Schizophrenia Praetoria Diaz

What is it?  A severe brain disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally  hallucinations,  delusions  extremely disordered thinking/behavior  The word "schizophrenia" means "split mind," referring to a disruption of the usual balance of emotions and thinking

Causes  Genetics  People with schizophrenia are more likely to have other documented genetic mutations  1 percent of the population is at risk, chances increase when a family member has suffered it  Environment  Exposure to viruses or malnutrition before birth  Biologically  Insufficient dopamine and glutamate  Problems appear during brain development

Treatment  Psychotherapy  To LEARN SOCIAL SKILLS (vs. talking about problems and searching for a solution)  Being with a therapist allows a safe environment for schizophrenics to receive  Advice  Reassurance  Goal-setting skills  Reality-testing exercises  Medication  Disease is a combination of dissociative, mood, and anxiety disorder so the medications are combinations  Antipsychotics mainly  Important to follow a routine when taking meds

Types of Schizophrenia  PARANOID  presence of auditory hallucinations or delusional thoughts about persecution/conspiracy  Able to function in everyday life  Symptoms appear later in life  Private tendencies  Seek help only when a stressful event has caused them to act out

Types Con’t  DISORGANIZED  Disturbed thought process  Trouble with routine tasks (brushing teeth, eating meals, going to work)  Emotionally unstable or inappropriate emotional reactions to situations  Inability to communicate effectively (order of words in a sentence, “tip-of-the-tongue” feeling)

Types Con’t  CATATONIC  Disturbances in movement  Reduction of movement (glassy-eyed staring into space)  Increase in activity to the point where it becomes uncontrollable (ticks, repeated actions)  Waxy Flexibility- being placed in a strange position yet not moving once placed  Patients may assume uncomfortable body positions or facial expressions and then refuse/are unable to change them  VIDEO>>>Catatonic SchizophreniaCatatonic Schizophrenia

Types Con’t  UNDIFFERENTIATED  Whatever falls under schizophrenia but doesn’t quite fit any of the other types  Symptoms in a person may change from time to time

Types Con’t  RESIDUAL  Once a patient has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but their symptoms seem to have disappeared  Hallucinations or delusions may still exist but they are greatly diminished  The healing process of schizophrenia looks like a sin curve  Stressful events trigger unwanted behavior that slows down progressively until the next stressful event  Dealing with stress is an important skill  If schizophrenia is acute = greater chance for recovery  Gradual onset = not so much

Sources   conditions/schizophrenia/basics/causes/con conditions/schizophrenia/basics/causes/con  