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Rachel Lincoln Expository 3 Research Essay Ms. Gokturk
Schizophrenia�.
A Thin Line between What is Real and what is not
Imagine yourself at a grocery store, walking down the produce aisle, for most people this shopping experience is often normal and routine. But imagine it wasn't just a trip to buy a carton of milk and some vegetables. Normally, around the market place there are the usual cheerful mothers that normally shop the snack aisle with their kids who are begging for the cookies. There is also new fathers rushing in to get more diapers to add to the collection back at home, and the elderly getting oatmeal and coffee to start their mornings. What if you went grocery shopping and things weren't so normal? What if as soon as you walk in, you notice everyone staring at you from every aisle? People start protecting their children from you, and everyone seems so scared of you? Voices jump at you and you see things that aren't truly there�or are they? Schizophrenia is a deteriorating cureless illness that strikes young people in their prime and distorts their perceptions of reality and complicates the way their mind works.
"The textbook description of schizophrenia is listing of symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior," (Siebert). Symptoms are often divided into two distinctively different categories. The "positive" category includes symptoms that are present, and should be absent, while the negative category includes those that are absent, and should be present. The positive category includes symptoms, such as: delusions, hallucinations, thought disorders, excitement grandiosity, suspiciousness, persecution, and hostility. In the negative category it�s: blunted affect, emotional withdrawal, poor rapport, passive, apathetic, socially withdrawn, difficulty in abstract thinking, lack of spontaneously, stereotyped thinking and physical symptoms. Schizophrenic people often have distorted perceptions in which his or her surroundings cause the patient to feel frightened, anxious, or confused. Schizophrenic patients also have disordered thinking and the inability to focus or think straight. Hallucinations are common in people with schizophrenia. All of the senses (sound, touch, smell, taste, and sight) appear to be more vivid or is altered in quality. (The World of People with Schizophrenia). Another extremely popular symptom of schizophrenia is the reduction in emotional expressiveness, monotonous voice, and diminished facial expressions. They often appear to be extremely apathetic and enjoyment or motivation is greatly decreased. It is a sad sight to watch someone suffering from schizophrenia when you know the person could have such a beautiful mind but are just incapable of using it appropriately.
The main cause of schizophrenia is still unknown to this day for scientists are still confused as to what triggers schizophrenia. Many researcher and scientists have come up with theories to what may have caused the cold-hearted mental illness. "Brain is made up of nerve cells, called neurons, and chemicals, called neurotransmitters. An imbalance of one neurotransmitter, called dopamine, is thought to cause the symptoms of schizophrenia." ("Brain Chemistry"). Thinking in biochemistry terms, the dopamine hypothesis is known to be the main theory regarding to what causes schizophrenia. Many other researchers have continued to study schizophrenia even after the discovery of the dopamine neurotransmitter imbalance because they were unable to use that theory as a hardcore fact for what may trigger the illness. According to another scientist, she claimed that, "A particular type of nerve cell, known as a glial cell, has been fingered as a cause of schizophrenia. The theory could help explain an abundance of disparate evidence for what triggers the disease." (Motluk 15). Other scientist�s theories pointed their fingers at fetal development. "First symptoms usually appear when people are in their 20�s but neuroscientists now believe that the seeds of the disorder are often found during fetal development. That is when the brain is wired up; nerve cells grow and divide, building connections with each other. The basic flaw in the brain of many schizophrenics seems to be that certain nerve cells migrate to the wrong areas when the brain is first taking shape, leaving small regions of the brain permanently out of place or miss wired." ("Roots of Schizophrenia may lie in Development of Fetal Brain). Brain miscommunications might develop when the mother catches a virus early in pregnancy. Other factors that may trigger schizophrenia is the cerebral blood flow to each part of the brain. Some parts of the brain may not get enough blood or they may get too much blood. There is also molecular biology, which is the scientific term for an irregular pattern of certain brain cells. Drug abuse may also be a factor in receiving schizophrenia and its symptoms. "Although most young people use cannabis in adolescence without harm, a vulnerable minority experience harmful outcomes. A tenth of the cannabis users by age 15�developed schizophreniform disorder by age 26." (Arseneault 1212). "Although people with schizophrenia may smoke to self medicate their symptoms, smoking has been found to interfere with the response to anti-psychotic drugs� People who have schizophrenia often abuse alcohol and/or drugs and may have particularly bad reactions to certain drugs�. Stimulants (coke, amphetamines) often worsen schizophrenic symptoms as will PCP or marijuana." ("Schizophrenia and Nicotine"). Lack of nutrition is also a factor in triggering schizophrenic episodes. Lack of certain vitamins may lead you to a road of confusion. "Infants deprived of breast milk may be at higher risk for developing schizophrenia later in life� The study suggests that a lack of DHA, (docosahexaenoic acid) a key fatty acid found in breast milk, may contribute to this risk� Schizophrenics who were not breast-fed had more schizoid and schizotypal traits, and were poorly adjusted then their siblings (who are more likely to have been breast-fed.) ("New Research concludes lack of Breast Milk may be Risk Factor in Neuro-developmental form of Schizophrenia). Besides what may trigger it, scientists have come to conclusion that schizophrenia is an extreme inheritance disease by studying genetic predisposition. "Schizophrenia runs in families. People who have close relatives with schizophrenia are more likely to develop the disorder then are people who have no relatives with the illness." ("Is Schizophrenia inherited?"). Stress plays a huge factor on the disease. Stress worsens the conditions that the schizophrenic patients are in." The timing of the onset of illness in later life depends upon the extent of the person�s vulnerability and exposure to a variety of stresses." ("Causes of Schizophrenia). Stresses are divided into two categories, Biological, (hallucinogenic drug abuse) and social, (losing a relative.)
Although there has been many theories, ideas, and conclusions for what may cause the crippling sickness, there is not one legitimate reason for it. Scientists and researchers are still baffled to this day and continue to research it to hopefully find something that will settle it once and for all. But for now schizophrenic patients have to depend on anti-psychotic medications such as Clozaril, Risperdal and Zyprexa which temporarily relieves them of their symptoms.