With Reference to a Topic of Your Choice, Outline What Can Happen When the Brain Goes Wrong.

Schizophrenia is one of the most confusing and unusual of all the psychological disorders, it is incurable, but a highly treatable disorder. Schizophrenia was first defined by a Swiss psychiatrist called Eugen Bleuler and it means split mind, not to be confused with split personality which it is widely mistaken for. The disorder affects ''approximately 1.1% of the world's population are diagnosed with schizophrenia'' (http://www.schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm). It is a devastating disorder which greatly affects the schizophrenic and everyone around them. It is a psychotic disorder, where people lose their sense of reality and participate in odd and unusual behaviours, which would not be classed as normal socially acceptable behaviours. There are many theories that contribute to why schizophrenia happens including cognitive, biological and psychological theories. Schizophrenia is a very financially consuming disorder that impacts on the individual, their families and the state. ''The overall U.S. 2002 cost of schizophrenia was estimated to be $62.7 billion'' (http://www.schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm). Reasons behind the disorder come from facets of genetics, the external environment, media exposure and neurological factors. In state prisons in where 6% of all schizophrenics live currently, the disease is linked largely with violence and outbursts by the media, which is not the case as most schizophrenics are introverts and like their own company. The majority of people with the disease who reside in prison are there due to misdemeanours such as trespassing. Schizophrenics can be put into three symptom categories; positive symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms. Distinction between these groups seems to be imperative in treating the disorder in patients. Cognitive and negative symptoms are not exclusive to schizophrenia but also feature in other affective disorders. The disorder also breaks up into four types of sub- category. These are paranoid, disorganised, catatonic and undifferentiated schizophrenias. To diagnose a patient with schizophrenia one relies on looking at the clinical symptoms and is required to identify certain characteristics, these include an absence of the sense of reality, abnormalities in perception, lack in attention and motivation and also altered processes in the mind (thoughts). The sooner the patient is diagnosed the better the long term outcome, as if the disorder is caught early, the more likely it won't get much worse. There are factors which make it hard to properly diagnose schizophrenia such as the fact the some of the symptoms are identical to symptoms in bi-polar disorder and other brain affective disorders, also the fact the majority of schizophrenics become paranoid, and believe that there is nothing wrong with them. Schizophrenics have been changed to the core of their body and mind by their disorder and only 25% fully recover from the disorder. That leaves a huge 75% suffering from schizophrenia throughout the rest of their lives until mortality.

Typical behaviour of schizophrenics include lack of social contact, their communication is altered as there is usually no structure to their sentences and they also make up words and use words out of context. Their emotional responses are also strange as in times of 'normal' emotional happiness they can be hostile and in times of 'normal' emotional sadness and despair schizophrenics might react by laughing. One of the most observable characteristics of the schizophrenic is their delusions. Two types of delusion are most common; delusions of persecution for example, the schizophrenic convincing themselves that people are out there to get them, which causes them to be very paranoid and erratic. Delusions of grandeur on the other hand are where the patient thinks they are in a position of great power and importance, for example Dr. Schreber felt ''that enormous numbers of female nerves have already passed over into his body, and out of them a new race of men will proceed, through a process of direct impregnation by God'' (Freud 1962), Schreber's delusions were that he was above all humans, god like and that he was the chosen one to be impregnated by god.

Schizophrenics feel as if the disorder keeps them trapped inside their own head without control of their body or thoughts. Schizophrenic characteristics are classed into three main groups. The first of these are negative symptoms, visible in the first five years. These negative symptoms include, placid emotional reactions, lack of motivation to do tasks, social retardation and dysfunction in speech. The next to appear is the cognitive symptoms, these are an extension of the negative symptoms as both abnormalities are found in the same brain functions. These symptoms include a decreased speed in movement for example in the hands, legs and arms. Other symptoms are attention deficits, poor abstract and logical thinking and decreased performance in the memory system. The final symptoms to appear are the positive symptoms. These only come when the disorder fully establishes itself in the human. Positive symptoms are the more extreme of all the symptoms as they are delusions of the mind, altered language, disorganised thoughts; whereas a 'normal' person can think logically a schizophrenic will lose reality for delusion. Hallucinations are another positive symptom where the schizophrenic will experience stimuli that is not there, the most common is auditory hallucinations by where they will hear voices in their heads. Also visual hallucinations can occur, this is where the schizophrenic will see people and shadows that are not actually there, visual hallucinations are usually accompanied by auditory ones, also hallucinations can by experienced by any of the senses.

There are four variations of schizophrenia within the disorder. Each variation has its own characteristics, and different approaches to treat it. The first is paranoid schizophrenia, this is where the schizophrenic experiences delusions more prominently such as the delusions of grandeur and the delusions of persecution. Hallucinations are also a feature in this variation, and in their delusions, feelings of hostility, anxiety and unrest are produced. Confusion and incoherence are the main features in disorganised schizophrenia. This type shows a further decent from social contact, and a decline in hygiene and well being. Their behaviour emotionally and mentally transcends into child like behaviours, and they find difficulties in communication. People with this type of schizophrenia are usually unable to look after themselves, therefore they need to be in a care unit, or have carers to look after their needs.

Catatonic schizophrenics have characteristics of muscular dysfunction, as people with this variation experience muscular repetitive movements

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