Schizophrenia – Serious Disease

The mind can do wonderful things, which are sometimes so powerful that it can alternate the way people think and also function. Schizophrenia is a very serious disease that affects approximately 1.5 million people per year. Schizophrenia can be very scary to the people that are diagnosed and also can be harmful to the people that are around them. Just like with any mental disease, it always come with symptoms, a diagnosis, and hopefully there can be a treatment to the disorder.

Background

A great number of people are diagnosed with schizophrenia each year. The odds of having this disease can be increased by ten percent if another family member has schizophrenia. For someone with both their parents having this brain disorder can have their chances increase by forty percent (Schizophrenia WebMD). People that have been identified with schizophrenia have an elevated rate of having genetic alterations than the rest of the public (What is Schizophrenia?). More and more people are diagnosed with schizophrenia in today's society.

Schizophrenia is a disease that can develop and become serious overtime. Scientist do not know the importance of the symptoms, but they classify that schizophrenia is an actual disease. (Schizophrenia Mayo Clinic). This specific mental disorder influences a person's opinions, activities, feelings, and the way they see real life (Schizophrenia WebMD). Someone cannot only be diagnosed with schizophrenia, but can also cause it to come more apparent. Having a family past of the disease or an elderly father can expand someone's chances to prompting it. (Schizophrenia Mayo Clinic). There are factors that can go into whether someone has this disorder or not.

Anyone can become diagnosed by a doctor or physician with schizophrenia. Boys, girls, men, and women can be diagnosed with this mental disorder. However, men usually show symptoms in their early twenties, and symptoms reveal for women in their late twenties and thirties (What is Schizophrenia?). Natural chemicals in the brain, including neurotransmitters also called dopamine and glutamate, could provide evidence to being diagnosed with schizophrenia (Schizophrenia Mayo Clinic). Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is dangerous and can affect anyone and everyone.

Symptoms

The symptoms from schizophrenia can vary over time. A person with schizophrenia cannot tell reality from what is not reality (Schizophrenia WebMD). When this occurs the patient cannot comprehend the millions of things going through his or her brain. The person who has symptoms can sometimes believe that the thoughts, vision, or hearing that occurs is real. It can put pressure on the person and sometimes make it very tiring and stressful (What Are). If the doctor or physician give warnings before signs start to worsen it could help more through the process.

Symptoms can have a range of severeness between every patient who has it. People with schizophrenia can have very different symptoms from other people with this disease (What Are). People with schizophrenia can hear voices that tell them things and it can sound like echoes or as if more than one person is talking at the same time. Sometimes they go about their everyday normal lives and can have symptoms of this disease and not know it until a physician tells them (What Are). It is best to go to the doctor if there are` signs of schizophrenia, and get diagnosed as soon as possible.

If the patient is not diagnosed and given medicine to help them then it can become worse and not know it. Before someone's symptoms begin to occur they can worsen over time and cause the patient to enter the prodrome phase (What Are). In this phase they can go into a state that makes psychotic episodes start and the person cannot control them. Time and time again symptoms pop up and the person may not be able to arrange their thoughts correctly which can cause things to worsen even more (What Are). At the end of the day, it is best to go to the doctor as soon as possible if there are any signs of this disease than letting it get worse everyday.

Diagnosis

There are different categories that come with being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia can be diagnosed into three subtypes: catatonic, disorganization, and undifferentiated (Schizophrenia WebMD). People with catatonic schizophrenia may have a reduce in their reflexes and may become more sluggish. Disorganized schizophrenia is where the person diagnosed may become emotionally disturbed, and undifferentiated schizophrenia is where the person has multiple symptoms of other subtypes of schizophrenia combined. Same as with all health disorders, there is no one way to fully determine if a person has schizophrenia (Dryden-Edwards). Schizophrenia is better if diagnosed early, so the doctor can help the patient before it gets worse.

Just like with any form of disorder, many doctors will recommend medication to people with schizophrenia. Some medication for this disorder includes aripiprazole, asenapine, and clozapine (Schizophrenia WebMD). Medication is a good key to help the symptoms that come along with having schizophrenia. To help diagnose a person with schizophrenia a practitioner will ask to perform a physical exam on the patient (Dryden-Edwards). With medication, life with schizophrenia can be much more tameable.

Doctors use various types of test to see if someone has schizophrenia. Some of these test are inkblot testing, personality tests, and cognitive testing (Schizophrenia WebMD). These tests are used to get a good general idea of if the patient should be diagnosed or not. Doctors would also use physical exams, screenings, and or psychiatric evaluation (Schizophrenia, WebMD). These tests are easier to get a deeper look into the brain to see if the patient either has schizophrenia or has future potential in getting diagnosed with it.

Treatment

Schizophrenia is a disease that, if diagnosed, can last forever. Patients can have withdraws, suffer trauma, and be scared of even going outside (Schizophrenia WebMD). This disease cannot be cured, but instead can be helped by taking medications to minimize the effects. The scientific studies for schizophrenia is improving daily due to scientists coming up with new medications to help lessen the problems that can come with this disease (Schizophrenia WebMD). Schizophrenia is a non curable disease that comes with side effects that can be prevented with using medications prescribed by doctors.

Medication is a tricky part of treatment for this disease, and can take a while to find the right one for the patients symptoms. Patients who have hard time swallowing pills or do not like pills may have to get shots (Schizophrenia, Mayo Clinic). Even though he or she may not like the medication it is better than having serious problems later on in life. Psychological and social interventions are good to have with a patient who does not want to believe or do not know that they have this life-long disease. (Schizophrenia, Mayo Clinic). Another form of treatment is seeing a therapist, which can be suggested by the doctor if the patient is showing very severe mental signs. If the patient gives the doctors a hard time the possibility of having to be admitted into a hospital if it is a crisis (Schizophrenia, Mayo Clinic). This disease will either worsen over time or get to the point to where the patient can control it.

Treatment and medication are very important things to note if diagnosed with this disease. The sooner the patient gets diagnosed by a doctor, the faster and easier the treatment will be. (What is, Carrier Clinic). It is advised by doctors and physicians to seek medical help if noticing any symptoms. If proper treatment is not done, medication will make symptoms worsen over time for the patient (Dryden-Edwards). In the future treatments for the disease are most likely going to lessen as time goes by. The severity of the disease will make it much harder for scientist to keep up with the ever changing symptoms (Dryden-Edwards). Schizophrenia is a serious illness and is a long and drawn out process.

Conclusion

With symptoms, diagnoses, and potential treatments, behaviors help professionals decipher what disease a patient may have and how a professional can help try to treat it. Schizophrenia is a very serious mental disorder that risks the lives of the people that have it everyday. Even though there is no determined treatment, doctors try their hardest to help out the patients and their loved ones. With the help of medicine, family, and professionals better health can come fast.

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