SchizophreniaSchizophrenia

• A thought DisorderA thought Disorder

SchizophreniaSchizophrenia

• It is a disease that affects 1% of the It is a disease that affects 1% of the world’s population world’s population

• It has more impact on urban people than It has more impact on urban people than rural people rural people

• It is a disease that affects men and women It is a disease that affects men and women equallyequally

• It is a disease of the brainIt is a disease of the brain

SchizophreniaSchizophrenia is not caused is not caused by: by:

• Inadequate parenting Inadequate parenting

• Overzealous mothers Overzealous mothers

• Poor family relations Poor family relations

• It is not split personality It is not split personality

Schizophrenia and GeneticsSchizophrenia and Genetics

• 70% of persons who develop 70% of persons who develop schizophrenia have a genetic basis for it. schizophrenia have a genetic basis for it. Usually, there is a relative who has the Usually, there is a relative who has the disease. disease.

• The closer in relation to the ill person, the The closer in relation to the ill person, the more likely one is to get the disease.more likely one is to get the disease.

Schizophrenia and GeneticsSchizophrenia and Genetics

• If you have an identical twin who has If you have an identical twin who has schizophrenia, you have a 50% chance of schizophrenia, you have a 50% chance of developing schizophrenia.developing schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia: Three TypesSchizophrenia: Three Types

• Paranoid typeParanoid type

• Catatonic typeCatatonic type

• Disorganized typeDisorganized type

Paranoid Schizophrenia: Paranoid Schizophrenia: the the affected person may: affected person may: • Talk to himself Talk to himself

• Gesture to himself Gesture to himself

• Become preoccupied with idea that he/she is Become preoccupied with idea that he/she is being followed or watchedbeing followed or watched

• Hear voices (possibly from “the devil” or “God”)Hear voices (possibly from “the devil” or “God”)

• Develop elaborate delusions and believe Develop elaborate delusions and believe outrageous things (such as aliens from another outrageous things (such as aliens from another planet have invaded his/her body).planet have invaded his/her body).

Paranoid Schizophrenia: Paranoid Schizophrenia: the the affected person may: affected person may:

• See things like dark figures, bugs or spotsSee things like dark figures, bugs or spots

• Feel people are out to get them Feel people are out to get them

• Believe in all sorts of conspiracies Believe in all sorts of conspiracies

• Have ideas that no amount of evidence to Have ideas that no amount of evidence to the contrary can dislodge the contrary can dislodge

Catatonic Schizophrenia: Catatonic Schizophrenia: the the affected person may: affected person may:

• Seem almost frozen and unable to move at Seem almost frozen and unable to move at timestimes

• Stop talking or greatly reduce conversation Stop talking or greatly reduce conversation

• Appear lazy, unmotivated and uninterested Appear lazy, unmotivated and uninterested “out of it”“out of it”

• Become completely detached from reality Become completely detached from reality and have no sense of anything going on and have no sense of anything going on around them.around them.

Disorganized Schizophrenia: Disorganized Schizophrenia: the affected person may: the affected person may:

• Talk in jumbled sentencesTalk in jumbled sentences

• Be essentially incoherent in their Be essentially incoherent in their speechspeech

• Suffer from an inability to keep track Suffer from an inability to keep track of his/her thought processes and will of his/her thought processes and will jump from subject to subjectjump from subject to subject

• Become detached from what is Become detached from what is happening around themhappening around them

Schizophrenia is often described in Schizophrenia is often described in terms of terms of positivepositive (not meaning good) (not meaning good) and and negativenegative (not meaning bad) (not meaning bad) symptomssymptoms

• Positive symptoms include Positive symptoms include delusionsdelusions and and hallucinationshallucinations

• Negative symptoms are the loss or Negative symptoms are the loss or absence of normal traits or abilities, and absence of normal traits or abilities, and include flat include flat affectaffect and and emotionemotion, and lack , and lack of of motivationmotivation. .

• A third symptom grouping, the A third symptom grouping, the disorganization syndrome, disorganization syndrome, includes includes chaotic speech, thought, and behavior. chaotic speech, thought, and behavior.

Schizophrenia treatmentSchizophrenia treatment

• BiologicalBiological

• PsychologicalPsychological

• SocialSocial

Schizophrenia Treatment: Schizophrenia Treatment: BiologicalBiological

• Medications Medications – called antipsychoticcalled antipsychotic– (not “antischizophrenic”)(not “antischizophrenic”)– they deal with some of the symptoms they deal with some of the symptoms

• delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behaviordelusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior

• These drugs work by blocking dopamine receptors These drugs work by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain.in the brain.

Schizophrenia Treatment: Schizophrenia Treatment: PsychologicalPsychological

• Patients will need therapy Patients will need therapy – supportivesupportive– ““digging deep” can help some, but that is the digging deep” can help some, but that is the

exception, not the rule exception, not the rule

Schizophrenia Treatment: Schizophrenia Treatment: PsychologicalPsychological

• Those who have family benefit most from Those who have family benefit most from families who:families who:– are informed about the illness are informed about the illness – have support have support – Have skills to deal with the ill family member Have skills to deal with the ill family member

Schizophrenia Treatment: Schizophrenia Treatment: PsychologicalPsychological

• Family member skills:Family member skills:– low key low key – low demand low demand – use simple sentences use simple sentences – able to ignore the inconsequential features of the able to ignore the inconsequential features of the

illness illness – are able to respond to dangerous behavior are able to respond to dangerous behavior – can accept that their ill family member may never can accept that their ill family member may never

be like he once was be like he once was

Schizophrenia Treatment: Schizophrenia Treatment: SocialSocial

• Rehabilitation Rehabilitation

• Social skills training Social skills training

• Vocational assistanceVocational assistance

• Environmental modification Environmental modification – reduce stimuli reduce stimuli