chapterthirteen6

=__Schizophrenia__=

Schizophrenia is not only a problem of emotion but it is also a cognition issue, which includes disturbed thought processes. When an individual has Schizophrenia they have serious difficulties meeting everyday demands. Schizophrenia is a permanent condition, but it can go into remission. This disease is degenerative and no real cure exists.

__Symptoms and Effects of Schizophrenia__ Delusions -false beliefs or thoughts that are not true to reality Hallucinations -hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there Disordered thinking -Thoughts and speech do not make sense and are unrelated to each other such as word salad (a string of words or sounds that have no relation to each other) Catatonic behavior -bizarre motor behavior and motor skills are marked by a decrease in reactivity to the environment, or hyperactivity that is unrelated to stimuli Flat affect - an appearance or mood that shows no emotion Paranoia- feeling that people or things are out to get them, often involving persecution

A Schizophrenic could experience: incoherence, deterioration in normal movement, decline in previous levels of functioning, and diverted attention. The likelihood of someone being diagnosed with Schizophrenia is very unlikely. There is only a 1% that anyone in the population will get it. The chances of someone getting Schizophrenia increase with the closeness of genetic relationship.

The causes of Schizophrenia are still unknown at this time. However, there are theories. It seems that there is an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. One hypothesis is that there is an excess of dopamine at the synapses.

Being part of a Pathogenic Family may contribute to schizophrenia.

Double-Bind Theory - Childhood full of contradictory messages result in adults who perceive the world as confusing, disconnected place and believe their world and actions have little meaning.

Diathesis-Stress Hypothesis - States that an individual may have inherited a predisposition toward schizophrenia. For it to develop, that person must contact and environment with certain stressors before the schizophrenia will develop.

__Subtypes of Schizophrenia:__ 1. Paranoid type 2. Catonic Type 3. Disorganized Type 4. Undifferentiated Type 5. Remission Type


 * Famous People with Schizophrenia :**

[|Syd Barret] founding member of Pink Floyd

[|Lionel Aldridge] Super-bowl winning football player

[|Albert Einstein's son]

[|Peter Green] guitarist of Fleetwood Mac

[|John Nash] Nobel prize winner/ mathematician

=**__PTSD__**=

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Symptoms and Effects: (Mayo Clinic)
 * Flashbacks, or reliving the traumatic event for minutes or even days at a time
 * Shame or guilt
 * Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event
 * Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
 * Feeling emotionally numb
 * Irritability or anger
 * Poor relationships
 * Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much
 * Hopelessness about the future
 * Trouble sleeping
 * Memory problems
 * Trouble concentrating
 * Being easily startled or frightened
 * Not enjoying activities you once enjoyed
 * Hearing or seeing things that aren't there

__Common Reactions After Experiencing a Traumatic Event__
 * Feeling hopeless about the future & detached or unconcerned about others
 * Indecisiveness
 * On guard and constantly alert
 * Work or school problems

Physical Reactions:
 * Stomach upset, trouble eating
 * Trouble sleeping & exhaustion
 * Pounding heart, rapid breathing, edginess
 * Severe headache if thinking of the event, sweating
 * Failure to engage in exercise, diet, safe sex, regular health care
 * Excess smoking, alcohol, drugs, food
 * Worsening of chronic medical problems

Emotional Troubles : (United States Department of Veteran Affairs)
 * Feeling nervous, helpless, fearful, sad
 * Feeling shock, numb, unable to experience love or joy
 * Avoiding people, places, and things related to the event
 * Being irritable or outbursts of anger
 * Becoming easily upset or agitated
 * Self-blame or negative views of oneself or the world
 * Distrust of others, conflict, being over controlling
 * Withdrawal, feeling rejected or abandoned
 * Loss of intimacy or feeling detached

The Symptoms come and go, and sometimes they can be triggered by other traumatic events, like September 11 attacks.



Causes: There is no concrete evidence on how you get PTSD, but the main trigger is life experiences. Some factors that scientists believe may add to it are genetics, your temperament, and changes/elements in the brain. (Mayo Clinic)

For post-traumatic stress disorder to be diagnosed, several criteria must be met, including:
 * You experienced or witnessed an event that involved death or serious injury, or the threat of death or serious injury
 * Your response to the event involved intense fear, horror or a sense of helplessness
 * You relive experiences of the event, such as having distressing images and memories, upsetting dreams, flashbacks or even physical reactions
 * You try to avoid situations or things that remind you of the traumatic event or feel a sense of emotional numbness
 * You feel as if you're constantly on guard or alert for signs of danger, which may make you have trouble sleeping or concentrating
 * Your symptoms last longer than one month
 * The symptoms cause significant distress in your life or interfere with your ability to go about your normal daily tasks

[|Treatment]: They try to reduce symptoms by encouraging patients to recall the event, express their feelings, and gain a sense of control over the traumatic experience. In some cases, expressing grief helps to complete the mourning process. Often times support groups can be helpful because they allow people with similar feelings to share their experiences. Behavioral therapy is used to treat people who are avoiding their traumatic experience. This type of therapy can include exposure to objects that triggers your symptoms until you become used to them and no longer avoid them. This particular method is called graded exposure and flooding. Medicines can also be taken to reduce anxiety and other PTSD symptoms, but they need to be closely monitored because a lot of depression medications have side effects. (U.S. National Library of Medicine)

media type="youtube" key="QAa3FjKxxOE&rel=1" height="355" width="425" - Video on PTSD

"Common Reactions After Trauma." __United States Department of Veteran Affairs__. 22 May 2007. National Center for PTSD. 16 Jan. 2008 <[|http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_commonreactions.html>.]
 * __Sources__**

__Mayoclinic__. 12 April. 2007.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 15 January 2008 

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." __Medicine Plus__. 2 Jan. 2008. U.S National Library of Medicine. 17 Jan. 2008 <[|http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000925.htm>.]

__Schizophrenia__. 2007. Non-Profit Organization. 15 Jan. 2008 

http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/nash.htm January 15, for reference.

media type="custom" key="432001"

- Matt S. and Ashley T.