Unveiling the Complexities of Schizophrenia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Abstract

Instructor’s Name Introduction Schizophrenia is a challenging mental disorder that is intriguing and frightening. The mental condition has become prevalent in recent times, making it a subject of concern and debate to many scholars and researchers. Schizophrenia affects an individual’s behavior, thinking, and worldview. Schizophrenia impairs the normal functioning of an individual disengaging from reality—persons with this condition attempt to self-medicate by engaging in alcohol and substance abuse. Research by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) alludes those persons with Schizophrenia are paranoid of the outside world and act in confusion and fear and are at risk of committing suicide during psychotic episodes or when in depression (Ramya 2019). Schizophrenia is associated with hallucinations, delusion, abnormality, and split off from reality. According to (), schizophrenia begins in adolescence and late childhood. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about schizophrenia. Many people perceive schizophrenia as a rare condition which is not true. Schizophrenia is a global mental condition, and according to (Cella et al., 2017), one in a hundred people have schizophrenia. Some say that patients with schizophrenia have split or many personalities, but this is not true because these people are just separated from reality. People with Schizophrenia can be helped and enjoy normal lives. This paper will discuss the various tenets of schizophrenia including its history, signs and symptoms, causes, treatment, and its risks and complications. History of Schizophrenia. To depict fragmented thinking, the name schizophrenia was coined from the Greek words'schizo,' which means divided, and 'phone,' which means mind. The historical understanding of Schizophrenia is diverse and scientists conflict a lot with many mythologies surrounding this disorder. According to (Nousak, 2020), the early beginnings of schizophrenia are hard to deduce since the mental illness, mental retardation, and mental deformities were treated the same. Mental disorders were believed as punishment from gods in Greek mythology. Schizophrenia is believed to have accompanied humankind throughout history. According to the Research medical council, the term schizophrenia is only 100 years old and the first mental illness is believed to have been discovered by Dr. Emile Kraepelin in 1887 (Katschnig, 2018). The historical perspective of schizophrenia is large and difficult to deduce the exact history of this disorder. Causes of the Disorder According to (Jamison 2019), schizophrenia is one of the heavily researched conditions but unfortunately, the exact cause has not been ascertained. However, various research links the cause of schizophrenia to physical, psychological, environmental, and genetic factors. Having parents or siblings with schizophrenia increases the chance of contracting the disorder. When it comes to genetic composition, twins are most likely to develop schizophrenia since they have the same genetic composition. When the mother does not receive proper nutrition and care during pregnancy, the child may succumb to schizophrenia. Chemical imbalances in the brain can cause schizophrenia. Neurotransmitters in the brain are linked to this disorder. Research suggests that two neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, contribute to schizophrenia. An imbalance between these two drugs is linked to schizophrenia. Various environmental factors such as migration, natural disasters, the effect of toxic substances, marijuana, and childhood traumas are associated with schizophrenia. There are also triggers o schizophrenia which include stress and drug abuse. Drugs such as cocaine and amphetamine trigger schizophrenia when used in large amounts. Stressors of divorce, bereavement, emotional and physical abuse, and unhealthy relationships trigger schizophrenia. Diagnosis There is no single test that ascertains schizophrenia in an individual. The diagnosis is based on a psychiatric clinical examination which differs from patient to patient since the symptoms are not the same in every victim. The caregiver collects information, including family history;...