Diagnoses and Treatment

Schizophrenia is a disorder that in many ways still baffles the medical community. This disorder can affect a person of many age, gender, or race. Throughout recent years large funds have been used to research what causes such a debilitating disorder and measures that can be taken to treat it.

Schizophrenia has been found to develop mainly due to genetic predisposition. As result of this research it has been found that parents with this disorder are much more likely to produce offspring prone to the same fate. As further proof that genetics play a huge part in suffering from schizophrenia identical twins are fifty percent more likely to have the disorder if one of the children suffer from the condition. Diagnosis can be a very difficult thing to do due to the effects on the brain. The base reason for many of the side effects of schizophrenia is uncontrolled release of dopamine by the brain. Studies involving this disorder have also shown that other brain related issues can cause the onset of schizophrenia. In many cases of schizophrenic behavior drug abuse, such as amphetamines, has been found to cause individuals to worsen this disorder due to its affects of the brains production and storage of dopamine. Another theory about the cause of this disorder is that family and social interaction heavily influences the development of schizophrenia. If the genetic disposition is already present patients that come from backgrounds that display high levels of negative emotions are at least twice as likely to be committed for treatment. It has also been found that individuals that have suffered from a rapid lose in social status are far mostly like to develop schizophrenia due stress factors that affect the brain. Copping mechanism of the brain distance a person from reality to deal with these stress factors.

Treatment of this disorder is very limited. The used of medication to alleviate schizophrenic behavior traits have been found to be the most effective course of treatment. The effects of this disorder cause individuals affected by it to lose a grasp on reality. Generally treatment is pair with medication and diligent physiotherapy. Patients are given a stable atmosphere that is conducive to establishing a foundation of "reality". Therapy generally takes place on a one-to-one basis because groups of people suffering from this disorder can be very difficult to keep in a control setting which is vital to the treatment. Social workers also play a huge part in the treatment of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is such a debilitation disorder it often prevents individuals from maintaining employment. Social workers often work as occupational therapist that train and build job related skills. Many of the traits that are often present with schizophrenia such as disability, poverty, and drug abuse must be treated simultaneously with the progression from schizophrenic behavior. Hospitalization

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