Schizophrenia: The Voices in Your Head

schizophrenia

More than 25 million people around the world and about 1% of all people in the western world suffer from schizophrenia at one point in their lives. Half of America’s mental patients are schizophrenic. This mental illness causes delusion, hallucinations, thought disorders, loss of separation between self and non self, and deterioration of everyday mental, emotional, and self-care aspects of everyday life. This disorder is not to be confused with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) in the sense of having two or more personalities.

Scientists have not determined the cause of schizophrenia. There are many theories saying that it could be genetics, an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, or maybe even a viral infection. Similar to genetically related disorders, schizophrenia occurs when the body goes through physical and/or hormonal changes. People with schizophrenia have an imbalance of serotonin and dopamine in their brains. Causing the brain to react differently to stimuli.

There is not an actual cure for schizophrenia there are still ways to lessen the effects so you may live a normal life. You can choose to take medication, go to counseling/therapy (Both group and individual), hotlines, walk-in centers, etc. if you think there is a possibility someone you know has schizophrenia, encourage them to get medical help immediately. Early treatment results in a better long-term outcome.

Schizophrenia is a common illness that has many theorized causes and is potentially dangerous if not given attention immediately. Though that is not to say that if you are diagnosed with schizophrenia that you could not lead a normal life.

 

What are the different types of schizophrenia?

What are other possible forms of rehabilitation?

What are some early warning signs of schizophrenia?

12 thoughts on “Schizophrenia: The Voices in Your Head

  1. The early warning signs of schizophrenia are different for many people. They could slowly build up, come out of nowhere, they could be hear one day and then gone the next. Some things you might want to look out for are: A constant feeling of being watched, hearing or seeing something that isn’t there, irrational, angry, or fearful responses to loved ones. Those are only a few but are the ones that should stand out the most. I personally really like your blog and I hope that some day we can find a way to either cure it, or prevent it so people don’t have to go through this.
    http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/schizophrenia#early warning

  2. I really enjoyed reading this article. the disease is really rare for people to get, but you said 50% of mental patients in America have it where did you get that information. but other that I thought that the article was really well written and put together. I know that patients have really bad symtomes when they are on meds I wouldlioke tiknow more about this topic. nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml

  3. The subject of Schizophrenia is very compelling because of the ways it affects patients with the disease. it usually starts around age 16 to 30, but children have been known to have it. It affects a persons thoughts as if they have lost touch with reality itself and control of emotions. Symptoms have been divided into being positive and negative. This topic interest me because I am engaged in the world of psychology. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml

  4. I really enjoyed this article. It was well put together and included a lot of information, well done. People who suffer from schizophrenia have a possibility of having two different types of symptoms. These symptoms are called positive symptoms and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms are symptoms that add qualities to someone’s personalities. Examples of this would be hallucinations, delusions, unusual speech and thinking patterns, and disorganized behavior. Negative symptoms are symptoms that take away from someone’s personality. Social withdraw, showing little or no interest and enthusiasm, little or no motivation, and lack of emotion are all examples of negative symptoms. Early on symptoms include difficulty sleeping and concentrating, the feeling of someone watching you constantly, change in hygiene and/or appearance, strange body positioning, and strange responses to loved ones such as fear or anger.
    If you would like to know more about this please visit this website: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/schizophrenia#intro

  5. This is a very interesting topic. Knowing the the early warning signs of this debilitating disorder early is important. A few symptoms are decrease in hygiene maintenance, inability to show emotion, and oversleeping/lack of sleep. Another noticeable symptom could be someone talking in strange way or the way someone with this disorder is thinking or speaking. Many people confuse this illness with just erratic behavior and don’t understand that it is a chemical imbalance in someone’s brain. Like most mental illness, there is still a large stigma behind it and many people still don’t understand why people act the way they do because of the way their brain is made up.
    https://www.helpguide.org/articles/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-signs-types-and-causes.htm

  6. The topic of schizophrenia is a large topic and has been debated on continuously. I think this article was short, but got to the point. It discussed what could the cause could be, and treatment for it. I took it upon myself to pursue the other levels of rehab and treatment for schizophrenia. According to Schizophrenia.com, medication is almost always used for this illness. It ranges from mood stabilizers to antidepressants and more. It also mentioned that inpatient treatment is also possible and can help with learning new skills to deal with the symptoms of schizophrenia. http://schizophrenia.com/sztreat.html#

  7. Overall, a quality, informative, and fun-to-read blog. To the topic: There are multiple treatments and therapies for Schizophrenia. Some of these are Antipsychotic medication take daily in pill or liquid form and can be injections given once or twice a month. Another, Psychosocial treatments helps those suffering to cope with everyday challenges to assist with their pursuits in life. Lastly, is Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) that integrates psychological therapy, medication, family, case management, and supported education to increase overall quality of life.
    http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml

  8. The most common early warning signs on schizophrenia are social withdrawal, suspiciousness, expressionless gaze, inability to cry, inability to express joy, depression, irrational statements, and extreme reaction to criticism. These symptoms occurs in an early on stage in this mental illness. People may not be able to recognize that their symptoms occurring are schizophrenia related, but soon the symptoms will go into full swing. I got this info from: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-signs-types-and-causes.htm

  9. Through 60 years of research no drug changes have been made to help people suffering from schizophrenia. recently studies have been done on over 80,000 genetic samples and scientists have found where schizophrenia is located on the human genome. It is very essential to find a safe and effective cure to this harmful disease. Many people effected are encouraged to take medications although they only help with one symptom, losing touch with reality. In one year U.S. citizens spent a total of $60 billion dollars on treatments that doesn’t even treat all of the symptoms. Because so many people need help from effective treatments studies for a cure are crucial. For more information visit: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/07/researchers-shed-new-light-on-schizophrenia/

  10. I really like your blog topic. I think it is a real problem in the world considering it doesn’t have a cure and is dangerous. I think your paragraphs really covered all the points and kept me hooked the whole time. To answer your question about the early warning signs, I found that they don’t usually start showing signs till they are teens. Symptoms can include withdrawal, lack of emotions and more (http://www.activebeat.co/your-health/children/is-my-teen-showing-signs-of-schizophrenia/2/). What do you think people with this disease feel like on a daily basis?

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