{"id":12357,"date":"2013-07-05T04:30:10","date_gmt":"2013-07-05T04:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/?page_id=12357"},"modified":"2014-10-08T18:28:48","modified_gmt":"2014-10-08T18:28:48","slug":"schizophrenia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/schizophrenia","title":{"rendered":"Schizophrenia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Schizophrenia is a serious disorder which affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary; may be<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal emotions in social situations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Contrary to public perception,<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>schizophrenia is\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">not<\/span>\u00a0split personality or multiple personality. The vast majority of people with schizophrenia are\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">not<\/span>\u00a0violent and do not pose a danger to others. Schizophrenia is<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u00a0not<\/span>\u00a0caused by childhood experiences, poor parenting or lack of willpower, nor are the symptoms identical for each person.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>What causes schizophrenia?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">The cause of schizophrenia is still unclear. Some theories about the cause of this disease include: genetics (heredity), biology (the imbalance in the brain\u2019s chemistry); and\/or possible viral infections and immune disorders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Genetics (Heredity).<\/strong>\u00a0Scientists recognize that the disorder tends to run in families and that a person inherits a tendency to develop the disease. Schizophrenia may also be triggered by environmental events, such as viral infections or highly stressful situations or a combination of both.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Similar to some other genetically-related illnesses, schizophrenia appears when the body undergoes hormonal and physical changes, like those that occur during puberty in the teen and young adult years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Chemistry.<\/strong>\u00a0Genetics help to determine how the brain uses certain chemicals. People with schizophrenia have a chemical imbalance of brain chemicals (serotonin and dopamine) which are neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters allow nerve cells in the brain to send messages to each other. The imbalance of these chemicals affects the way a person\u2019s brain reacts to stimuli&#8211;which explains why a person with schizophrenia may be overwhelmed by sensory information (loud music or bright lights) which other people can easily handle. This problem in processing different sounds, sights, smells and tastes can also lead to hallucinations or delusions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>What are the early warning signs of schizophrenia?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">The signs of schizophrenia are different for everyone. Symptoms may develop slowly over months or years, or may appear very abruptly. The disease may come and go in cycles of relapse and remission.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Behaviors that are early warning signs of schizophrenia include:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Hearing or seeing something that isn\u2019t there<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">A constant feeling of being watched<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Peculiar or nonsensical way of speaking or writing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Strange body positioning<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Feeling indifferent to very important situations<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Deterioration of academic or work performance<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">A change in personal hygiene and appearance<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">A change in personality<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Increasing withdrawal from social situations<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Irrational, angry or fearful response to loved ones<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Inability to sleep or concentrate<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Inappropriate or bizarre behavior<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Extreme preoccupation with religion or the occult<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><em>Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the world population. In the United States one in a hundred people, about 2.5 million, have this disease. It knows no racial, cultural or economic boundaries.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 13 and 25, but often appear earlier in males than females.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">If you or a loved one experience several of these symptoms for more than two weeks, seek help immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">A medical or mental health professional may use the following terms when discussing the symptoms of schizophrenia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Positive symptoms\u00a0<\/strong>are disturbances that are \u201cadded\u201d to the person\u2019s personality.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Delusions<\/strong>\u00a0&#8212; false ideas&#8211;individuals may believe that someone is spying on him or her, or that they are someone famous.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Hallucinations<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing or smelling something that doesn\u2019t really exist. The most common experience is hearing imaginary voices that give commands or comments to the individual.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Disordered thinking and speech<\/strong>\u00a0&#8212; moving from one topic to another, in a nonsensical fashion. Individuals may make up their own words or sounds.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Negative symptoms\u00a0<\/strong>are capabilities that are \u201clost\u201d from the person\u2019s personality.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Social withdrawal<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Extreme apathy<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Lack of drive or initiative<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Emotional unresponsiveness<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>What are the different types of schizophrenia?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Paranoid schizophrenia<\/strong>\u00a0&#8212; a person feels extremely suspicious, persecuted, or grandiose, or experiences a combination of these emotions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Disorganized schizophrenia<\/strong>\u00a0&#8212; a person is often incoherent in speech and thought, but may not have delusions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Catatonic schizophrenia<\/strong>\u00a0&#8212; a person is withdrawn, mute, negative and often assumes very unusual body positions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Residual schizophrenia<\/strong>\u00a0&#8212; a person is no longer experiencing delusions or hallucinations, but has no motivation or interest in life.