Why Learning About Schizophrenia Is Important
The scary thing about schizophrenia is that sufferers may be so confused by the symptoms that they are unable to tell what is real and what is fantasy. For instance, when serial killer David Berkowitz saw black dogs barking out orders to kill, he believed they were actually there. Many schizophrenics keep their voices and thoughts to themselves, for fear of being labeled “crazy.” Another schizophrenic, Janice Jordan, mentioned being unable to tell her counselors about a delusional figure known as “The Controller” who barked orders at her during psychotic episodes. The more patients learn about the illness and its many effects, the better equipped they are to handle the symptoms. Unfortunately, taking life-long medication is also a realistic assumption on the road to recovery.
Schizophrenia research reports some interesting findings. For instance, the mental illness is largely caused by a neuro-chemical imbalance of Dopamine, Seratonin and Norepenephrine. In a normal brain, the frontal lobe increases its blood flow and the “listening” part of the brain diminishes. PET scans reveal that in a schizophrenic brain, the frontal lobe is active but the “listening” part remains just as active. The sensory overload usually causes a hallucination. People who are born with schizophrenia generally have irregular brain cell patterns. Drugs and stress do not cause schizophrenia, but they can certainly exacerbate the symptoms. In some cases, family members who understand very little can agitate the symptoms by using an accusing tone of voice or reacting angrily to the sufferer.
The truth about schizophrenia is that it’s not “just a phase,” but rather something that must be medicated and addressed with behavior therapy. While people with psychiatric disorders may not be able to “cure” the problem, they can learn to live with it in a productive manner. The assistance of family and friends is crucial in a patient’s recovery. Isolation, depression, guilt and uncertainty can prevent a person from getting ahead in life, but with loving support and counsel, greatness can be achieved, despite the serious mental illness.
The most important thing to understand about schizophrenia is that it is not caused by bad parenting or personal weakness. Schizophrenics do not have “split personalities,” nor are they dangerous people. Most of the time, they’re introverted, anxious, frightened and depressed. Interventions include: medication, behavior therapy, job counseling, hospitalization (for severe, suicidal cases) and psychosocial rehabilitation. Parents and schizophrenia patients can check out the National Alliance of Mental Illness website for more information.
By Health Editor
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptFor instance, the mental illness is largely caused by a neuro-chemical imbalance of Dopamine, Seratonin and Norepenephrine. In a normal brain, the frontal lobe increases its blood flow and the “listening” part of the brain diminishes. … […]