History and Statistics of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe brain disease that affects how individuals reasons, feels, and acts. Individuals with schizophrenia may appear to have lost meaning with their lives. Even though schizophrenia’s treatment isn't as necessary as other mental disorders, its manifestations can be extremely impairing. 

Schizophrenia is a disease that was discovered by Eugene Bleuler in Greece, and it is barely 100 years old. The disease has become a problem particularly among the baby boomers who are now suffering from loss of memory. The disease is currently ranked among the common illnesses that are claiming people’s life. About two of the world’s total population has been diagnosed with the disease, and about 1.5% of Americans have the disorder ( Howes et al., 2016 ). In the U.S, alone over 100,000 people will be diagnosed translating to 7.3 persons per 1,000. Schizophrenia has a potential of affecting individuals throughout the life span albeit new cases of the disease are well known to occur in early adulthood. It is uncommon for kids and adults to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. 

Symptoms of Schizophrenia 

Delusions 

Delusional disorder is an acute mental disease commonly referred to as psychotic disease. According to Piotrowski et al (2017 ), people who have diagnosed with the disorder are not able to distinguish between real things and imaginations. Delusions beliefs clash with the truth and the retentive held, regardless of proof in actuality. Hallucinations manifest in many forms. Interestingly, a few patients express the opinion that they are victims of an organized plot or persecution. Similarly, other scientists suggest that if the sensitivity of the body changes 

Hallucinations 

Hallucinations are part of the emotionally troubled side effects schizophrenia patients incurs. These perceptual distortions differ between patients and present themselves in form of sound-related, gustatory, visual or olfactory. Most of the hallucinations cases are associated with are sound and regularly include voices. 

Scattered Speech 

Scattered Speech is an abnormality in the content of an individual. It is believed that these abnormalities reflect hidden twists in the patient's points of view ( Howes et al., 2016 ). Consequently, researchers and practitioners use thought disorder to refer to scattered speech that always occurs in schizophrenia regularly. Patients with disorganized speech have a problem of shifting to different topics that are not related to the previous one. 

Causes of schizophrenia 

Schizophrenia is associated with a number of causes. They include genetics. Researchers have discovered that genetics plays a vital role in the development of schizophrenic. Many families with adopted offspring’s and twins have been studied find out the vulnerability in this group of people. Researchers have discovered that if one twin has Schizophrenia, then the other twin has high chances of developing the disease ( Piotrowski et al., 2017 ). 

Schizophrenia can also be caused by neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical compounds that transport messages between brain cells. Research has indicated that if dopamine and serotonin can cause schizophrenia if their level in the brain changes. 

Pregnancy and birth issues have been identified as one of the causes of schizophrenia. Research had revealed that individuals who develop Schizophrenia later in their lives are those who might have incurred challenges when they were being born. Some of the complications at birth include; asphyxia, low birth weight, and premature labor ( Broder et al., 2018 ). 

Risk factors for Schizophrenia 

As much as research has not issued the precise cause of schizophrenia, certain facts are likely to exacerbate the risk of triggering or developing schizophrenia. These include using mind-altering drugs while as a teen or as an adult, having pregnancy complications like exposure to viruses, old age of the father, having been born in a family that has a history of the disease and elevate immune system activation. 

Diagnosis 

According to Broder,et al (2018) , diagnosis of schizophrenia begins with a physical test. This helps physicians to arrive at a variety of issues that cause the manifestation of the disease. Tests and screenings are the second steps, and it includes tests that assist in weighing situations with comparable indications and screening for treatment. The physician may otherwise request for examinations like CT scan. 

T reatment option for Schizophrenia 

Mental Treatment 

Up to date, several methods have been used to treat schizophrenia. Early undertakings to offer treatment to schizophrenia patients relied upon understanding psychodynamic strategies. The focal target was to support reflection and self-perception in patients. Research disclosures did not assist the reasonability of these medicines in the treatment of schizophrenia. It has shown up, that solid treatment can be an important subordinate to the medication in the treatment of patients. Among the most helpful types of mental treatment is conduct treatment. Some psychological emergency clinics have built up projects in which patients procure credits or "tokens" for proper conduct and after that reclaim these things for benefits or unmistakable prizes ( Piotrowski et al., 2017 ). These projects can build reliability, cleanliness, and other socially satisfactory practices in patients. 

Antipsychotic Medication 

This involves the use of antipsychotic drug since it turned to the best and generally utilized schizophrenia treatment. Research demonstrated that the "ordinary" antipsychotics, for example, haloperidol, diminished the side effects of the disorder, particularly positive manifestations, and decrease the danger of backsliding. Chlorpromazine is also rated as the principal antipsychotic, customarily used to treat schizophrenia. Since the 1950s, numerous other antipsychotic drugs have been presented ( Howes et al., 2016 ). Medications like chlorpromazine diminish fantasies, daydreams, and thought the issue, and cause increasingly quiet, reasonable, and socially proper conduct. As referenced, all right now utilized antipsychotic drugs square dopamine neurotransmission. 

How to Prevent Schizophrenia Attack in Future 

To avoid schizophrenia attacks in the future, those people who come from families that have the disease must resist from using drugs, particularly the teens whose brains are developing. Second, people must learn how to handle stress. Stress and anxiety are harmful to anyone’s health, and if not properly managed, it can lead to schizophrenia. Avoid traumatic situations at all costs. If you are in an abusive relationship, you can seek help from a therapist of a doctor ( Howes et al., 2016 ). This will minimize the chances of being stressed that can build up the disease. 

References 

Broder, M. S., Greene, M., Chang, E., Hartry, A., Touya, M., Munday, J., & Yan, T. (2018). Health Care Resource Use, Costs, and Diagnosis Patterns in Patients With Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Real-world Evidence From US Claims Databases. Clinical therapeutics , 40 (10), 1670-1682. 

Howes, O. D., McCutcheon, R., Agid, O., De Bartolomeis, A., Van Beveren, N. J., Birnbaum, M. L., ... & Castle, D. J. (2016). Treatment-resistant schizophrenia: treatment response and resistance in psychosis (TRRIP) working group consensus guidelines on diagnosis and terminology. American Journal of Psychiatry , 174 (3), 216-229. 

Piotrowski, P., M Gondek, T., Królicka-Deręgowska, A., Misiak, B., Adamowski, T., & Kiejna, A. (2017). Causes of mortality in schizophrenia: An updated review of European studies. Psychiatria Danubina , 29 (2), 108-120.