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by Manasi (8Se) and Aishani (8Ha)
We received all our information from Google websites. Every sentence has been modified into our own words. This research page is purely created for awareness of the condition and to educate ourselves on the disorder by clearing misconceptions. INTRODUCTION -Aishani Schizophrenia is a mental disorder where the individuals encounter a distorted perception of reality. This condition can be developed by genetics, the environment, drug usage or from chemicals in the brain - resulting in hallucinations and delusions. The impact of schizophrenia is most widespread in Oceania and East Asia. This horrifying disorder requires lifelong treatment and affects 0.32% of the global population - so the possibility is that among every 1,000 citizens there may be 3 people suffering from schizophrenia! TYPES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA -Manasi There are recorded to be many types of schizophrenia in the world, and some popular ones may be paranoid schizophrenia, hebephrenic schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia, undifferentiated schizophrenia, residual schizophrenia, simple schizophrenia and unspecified schizophrenia. These might be just some examples but there were many others found to humankind in the generations. The most percentage recorded of a common schizophrenia (paranoid schizophrenia) is very less but it is one of the most disabling diseases known to humankind. Paranoid schizophrenia is normally triggered by stress in daily life, some may be family problems, at work, and some main symptoms may be that they hallucinate and might have delusions which makes it hard to lead a typical life. Most types of schizophrenia tend to be caused as they have excess drugs or alcohol and stress but some other types of schizophrenia might be caused for different reasons some examples may be brain development or genetics, and maybe even pregnancy. HALLUCINATIONS -Aishani Approximately 75% of schizophrenics report to face auditory hallucinations (the hearing of nonexistent sounds) - making it the most common type of hallucination for this disorder. Voices are examples of auditory hallucinations and are quite prevalent in patients. They may vary in number and are not necessarily the person’s own voice. In this condition, the voices tend to induce negative thoughts in the person’s mind. Numerous suicide attempts have been invoked due to this abusive, manipulative feature. An estimated 60% of schizophrenics face visual distortions or hallucinations. Mild hallucinations may involve formed, geometric shapes or unformed flashes and patterns. However, serious hallucinations could incorporate the person visualising an entire entity or multiple entities, such as family members or pets. DELUSIONS -Manasi One of the main symptoms of schizophrenia is delusions. It can act as a big role for patients as they believe that they are being poisoned or chased by a family member and other untrue situations putting them in danger, this may be as if they experienced stress or problems in their daily life. Most people develop delusions for an explanation of hallucinations they are experiencing and an example is if a patient had a hallucination of someone describing their daily base actions they might have a delusion of someone monitoring their actions. There also have been many cases where a large number of schizophrenics assumed that TV show characters or news reporters were sending them signs or clues to save them. Family problems or things like stress can trigger or cause delusions and alcohol and drugs also contribute to this as repeated drug use can overwhelm the brain dopamine, which includes memory movement, motivation and mood and attention. There are said to be about 30 percent of humans have delusions as schizophrenics and DIAGNOSIS -Aishani Schizophrenia is not only diagnosed by symptoms, but also via a series of tests. Often, this condition is confused with bipolar disorder or drug usage. Therefore, doctors will examine the person’s vitals, review their medical history, conduct scans (MRI, CT, etc.) and perform a blood test to correctly identify the condition. TREATMENT -Aishani There is no permanent cure for this condition, but the patients will receive treatment. Schizophrenics may use antipsychotic medication to reduce hallucinations. It is generally quite effective; a mere 8% of people receiving the treatment still experience hallucinations, yet even then, they are not as severe. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBTp) is also a method of treatment. It assists the schizophrenics via coping strategies, which can be useful during complex periods in their life. It also focuses on blocking intrusive thoughts and the techniques of how to respond to them. The therapy usually spans to 12-16 sessions, but there may be additional sessions if required. STEREOTYPES -Aishani Despite popular beliefs, schizophrenia does not result in immediate violence. Researchers examined 41 movies involving schizophrenic characters and in 34 of them, the character was portrayed as harmful to society. This is a common stereotype of the disorder - most patients bear depression and vulnerability to hallucinations instead of murderous traits. In fact, it is also proven that schizophrenics are more likely to be victims of violence instead. Another myth includes the statement that schizophrenics have ‘multiple personalities’. Whilst their symptoms are a bit similar, dissociative identity (split personality) disorder and schizophrenia are two different syndromes with no relation and should not be confused with one another. CHARITIES -Manasi There are many types of charities supporting schizophrenia in the UK and some of the popular ones are Samaritans where they are open 24/7 and they are always open to talk with issues, and donating to charities like these help patients who experience schizophrenia and could not afford the money to get treatments and they would be too scared or in anxiety to reach out to people and charities help to do this reducing the rates. SANEline is another charity where many people could talk about their families or about their feelings. Mind is another charity where they help with drug and alcohol addiction which is another symptom of schizophrenia. —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Here are 5 helpful stress busters.
- For whatever reason you may be stressed the first step to feeling better is to identify what it is that is causing your stress. 1. Be active - Exercise is not guaranteed to make your stress disappear but it sure will help, even walking counts! As it allows you to clear your head and also produces endorphins which are chemical hormones released by the body while exercising and have been proven to relieve stress and pain. 2. Take control - To every problem there is always a solution and negative thinking will not help. "If you remain passive, thinking 'I can't do anything about my problem' your stress will get worse" - Professor Cooper an occupational health expert at the University of Lancaster As the feeling of when you have lost control is what causes your stress to spiral. Therefore this act of control empowers you and is a crucial part of destress. 3.Have some me time Professor Cooper suggests that we all need some me time and that each week we should set aside a couple of nights a week for some quality me time. 4. Challenge yourself - By setting yourself goals and challenges have been proven to help people deal with stress, for example by learning a new language, sport or joining a club. As well as stress by setting yourself these goals and challenges it also boosts your confidence. Professor Cooper - "By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person" 5. Accept the things you can't change - You cannot always change a difficult situation, however by focusing on the things you have control over. For example if you have a test coming up and know that tests and exams give you anxiety, which can make them even harder to deal with. Make sure that you have prepared for the test in order to mediate and level out your anxiety. - There are also many apps that you can download in order to manage your stress such as the Stress-busting apps - NHS offer in the apps library, Happify and Colorfy. |
