Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by hallucinations, which are false perceptions (auditory, visual, olfactory,tactile) and delusions which are a irrational or false belife. The onset of schizophrenia usually occurs in late adolescence to early adulthood. Out of all times for such a drastic change to take place, this time period is a very unfortunate one.
During late adolescence to early adulthood most people are graduating high school or college, and just starting to figure out what they want out of life, just to have their world turned upside down, and have to readjust their entire lifestyle. Men are more prone to schizophrenia. The cause of this disorder is primarily due to the brain producing to much of the neurotransmitter dopamine. There are many anti psychotics available today, because one medication will not work for every individual. In fact, there are some individuals who suffer every day with this illness and have yet to find a medication that helps ease their symptoms. Schizophrenia
Introduction
American Nobel Prize winning John Nash, NFL player Lionel Aldridge, and Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, all share a common link. Besides fame and fortune, the three men also suffer from a cruel mental disorder characterized by its realistic delusions and hallucinations. The disorder in which they suffer from is schizophrenia. Men are more prone to schizophrenia, and the onset occurs late adolescence to early adulthood. The timing of this mental illness is very unfortunate because most individuals are just graduating high school, or college and really gaining a concept of what they want to do with their lives, they are finally beginning to feel comfortable with where they are at, and then suddenly this illness turns life as they knew it upside-down.
Causes
One of the main causes of schizophrenia is the excess amount of dopamine (a neurotransmitter) that the brain is producing. In individuals with schizophrenia, their brains are producing 6 fold more dopamine then the average person. On the other hand, if a persons body is not producing enough dopamine it creates Parkinson’s disease. As humans we need to have not to much, nor to little of our neurotransmitters to function properly. Another area to take into account in regards to causes of schizophrenia is the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is the part of a person’s brain that is responsible for reasoning, logic, and thinking on higher conceptual levels. This part of the brain is usual deficient in some way with schizophrenics, most likely due to oversized ventricles in the brain pushing up against the prefrontal cortex.
Characteristics
People who suffer from schizophrenia do not only suffer from hallucinations, which are false perceptions (auditory, visual,olfactory,tactile) and delusions which are a irrational or false beliefs, but also a loss of emotion. The often experience “flat affect” or lack of
emotional response. The want to be able to feel sorrow, happiness, sadness, and grief like they once did but they cannot. For many, this lack of emotion is to much and can make an individual want to commit suicide.
Medication
Lastly, despite the fact that that schizophrenia is a debilitating and life altering illness, there are plenty of anti-psychotic medications designed to block some of the dopamine neurotransmitters from getting to the synapse thus making it as if the individual was not experiencing all of the excess dopamine. Anti-psychotics do not cure an individual, only ease their sufferings. However, although there are many different types of medications there are still some individuals who do not benefit from any known medications.
