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 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 http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.sh

tml http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/

basics/causes/con-20021077 http://psychcentral.com/lib/types-of-schizophrenia/000714/2 http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx31t.htm