Schizophrenia Research Paper

Schizophrenia
“Pam seems frightened, lying in her hospital bed, with the covers pulled up almost to her eyes. Her dark glasses, she believes, protect her from evil influences, while also shielding innocent people from her. The burn on her forehead - which she has seared with cigarettes - is a fierce pink. "The devil's mark," she calls it, and hopes it warns people away” (Megan, 2003). A chronic disease known as, schizophrenia, can cause hallucinations, paranoia, abnormal behavior, a distorted reality and many other disorders. The causes of this disease, as well as the symptoms and treatments are all very significant in educating oneself about schizophrenia. Not only is it crucial to know all these aspects of the disease, but to also know how …show more content…
The illness occurs in 1 percent of the general population, but it occurs in 10 percent of people who have a first-degree relative with the disorder, such as a parent, brother, or sister. People who have second-degree relatives (aunts, uncles, grandparents, or cousins) with the disease also develop schizophrenia more often than the general population. The risk is highest for an identical twin of a person with schizophrenia. He or she has a 40 to 65 percent chance of developing the disorder. (NIH, n.d.)
Along with a person’s genes, his or her environment plays a crucial role in triggering or exposing the disease. An early childhood trauma, a virus, or malnutrition as well as many other factors can cause a person with a predisposition to schizophrenia to develop the disease. The chemistry and structure of the brain in schizophrenic patients allows scientists to differentiate between a normal functioning brain and a diseased brain. Dopamine and glutamate, at an imbalanced level may contribute to the cause of schizophrenia as well as larger ventricles in the brain and less gray matter (NIH, …show more content…
(p. 510-512) People with schizophrenia often experience “Disruptions in sensation [which] explain why people with schizophrenia experience hallucinations – false, imagery sensory perceptions that occur without external stimuli” (Huffman, 2011, p. 511). Schizophrenics may experience voices in their head or visual images of unreal people or things. “When language and thought disturbances are mild, an individual with schizophrenia jumps from topic to topic. In more severe disturbances, phrases or words are jumbled together. Or the person creates artificial words” (Huffman, 2011, p. 511). Many people diagnosed with this disease, are very paranoid or feel as if someone or something is out to get them. Schizophrenics may begin to find it difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is in their head. Emotions in schizophrenic patients can be all over the place. They can have overzealous personalities or emotions or be in a catatonic state where they are unreachable. Schizophrenia can cause unusual behaviors and allow people with the disease to become isolated or withdrawn from society. “People with schizophrenia also may become cataleptic and assume an uncomfortable, nearly immobile stance for an extended period. A few people with schizophrenia have a symptom called waxy flexibility, a tendency to maintain

Show More

Research Paper On Schizophrenia