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Schizoaffective disorder<\/strong>&#8211;a person has symptoms of both schizophrenia and a major mood disorder such as depression.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><em>No cure for schizophrenia has been discovered, but with proper treatment, many people with this illness can lead productive and fulfilling lives.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>What treatments are available for schizophrenia?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">If you suspect someone you know is experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia, encourage them to see a medical or mental health professional immediately. Early treatment&#8211;even as early as the first episode&#8211;can mean a better long-term outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Recovery and Rehabilitation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">While no cure for schizophrenia exists, many people with this illness can lead productive and fulfilling lives with the proper treatment. Recovery is possible through a variety of services, including medication and rehabilitation programs. Rehabilitation can help a person recover the confidence and skills needed to live a productive and independent life in the community. Types of services that help a person with schizophrenia include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Case management<\/strong>\u00a0helps people access services, financial assistance, treatment and other resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Psychosocial Rehabilitation Programs<\/strong>\u00a0are programs that help people regain skills such as: employment, cooking, cleaning, budgeting, shopping, socializing, problem solving, and stress management.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Self-help groups<\/strong>\u00a0provide on-going support and information to persons with serious mental illness by individuals who experience mental illness themselves.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Drop-in centers<\/strong>\u00a0are places where individuals with mental illness can socialize and\/or receive informal support and services on an as-needed basis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Housing programs<\/strong>\u00a0offer a range of support and supervision from 24 hour supervised living to drop-in support as needed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Employment programs<\/strong>\u00a0assist individuals in finding employment and\/or gaining the skills necessary to re-enter the workforce.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Therapy\/Counseling<\/strong>\u00a0includes different forms of \u201ctalk\u201dtherapy, both individual and group, that can help both the patient and family members to better understand the illness and share their concerns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Crisis Services<\/strong>\u00a0include 24 hour hotlines, after hours counseling, residential placement and in-patient hospitalization.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATION<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">The new generation of antipsychotic medications help people with schizophrenia to live fulfilling lives. They help to reduce the biochemical imbalances that cause schizophrenia and decrease the likelihood of relapse. Like all medications, however, anti-psychotic medications should be taken only under the supervision of a mental health professional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>There are two major types of antipsychotic medication:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Conventional antipsychotics\u00a0<\/strong>effectively control the \u201cpositive\u201dsymptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and confusion of schizophrenia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>New Generation (also called atypical) antipsychotics<\/strong>\u00a0treat both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, often with fewer side effects.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Side effects<\/strong>\u00a0are common with antipsychotic drugs. They range from mild side effects such as dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, drowsiness and dizziness which usually disappear after a few weeks to more serious side effects such as trouble with muscle control, pacing, tremors and facial ticks. The newer generation of drugs have fewer side effects. However, it is important to talk with your mental health professional before making any changes in medication since many side effects can be controlled.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\">Clinical Trials:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ffcc99;\"><a style=\"color: #ffcc99;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.soph.uab.edu\/paartners\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Institute of Mental Health \u2014Project Among African Americans to Explore Risks for Schizophrenia (PAARTNERS)<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ffcc99;\"><a style=\"color: #ffcc99;\" href=\"http:\/\/gauss.nimh.nih.gov\/sibstudy\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Institute of Mental Health &#8212; NIMH Schizophrenia Research Program<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><em>Other Resources<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)<\/strong><br \/>\n1-800-950-NAMI<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffcc99;\"> <a style=\"color: #ffcc99;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nami.org\/\">www.nami.org<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)<\/strong><br \/>\n1-800-829-8289<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffcc99;\"> <a style=\"color: #ffcc99;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.narsad.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.narsad.org<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>National Institute of Mental Health<\/strong><br \/>\n301-443-4513<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffcc99;\"> <a style=\"color: #ffcc99;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.nimh.nih.gov<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #dece9b;\"><strong>Family members or caregivers<\/strong>\u00a0of a person with schizophrenia can refer to Mental Health America\u2019s \u201cMental Illness in the Family\u201dbrochure series, available through Mental Health America\u2019s\u00a0Resource Center.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Schizophrenia is a serious disorder which affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary; may be\u00a0unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal emotions &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/schizophrenia\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12357","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12357"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22240,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12357\/revisions\/22240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}