Taking a Look at Schizophrenia - 1626 Words

Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the disorder as the 7th greatest cause of disability in terms of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide affecting about 24 million people worldwide (Frangou, 2008). Many individuals around the world are affected by this disorder directly and indirectly. This paper looks at Schizophrenia assessing its epidemiology, history, diagnosis, symptoms, causes, and treatment drawing support from relevant sources. The term Schizophrenia is derived from two Greek words, skhizein meaning â€Å"to split† and phren meaning â€Å"mind† hence the common misconception that the disorder equates to split personality. The disorder can also be traced to Egypt in second millennium before Christ. However, these ancient understanding of this disorder are nothing close to the modern understanding of schizophrenia (Delisi, 2008). In fact, during that time, there were no unique factors that would differentiate schizophrenia from other psychotic disorders. Such psychotic and mental disorders were all grouped as one and were thought to be caused by possession by evil spirits. The modern understanding of the disorder came about at the beginning of the 20th century (NIMH, 2014). Dr. Emile Kraeplin was the first to classify the symptoms that are currently associated with schizophrenia as a unique disorder in 1887. However, he used the term dementia praecox rather than schizophrenia. He identified two forms ofShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Schizophrenia793 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Æ' Schizophrenia is a disorder that has an effect on about 25 million people around the world (Myers, 2010). Schizophrenia is a brain damage, naturally created by the human body, that is caused by the genetically determined vulnerability of the blood-brain barrier (Voronov, 2013). This psychiatric disorder, like most others, is characterized by changes in behavior, thinking, reduced ability to feel normal emotions, and mood (Abad et al., 2011). The unique thing about schizophrenia is that the symptomsRead MoreTaking a Look at Schizophrenia650 Words   |  3 Pagesworld’s population has the acute mental disorder of Schizophrenia (World). It is one of the most common mental disorders in the world (World). Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by disordered thinking, delusions, hallucinations, emotional disturbance, withdrawing from reality (Gale), and thinking illogical, confused patterns (World). The disease causes impaired thinking, emotions, and behaviors in patien ts (Gale). The word Schizophrenia is a Greek meaning for a â€Å"splitting of the mind†,Read MoreTaking a Look at Schizophrenia997 Words   |  4 Pagesrespectively. However, the more common symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thought. This paper will discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatments of schizophrenia. Causes of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia can arise from biological and environmental factors. Genetics are thought to play a role in the development of schizophrenia. It is currently unknown which genes are specifically involved in causing schizophrenia, but the it has been observed that the more geneticallyRead MoreTaking a Look at Schizophrenia1249 Words   |  5 PagesA common mistaken belief is that people with schizophrenia have multiple personalities. Many people confuse schizophrenia with split personality or multiple personality disorder (Lilienfeld et al, 2010). The misunderstanding stems from the meaning of the word schizophrenia, as in Greek it means split mind (Boruck, 2008). In 1990, Carlson proposed â€Å"schizophrenia is probably the most misused psychological term in existence† . Vaughan (1977), performed a study which found that 77% of studentsRead MoreTaking a Look at Schizophrenia828 Words   |  3 PagesSchizophrenia â€Æ' Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it difficult for someone to establish what is real and what is not real. Schizophrenia also makes it hard to think clearly or to establish your emotions. Having this disorder affects how a person acts and sees the world. Over 2.2 million people suffer from this mental illness. There are many symptoms for Schizophrenia. Although there is no cure, proper treatment can control these symptoms. A person with schizophrenia may often seeRead MoreTaking a Look at Schizophrenia729 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is schizophrenia? â€Å"Schizo† meaning split, and â€Å"phrenia† meaning mind. Schizophrenia is a disorder of the brain that has affected many individuals throughout history. Usually starting in childhood or early adulthood, it is rare for schizophrenia to start after one has reached adulthood. Before schizophrenia was discovered, those with the disorder were considered to be possessed, therefore causing them to be feared or locked up away from those that did not have the disorder. Schizophrenia is chronicRead MorePersonality Paper1187 Words   |  5 PagesJanuary 14, 2013 Dr. Tracy Masiello Personality Theory Paper John Nash was a very interesting man. Many may just know of him because of the movie, â€Å"A Beautiful Mind†. Taking a look at John Nash and his personality and how psychologists, such as Jung and Freud would see John Nash through their diagnoses. Also taking a look at how different theories would go up against John Nash and his everyday life. The different theories that will be looked at are the Five-factor model and Maslow’s hierarchyRead MoreThe Horrible World of Schzophrenia1245 Words   |  5 PagesSchizophrenia is a horrible brain disorder where people mix up what is real and what is their imagination. People with Schizophrenia hear voices in their head that arent really there. People affected with this disease may be paranoid because they believe people are reading their minds, controlling what they think, or plotting to hurt them. Schizophrenics may not make sense when they talk or seem crazy to people around them. They can sit still for hours without moving a nd you really cant tellRead MoreMental Health And Mental Illness1314 Words   |  6 Pagesthings such as anxiety and shock. Thus, this essay was based on a case study; it will look at the meaning of mental health and mental illness in relation to Schizophrenia. Also, it will look at the causes and the functional difficulties associated with Schizophrenia. Furthermore, it will reflect on the impacts of a diagnosis of mental illness on individual and in general and particularly in relation to Schizophrenia. Finally, it will discuss the type of support and treatment that might be effectiveRead MoreThe Biological And Psychological Explanations Of Schizophrenia1405 Words   |  6 PagesIn this essay I will try to explain schizophrenia and talk about the main biological and psychological explanations, also showing how similar and different they are. Schizophrenia is defined in the oxford dictionary as a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between t hought, emotion, and behaviour, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental