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

Post from: Blisstree

Tell Me More About Schizophrenia: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments

I stopped avoiding.

And I feel great.

Now it’s time for some Saturday Sanity, and I hope by this time next week, I still feel just as great.

At Mental Health Notes, I shared survey findings about saving money on prescription medications, passed along advocacy alerts about Mental Health Parity and Medicaid regulations, showed you where to find information about headaches and brain tumors, highlighted Web sites about two interesting -ologies (color psychology and graphology), and, very simply, told you that water is good for your brain. And, this week at Mental Health Notes was extra special because we were visited by triple-boarded psychiatrist and award-winning author Doreen Orion!

Mental health was prevalent in the news this week. Mental Health America salutes the service of veterans and families as well as offers tips on how to boost workplace wellness, and researchers from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) presented information about new depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia treatments. In other research news, Dr. Rosalind Wright of Harvard Medical School and colleagues found that women who experience stress during their pregnancies may have babies who are predisposed to allergies and asthma, and a new study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders suggests that anorexic women who had childhood anxiety may experience more severe symptoms of the eating disorder.

And finally, what’s going on with the rest of the b5media Health & Wellness Channel? Grace at Kids Health Notes points to a UCLA study that suggests that pregnant women who use cell phones may have children with behavior problems. Kendra at A Hearty Life gives a glimpse into her struggles with stress and how it affects diabetes. Mary Emma at Alzheimer’s Notes offers 13 tips for caregivers to alleviate depression. Ruth at Eating Fabulous tells us about how celery and green pepper compound can prevent neuroinflammation.

That’s it for this week! If you have any Saturday Sanity-worthy news, send it my way for next Saturday!

All images courtesy of morgueFile.

Remember! You have until May 31, 2008 to enter the Mental Health Notes Birthday Giveaway, and forever to join the This Is Why I ROCK! series!

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Keeping Up With Yesterday