Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
The word schizophrenia comes from the Greek word skhizein meaning "to split" and
the Greek word Phrenos (phren) meaning "diaphragm, heart, mind". In 1910, the Swiss
psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler (1857-1939) coined the term Schizophrenie in a lecture in
Berlin on April 24th, 1908.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that generally appears in late adolescence or early
adulthood - however, it can emerge at any time in life. It is one of many brain diseases
that may include delusions, loss of personality (flat affect), confusion, agitation, social
withdrawal, psychosis, and bizarre behaviour.
What is schizophrenia?
Individuals with schizophrenia may hear voices that are not there. Some
may be convinced that others are reading their minds, controlling how they
think, or plotting against them. This can distress patients severely and
persistently, making them withdrawn and frantic.
Others may find it hard to make sense of what a person with schizophrenia is
talking about. In some cases, the individual may spend hours completely still,
without talking. On other occasions he or she may seem fine, until they start
explaining what they are truly thinking.
have to rely on others, because they are unable to hold a job or care for
themselves.
Schizophrenia most commonly strikes between the ages of 15 to 25 among
men, and about 25 to 35 in women. In many cases the disorder develops so
slowly that the sufferer does not know he/she has it for a long time. While,
with other people it can strike suddenly and develop fast.
Schizophrenia, possibly many illnesses combined - it is a complex,
chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder and affects approximately 1% of
all adults globally. Experts say schizophrenia is probably many illnesses
masquerading as one. Research indicates that schizophrenia is likely to be
the result of faulty neuronal development in the brain of the fetus, which later
in life emerges as a full-blown illness.
Symptoms of schizophrenia
There is, to date, no physical or laboratory test that can absolutely diagnose
schizophrenia. The doctor, a psychiatrist, will make a diagnosis based on the
patient's clinical symptoms. However, physical testing can rule out some
other disorders and conditions which sometimes have similar symptoms,
such as seizure disorders, thyroid dysfunction, brain tumor, drug use, and
metabolic disorders.
Symptoms and signs of schizophrenia will vary, depending on the individual.
The symptoms are classified into four categories:
Major symptoms:
important that those close to the patient understand that this loss of drive is
due to the illness, and has nothing to do with slothfulness.
Your genes
If there is no history of schizophrenia in your family your chances of
developing it are less than 1%. However, that risk rises to 10% if one of your
parents was/is a sufferer.
A gene that is probably the most studied "schizophrenia gene" plays a
surprising role in the brain: It controls the birth of new neurons in addition to
Family relationships
Although there is no evidence to prove or even indicate that family
relationships might cause schizophrenia, some patients with the illness
believe family tension may trigger relapses.
Environment
Although there is yet no definite proof, many suspect that prenatal or prenatal
trauma, and viral infections may contribute to the development of the
disease. Prenatal means "occurring about 5 months before and up to one
month after birth".
Stressful experiences often precede the emergence of schizophrenia. Before
any acute symptoms are apparent, people with schizophrenia habitually
become bad-tempered, anxious, and unfocussed. This can trigger
relationship problems, divorce and unemployment. These factors are often
blamed for the onset of the disease, when really it was the other way round the disease caused the crisis. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to know
whether schizophrenia caused certain stresses or occurred as a result of
them.
Some drugs
Cannabis and LSD are known to cause schizophrenia relapses. According to
the State Government of Victoria6 in Australia, for people with a predisposition
to a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, usage of cannabis may trigger the
first episode in what can be a disabling condition that lasts for the rest of their
lives.
It is also important to establish that the signs and symptoms have not
been caused by, for example, a prescribed medication, a medical
condition, or substance abuse.
Also, the patient must: