Brain Disorders: Schizophrenia

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Ciara Fowler Human Biology Period 2 12 December 2014 Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental altering brain disorder that can change the way a person acts, feels, interacts in society, and sees life. Individuals that are associated with this illness often have trouble participating in public activities at school, work, and usually cannot hold steady relationships. Schizophrenia can make the victim feel scared and shocked due to all of the conflicting feelings and actions. Although many confuse this disease as a split personality (Dissociative Identity Disorder), it is not entirely correlated with that concept. Schizophrenia is a type of mental illness where a person cannot tell what is real from their imagination, otherwise known as…show more content…
The UK National Health Service regards early diagnosis as a significant factor in getting effective treatment, because the chances of recovery are much greater the earlier it is treated. Psychiatrists also say that the most effective way to handle schizophrenia patients is usually a combination of medication, psychological therapy, and self-help resources. The use of antipsychotic drugs have transformed schizophrenia treatment, allowing the majority of patients to live in a community as opposed to being trapped in a hospital. The primary schizophrenia treatment is medication. However, compliance is a major problem. People with schizophrenia often go off their medication for long periods during their lives, at huge personal costs to themselves and often to those around them as well due to their depressed and unnatural state. The Cleveland Clinic reports that the patient should continue to take their medication regularly even when symptoms disappear, or else the illness will worsen. Most patients go off their medication within the first year of treatment. In order to prevent this, successful schizophrenia treatment needs to consist of a life-long continuance of both drug and psychosocial support therapies. The medication can help control the patient's hallucinations and delusions, but it cannot help them learn to communicate with others, get a job, and thrive in society. Although a significant number of people with schizophrenia live in poverty, this does not have to be the case. A person with schizophrenia who complies with the lifelong treatment will be able to start a happy and productive life. The first time a person experiences schizophrenia symptoms may be highly unpleasant. He/she may take a long time to recover, and that recovery can be a lonely experience. It is crucial that a schizophrenia sufferer receives the full support of his/her family, friends, and community
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