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Treatment of Schizophrenia

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:10:49 +0000

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder. People with schizophrenia may have perceptions of reality that are different from the reality seen and shared by others around them. People with schizophrenia may hear voices, other people don’t hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. Although schizophrenia is a chronic disorder but with support, medication, and therapy, many people with schizophrenia are able to function independently and live satisfying lives.

Treatment of Schizophrenia is following:

Antipsychotic drugs are the best treatment now available. Antipsychotic medications reduce the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia and usually allow the patient to function more effectively and appropriately. The large number of people with schizophrenia show substantial improvement when treated with antipsychotic drugs.
Rehabilitation programs may include vocational counseling, job training, problem-solving and money management skills. These are important for the success of the community-centered treatment of schizophrenia. Therapy or rehabilitation therapy can help a person regain the confidence to take care of themselves and live a fuller life.
Psychotherapy can add structure and confidence to the patient’s life, increasing their ability to perform daily activities and chores on their own. In the case of therapy, some research has shown that psychotherapy and medication can be more effective than medication alone.

Group therapy, combined with drugs, is also better than drug treatment alone, particularly with schizophrenic outpatients. Positive results are more likely to be obtained when group therapy focuses on real-life plans, problems, and relationships.

Individual psychotherapy involves regularly scheduled talks between the patient and a mental health professional. Recent studies indicate that supportive, reality-oriented, individual psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral approaches can be beneficial for outpatients with schizophrenia. Family therapy can also significantly decrease relapse rates for the schizophrenic family member.

Causes Of Schizophrenia

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:04:42 +0000

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe brain disorder. Schizophrenia is found all over the world. People with schizophrenia may have perceptions of reality that are strikingly different from the reality seen and shared by others around them. Their behavior may seem odd, unusual or even bizarre at times. People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk, may sit for hours without moving or talking much, or may seem perfectly fine until they talk about what they are really thinking. These experiences are terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal, or extreme agitation.

Causes of Schizophrenia are following:

Genetic factor: Such studies indicate schizophrenia is influenced by genetics. Schizophrenia genetics research has also studied parent/sibling genetics. A person whose parent has schizophrenia has a ten percent chance of inheriting the condition. It appears likely that multiple genes are involved in creating a predisposition to develop the disorder
Dopamine imbalances: Dopamine imbalances have been suggested as a possible cause of schizophrenia. Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter Neurotransmitters, substances that allow communication between nerve cells, have long been thought to be involved in the development of schizophrenia.
Environmental factor: Twin and adoption studies suggest that inherited genes make a person vulnerable to schizophrenia and then environmental factors act on this vulnerability to trigger the disorder. Life stressors may trigger schizophrenia in people whose genetics leave them susceptible to the illness. Ending relationships, leaving home, and other life stressors have been linked to schizophrenia onset in some cases.
Abnormal brain structure: In addition to abnormal brain chemistry, abnormalities in brain structure may also play a role in schizophrenia. Extensive studies have examined the brain structure of schizophrenia patients. Many schizophrenics have enlarged brain ventricles (cavities inside the brain containing cerebrospinal fluid). . Some studies also suggest that abnormalities in the temporal lobes, hippocampus, and amygdala are connected to schizophrenia’s positive symptoms.

Common Symptoms of Schizophrenia

admin — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:13:29 +0000

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder of psychosis that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia may have perceptions of reality that are strikingly different from the reality seen and shared by others around them. Their behavior may seem odd, unusual or even bizarre at times People with schizophrenia may hear voices other people don’t hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them The severity of the symptoms and the long-lasting, chronic pattern of schizophrenia often results in disability, and many individuals need ongoing assistance to manage the most basic functions of independent living.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia are following:

The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three broad categories:

Positive symptoms are unusual thoughts or perceptions and usually involve a loss of contact with reality. Positive symptoms are also referred to as psychotic symptoms. They include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and disorganized behavior. Positive symptoms can come and go. Sometimes they are severe and at other times hardly noticeable, depending on whether the individual is receiving treatment.
Negative symptoms refer to reductions in normal emotional and behavioral states. Negative symptoms include flattened affect, Anhedonia (
Patients may fail to experience or express pleasure in things that they once found enjoyable), Reduced speech, Lack of initiative (Also called avolition). These symptoms are harder to recognize as part of the disorder and can be mistaken for laziness or depression.
Cognitive symptoms are subtle and are often detected only when neuropsychological tests are performed. Cognitive symptoms are problems with attention, certain types of memory, and the executive functions. Cognitive deficits can also be difficult to recognize as part of the disorder but are the most disabling in terms of leading a normal life.