Do you or someone you know suffer from Schzophrenia? It is often a disabling illness that is manageable with medication, however, there is no clear difinitive cure for Schizophrenia. It's onset generally shows in the teen to the twenties, sometimes even in young children or people in their thirties and above. Schizophrenia is not "split-personality" as many may think it is.There are two subtypes of symptoms: positive symptoms and negative symptoms.
Positive symptoms include hallucinations, which tipify psychosis, delusions, as well as bizarre behaviors and dissassociated or fragmented thoughts.
Negative symptoms include impaired emotional responsiveness, loss of motivation, general loss of interest, as well as social withdrawl. (Source:New Developments in the Biology of Mental Disorders; Research and Education Foundation)
Approximately one (1) in every one-hundred (100) people develop Schizophrenia during his or her lifetime. There is a worse prognosis for men than for women. The symptoms and severity may fkluctuqate over time, and there is an increased risk ofsuicide of those afflicted.
Approximately 10-15% of persons afflicted will take their own lives.
The optimal treatment is anti-psychotic drugs (such as Geodon, Seroquel, Haldol) and supportive psychosocial treatment.
Many individuals afflicted with this illness often are hospitalized one or more times during their lifetime, as symptoms and severity of full-blown psychosis peak. There are many Psychiatric hospitals and treatment teams in the U.S. and in other areas of the country. Many sufferers need community support after their hospital stay to continue on the track to wellness.
Next post will be about some of the biological causes of Schizophrenia, and the biology behind the illness.
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