Tell Me More About Schizophrenia: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments
June 12, 2008 by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.
Now that we know which celebrities have or had schizophrenia, let’s take a look at the illness itself so you can better understand what these famous folks are going through.
Keep in mind that this post is just an overview and by no means meant to act as a substitute for medical professional advice.
I gathered information about schizophrenia from the National Alliance on Mental Illness and their section on Schizophrenia as well as the National Institute of Mental Health and their booklet about Schizophrenia.
After reading this overview of schizophrenia, I highly recommend checking out those Web sites for more detailed information.
Read on!
Quick Facts about Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that affects about 1% of Americans 18 years old and older. The disorder usually shows up in the teen and early adult years; however, it can occur at later times, especially for women. Having schizophrenia does not mean a person has split personalities, but it does mean the person may find it difficult to think clearly, tell the difference between reality and fantasy, manage their emotions, make decisions, and relate to others at times.
Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia has three different kinds of symptoms: positive, negative, and cognitive.
Positive symptoms deal a lot with loss of reality (hallucinations, delusions, unusual thoughts and perceptions, etc.). Negative symptoms deal with reductions in normal behavior (decrease in abilities to speak, make and act on plans, enjoy activities, express emotion, etc.). And, cognitive symptoms are the ones that cause the most trouble when trying to lead a “normal” life as they deal with attention and memory problems as well as the brain’s executive functions (the ability to plan and organize, for example).
Schizophrenia Causes and Risk Factors
Like many mental illnesses, researchers still don’t know the exact cause of schizophrenia; however, they figure it is a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
Treatment Options for Schizophrenia
Because schizophrenia is a chronic disorder, it has to continue to be treated (just like diabetes!).
Medications (such as antipsychotic medications) and psychosocial treatment (such as illness management skills, integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse, rehabilitation, family education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and self-help groups) are usually combined to treat schizophrenia.
If you think you suffer from schizophrenia, contact your doctor. If you think someone you know suffers from schizophrenia, point him or her in the direction of these resources and encourage him or her to contact a doctor. There is absolutely nothing shameful or embarrassing about dealing with mental illness, and there are effective treatment options available.
Image: Newscom
“the person may find it difficult to think clearly, tell the difference between reality and fantasy, manage their emotions, make decisions, and relate to others at times”
For people who do not know about this illness, I think it’s important to point out that the symptoms are related to the untreated condition. When treated, all these symptoms will vanish in most people.
So if someone says they have Schizophrenia, then in most cases they will be pretty much normal, these symptoms will not be present.
@ Legion – Thanks for chiming in; that’s a great point. When properly managed (with the appropriate treatment options), folks with any kind of mental illness can sometimes be entirely (or mostly) symptom-free. (Of course, I mean those like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.)
Have you read “The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness” by Elyn Saks? It’s an excellent memoir of someone who’s battled schizophrenia, and she illustrated many situations throughout her life when her symptoms would disappear (while she was taking medication) and she’d make the poor decision of thinking that, because they were gone, she could go without the medicine. It’s a great read.
HERE is a link to learn more about the author (she’s a law and psychology professor at USC) and HERE is a link to learn more about the book and watch/listen to her speak about it, if you’re interested.