Big brother Is Watching You. Be Aware.
In the past two issues, I have introduced some disorders concerning the physical appearance and body figure. From now on, the direction will change to a more mental and profound aspect. Did you try out the game column Laugh Out Loud last issue? If yes, then you must have some ideas in schizophrenia. In this issue, I would like to elaborate more on this disorder.
When talking about schizophrenics, we often refer to insane and mad people. Can you recall some people or incidents that are related to insanity? Delusions and hallucinations are the most frequent symptoms for schizophrenia. Sufferers live in a virtual world which they imagined. They have intense belief that others are going to do harm on them, even for close friends and family members. They think their thought and behavior are being manipulated by some radio waves or machines. In addition, they always think they are being spied and monitored, and others can read their mind. Not only having those untrue thought, they also hear imaginative comments and arguments in their brain. In those violent tragedies happened, patients often report voices urging them to kill or destroy those people who (they think) will cause harm on the patients.
Behavioral symptoms include lack of interest and motivation on routine and ignoring hygiene condition (avolition), unwilling to speak (alogia), not expecting happiness (anhedonia) and not expressing emotion (flat affect) etc. Moreover, asociality is another problem as their social skills is seriously impaired, resulting from the lack of interested in people.
When talking about schizophrenics, we often refer to insane and mad people. Can you recall some people or incidents that are related to insanity? Delusions and hallucinations are the most frequent symptoms for schizophrenia. Sufferers live in a virtual world which they imagined. They have intense belief that others are going to do harm on them, even for close friends and family members. They think their thought and behavior are being manipulated by some radio waves or machines. In addition, they always think they are being spied and monitored, and others can read their mind. Not only having those untrue thought, they also hear imaginative comments and arguments in their brain. In those violent tragedies happened, patients often report voices urging them to kill or destroy those people who (they think) will cause harm on the patients.
Behavioral symptoms include lack of interest and motivation on routine and ignoring hygiene condition (avolition), unwilling to speak (alogia), not expecting happiness (anhedonia) and not expressing emotion (flat affect) etc. Moreover, asociality is another problem as their social skills is seriously impaired, resulting from the lack of interested in people.
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| Image: Forum de rock6070 |
It should be noted that socioeconomic status (SES) is related to the occurrence of schizophrenia. People having low SES living in urban areas are more likely to have the disease. Other causes of the disease are mainly genetic factors, neurotransmitters like dopamine D2 and glutamate receptors, brain (prefrontal cortex) abnormalities and psychological stress. Major treatments include medications, psychoanalytic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and family therapies. Among these, family therapies are quite useful because the teaching the family about the information of the disease, correct response and communication with the patient are critical for the patients to feel accepted and normal. Only in this way, the person can be united with the society again.
The symptoms may sound crazy to us, and the situation may be too dreadful for us to imagine. It is because we know that these thoughts are unrealistic, differentiating the imaginative world and the reality. Unfortunately, the schizophrenics could not do so. They are drawn into long-term panic and fear. Writing this article, it reminds me of the novel 1984. The world is full of distrust, spy, fear and imprisonment. Want to experience how the schizophrenics feel? 1984 is a good one to try.
The symptoms may sound crazy to us, and the situation may be too dreadful for us to imagine. It is because we know that these thoughts are unrealistic, differentiating the imaginative world and the reality. Unfortunately, the schizophrenics could not do so. They are drawn into long-term panic and fear. Writing this article, it reminds me of the novel 1984. The world is full of distrust, spy, fear and imprisonment. Want to experience how the schizophrenics feel? 1984 is a good one to try.
Venus Lai
Reference:
Kring, A.M., Johnson, S.L., Davison, G.C. & Neale, J.M. (2010). Abnormal Psychology 11th edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Forum de rock6070:Information (2010). Retrieved March 31, 2012 from http://www.rock6070.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=4182&start=15
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