feelings
Motor disturbances
Rigid muscles
Stupor

2. Paranoid type:

Anger
Anxiety
Argumentativeness
Delusions of persecution or grandeur
Violence
Disorganized type:

3. Child-like (regressive) behavior

Delusions
Flat affect
Hallucinations
Inappropriate laughter
Not understandable (incoherence)
Repetitive behaviors
Social withdrawal
Undifferentiated type may include symptoms of more than one type of schizophrenia.

4. Residual type>> symptoms of the illness have gone away, but some features, such as hallucinations and flat affect, may remain.

5. Undfferentiated>> Patients in this category have the characteristic positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia but do not meet the specific criteria for the paranoid, disorganized, or catatonic subtypes.

Exams and Tests

Because other diseases can cause symptoms of psychosis, psychiatrists should make the final diagnosis. The diagnosis is made based on a thorough interview of the person and family members.

No medical tests for schizophrenia exist.There are no specific laboratory tests that can be used to diagnose schizophrenia. The following factors may suggest a schizophrenia diagnosis, but do not confirm it:

Course of illness and how long symptoms have lasted
Changes from level of function before illness
Developmental background
Genetic and family history
Response to medication
CT scans of the head and other imaging techniques may find some changes that occur with schizophrenia and may rule out other disorders.


Treatment 

During an episode of schizophrenia, the patient may need to stay in the hospital for safety reasons, and to provide for basic needs such as food, rest, and hygiene.

Antipsychotic or neuroleptic medications change the balance of chemicals in the brain and can help control the symptoms of the illness. These medications are effective, but they can have side effects. However, many of these side effects can be addressed, and should not prevent people from seeking treatment for this serious condition.

Common side effects from antipsychotics may include:

Sleepiness (sedation)
Weight gain
Other side effects include:

Feelings of restlessness or "jitters"
Problems of movement and gait
Muscle contractions
Long-term risks include a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia, in which people move without meaning to.

Newer drugs known as atypical antipsychotics appear to have fewer side effects. They also appear to help people who have not improved with the older medications. Treatment with medications is usually needed to prevent symptoms from coming back.

Supportive and problem-focused forms of therapy may be helpful for many people. Behavioral techniques, such as social skills training, can be used during therapy, or at home to improve function socially and at work.

Family treatments that combine support and education about schizophrenia (psychoeducation) appear to help families cope and reduce the odds of symptoms returning. Programs that emphasize outreach and community support services can help people who lack family and social support.

My Thought about it 

Its a disease which can ransack the entire existence of a person. I know it cose I have any aunt who is suffering from this disease. People suffering from this needs your help. Try to understand them and dont hurt them but also dont let them feel different or person whom we keep constant attention. Dont give them importance in their wrong doing act normal to them. Else they would not leave the fake world of theirs.