Essay on The Mysterious Illness Schizophrenia - 1676 Words

The Mysterious Illness Schizophrenia Imagine being functional your entire childhood and teenage life. You attend class, study, work, and juggle a myriad of activities. You may have friends with whom you socialize in your free time. You are becoming more independent and learning to care for yourself. Suppose the newscaster on television starts talking directly to you or that someone calling with the wrong number is really a government spy or that you were going out to lunch with the president? You lose control of your life, as you can no longer discern reality from wildly absurd fantasy. Available medical treatment is imperfect and it is difficult to engage your compliance. Friends and family watch your behavior deteriorate,†¦show more content†¦Of those diagnosed, there are three types of schizophrenic patients: disorganized (characterized by lack of emotion and disorganized speech), catatonic (characterized by reduced movement, rigid posture, or sometimes too much movement), and paranoid (strong delusions or h allucinations). (2) Interested in the relation of brain and behavior, I must ask: What causes schizophrenia? Maybe not one single cause can be named as separate causes contribute to create a syndrome, or a complex of signs and symptoms presenting a clinical picture of a disease or disorder. This question has not yet been clearly answered but research has suggested that genetics and biochemical abnormalities combined with environmental factors are to blame. Genetic studies of twins have shown that the tendency for both monozygotic (identical) twins to develop schizophrenia is between 30-50%, while that of dizygotic (fraternal) twins is 15%, which is close to that of siblings who are not twins. (2) The greater tendency for monozygotic twins to have the illness shows that genetics plays a role but because the tendency is not 100%, genetics are not the sole factor. Considering that only 1% of the population is affected by schizophrenia, the elevated risk of relatives—8% for non-twin siblings, 12% for child whose parent hasShow MoreRelatedCulture and Schizophrenia1180 Words   |  5 PagesCulture and Schizophrenia Childhood schizophrenia is one of several types of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic psychological disorder that affects a person’s psychosis. Childhood schizophrenia is similar to adult schizophrenia, but it occurs earlier in life and has a profound impact on the attitude, behavior, and life. The child with schizophrenia may experience strange thoughts, strange feelings, and abnormal behaviors. Childhood schizophreniaRead MoreThe Direct Genetic Loci Accounting For Schizophrenia s Heritability Is Still Unidentified1395 Words   |  6 PagesConclusion The direct genetic loci accounting for schizophrenia’s heritability is still unidentified. The mental illness affects approximately 3.5million Americans and 1 percent of the worldwide population today. The variable related to the disease is so widely ranged that literally anyone can have some form of potential risk. Compared to other mental disorders, schizophrenia is unique to having a combination of many different environmental, genetic, and biological factors. The exact cause of theRead MoreThe Genius And Mental Illness1332 Words   |  6 Pages Artistic Genius and Mental Illness The path from mental illness to creative genius in many artists and writers has long been a topic of research and discussion. Researchers believe they are now gaining new clues about the mysterious link between highly creative individuals and mental disorders, most commonly manic depression. The National Institute on Mental Health estimates that manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, affects about 2 million Americans. Many scientists believe that aRead MoreThe Myth of the Nervous Breakdown Essay1021 Words   |  5 Pages The nervous breakdown, a mysterious affliction that has been a staple of American life for more than a century has been wiped out by the combined forces of psychology and pharmacology. The question remains however, why do people keep breaking down? The term nervous breakdown is inexact. Nervous breakdowns are no longer thought to be conditions of the nerves, but of the mind. It seems psychology, over the years, has separated the term nervous breakdown into more definite categories. TodayRead MoreSummary : They Are Not Alone 1772 Words   |  8 Pagestaken from the book Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers written by E. Fuller Torrey. The words of this quote are meaningful because the author does a good job of explaining just how mysterious Schizophrenia is. This mental illness can turn a normal person into a madman due to the loss of control of their own mind. The scary thing is, researchers are not sure exactly what causes it. Only about 1% of the population suffers from schizophrenia, yet more people are institutionalizedRead MoreShirley Jackson s Final Novel1042 Words   |  5 PagesThe Blackwood sisters try to avoid going into town as much as possible. The two sisters are perceived as complete outsiders that do not follow social norms; their bond as sisters are strong despite having the little family they have, their mental illness, and their fear of the outside world. Merricat is eighteen at the time in the story, however her childlike behavior and the way she talks would make the reader think she is much younger. She is the youngest member of the Blackwood family. The onlyRead MoreIgnorance Is Not An Excuse For Not Learning Essay1337 Words   |  6 Pagesright it. Many people are ignorant when it comes to mental illness. It is an odd paradox, that a society, which can now speak openly and unabashedly about topics that were once unspeakable, still remains largely silent when it comes to mental illness (Lieschied). Today it is not much different from the time of Bartleby s, because many are more comfortable working with what they know. However in dealing with people who have mental illness, people become silent, and simply observe letting the afflictedRead MoreIn Black Swan, a ballet dancer named Nina is casted to play both the White Swan and the Black Swan1100 Words   |  5 Pageschallenges that arise from trying to accurately portray both characters whom are completely opposite. It is easy for Nina to be the White Swan. She is innocent and controlled. However, it was very hard for her to become the dark, seductive, and mysterious Black Swan. To fully become this character, Nina has to deal with the struggles of becoming the opposite of who she really is. This results in many hallucinations that involve harming herself. She also starts to imagine things that are not reallyRead MoreHello Internet : The Butterfly Effect1481 Words   |  6 Pageseducate everyone about the heavy and deep metaphor the game â€Å"Until Dawn† has. Until Dawn’s message is much darker, much sadder, and is a much more serious game than many people thought. The game carries an incredibly serious message about mental illness and the nature of choice. This site will cover the entire game and how the decisions the player make earlier in the game can have significant ramifications down the line. These decisions you make that have an impact on the rest of the game are calledRead More Is Doubt the Key to Knowledge?1437 Words   |  6 Pagesto verify the dates of Jesus’ death and the actual writing and publication of the books. Language was perhaps most auspiciously used when identifying the misnomer of Pontius Pilate, Procurator. Doubt has led us to knowledge about one of the most mysterious and often impermeable aspects of humanity: history. Doubt is also a necessary element in human sciences. Without it, no progress would ever be made. In centuries past, physicians bled patients to release bad â€Å"humors,† a now undoubtedly useless