|
|
Schizophrenia
You are in "Other Issues" |
What
Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling
Brain
Disease. Approximately 1 percent of
the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime – more than 2
million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. Although
schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often
appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, than in
women, who are generally affected in the twenties to early thirties. People
with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal
voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their
minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These symptoms may
leave them fearful and withdrawn. Their speech and behavior can be so
disorganized that they may be incomprehensible or frightening to others.
Available treatments can relieve many symptoms, but most people with
paranoid schizophrenia continue to suffer some symptoms throughout their lives; it has
been estimated that no more than one in five individuals recovers completely.
This is a time of hope for people with schizophrenia and their families.
Research is gradually leading to new and safer medications and
unraveling the complex causes of the disease. Scientists are using many
approaches from the study of molecular genetics to the study of populations to
learn about schizophrenia. Methods of imaging the brain’s structure and
function hold the promise of new insights into the disorder.
Schizophrenia As An Illness
Schizophrenia is found all over the world. The severity of the symptoms and
long-lasting, chronic pattern of schizophrenia often cause a high degree of
disability. Medications and other treatments for schizophrenia, when used
regularly and as prescribed, can help reduce and control the distressing
symptoms of the illness. However, some people are not greatly helped by
available treatments or may prematurely discontinue treatment because of
unpleasant side effects or other reasons. Even when treatment is effective,
persisting consequences of the illness – lost opportunities, stigma, residual
symptoms, and medication side effects – may be very troubling.
The first signs of paranoid schizophrenia often appear as confusing, or even
shocking, changes in behavior. Coping with the symptoms of schizophrenia can be
especially difficult for family members who remember how involved or vivacious
a person was before they became ill. The sudden onset of severe psychotic
symptoms is referred to as an “acute” phase of schizophrenia. “Psychosis,” a
common condition in schizophrenia, is a state of mental impairment marked by
hallucinations, which are disturbances of sensory perception, and/or delusions,
which are false yet strongly held personal beliefs that result from an
inability to separate real from unreal experiences. Less obvious symptoms, such
as social isolation or withdrawal, or unusual speech, thinking, or behavior,
may precede, be seen along with, or follow the psychotic symptoms.
Some people have only one such psychotic episode; others have many
hallucinations
during a lifetime, but lead relatively normal lives during the interim periods.
However, the individual with “chronic” schizophrenia, or a continuous or
recurring pattern of illness, often does not fully recover normal functioning
and typically requires long-term treatment, generally including medication, to
control the symptoms.
more

|
|
|
|
DISCLAIMER - PLEASE READ:
This web site provides general
information:
Do not use the information on these
pages as a substitute for evaluation and treatment by a Professional Health Care
Provider.
Please
click here for the
full disclaimer. Please do not ask for a
DIAGNOSIS or information
regarding MEDICATION.
The mission of
AnxietyPanic.com is to educate patients, families, caregivers and the community about
anxiety and panic disorders in order to relieve suffering, instill hope, and improve lives.
|
|


|