Research Essay Example on Schizophrenia

From delusions and hallucinations, out of the world thoughts, and voices that have their own mind, schizophrenia is one of the most well-known psychiatric disorders. There are many topics on the mental illness and in this essay, symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments, famous schizophrenics, and types of schizophrenias will be discussed.

Schizophrenia has many symptoms that cause a “range of problems” with the brain including behavior, thinking and emotional “abilities.” (Mayo Clinic) The professional research done by the Mayo Clinic – experts in disease – provides informative data about various health conditions including schizophrenia. Mayo Clinic recites that the symptoms “involve delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech, and reflect an impaired ability to function.” (Mayo Clinic) Delusions occur in most schizophrenics. Delusions are an assumption or “belief” that is nonexistent, for example, you think you're being attacked, but there is not one person near you. Hallucinations are also a reoccurring sign in most schizophrenics and vary from all the senses, but audible hallucinations are most common. Another often seen symptom of schizophrenia is disorganized thinking and speech. Communication can be a struggle, and answers to questions may be partially or completely unreasonable. Showing in many ways, extremely disorganized or abnormal behavior is a trait of schizophrenia, from “childlike silliness to unpredictable agitation.” (Mayo Clinic). Other indicators of schizophrenia include not taking care of personal hygiene or have an absence of emotion. Symptoms of schizophrenia affects your social interactions, life skills, and imagination.

Schizophrenia’s symptoms can be handled with help of a diagnostic and treatments. Phsycom has range of research and information on the diagnostic and treatment of phycological disorders including schizophrenia. “There is no specific test for schizophrenia.” recites Phsycom. Types of tests like a blood or genetic test, or imaging test are not available for schizophrenia, though soon there may be a chance of developing better tools for a diagnosis. Although there isn't an official physical test for schizophrenia, nowadays the diagnostic takes place as a clinical exam. The steps of a diagnostic include looking over a patient's and the patients' family's health/mental-health records - making sure there is no sign of other causes - and finding how their symptoms may have progressed over time to give the patient a “mental status examination of the person in the moment.” (Phsycom) Treatments for schizophrenia might not be totally perfect but they may help in many situations. Taking a diagnostic test for schizophrenia is important, so you can find the best medication for how severe the mental disorder is and the type of schizophrenia. For treatments, the antipsychotic group medication is the most common of all treatments, though they only work more efficiently for common symptoms like hallucinations, delusion, and thought disorder. Other than medication and pills, therapy like psychotherapy - cognitive behavioral therapy - can help people with schizophrenia manage their common issues like “managing strained family relationships, finding and holding down a job, and remembering to take meds and show up for doctors’ appointments.” (Phsycom) Another treatment that's less common is ETC, which involves stimulating the patient’s brain with small electric currents. A diagnostic and various treatments can help with many mental issues caused by schizophrenia.

Over the years, famous schizophrenics have done crazy things. The resource Banyan Mental Health has many different schizophrenics along with information about the persons case and their story. Accouple of schizophrenics that are recited from Banyan Mental Health includes Eduard Einstein (1910 – 1965), and Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890). Starting with Eduard Einstein, the second son of the well-known physicist Albert Einstein, was in his youth when the symptoms of schizophrenia started to show. At the Zurich University, Eduard found himself to love psychiatry and later at the university, Eduard made friends and the relationships ended horribly. Banyan Mental Health rites “Eduard’s mental health worsened and culminated in a suicide attempt in 1930,” and he diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1932 down in a psychiatric sanatorium called Burghölzli. Secondly, Vincent van Gogh, a super famous Post-Impressionist Dutch painter, was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He is famous for his art including his most famous piece, “The Starry Night,” and “he’s also well-known for cutting off his ear.” (Banyan Mental Health) Outburst of attacks and hallucinations surfaced and made it clear of his illness. During one of these outbursts, he used a knife to cut off his ear. His illness sadly led his life to an end at an age of 37 by suicide. Different outburst in the last two years of his years and sudden self-death led many of phycologists to believe that he had schizophrenia.” (Banyan Mental Health). Eduard Einstein and Vincent van Gogh have many indicators that show symptoms of schizophrenia. 

Although many people talk about the one “Schizophrenia,” there are other varieties or indicating conditions that link to the disorder. The source Phsycom has detailed information on the topic including different types of schizophrenia. There are varieties of the psychiatric disorder, Phsycom recites. Some of the different disorders include Paranoid Schizophrenia which cause you to be constantly paranoid of others and think “that they are trying to hurt you in some way.” (Phsycom). This could lead you to hearing voices in your head cause you to do unreasonable and “bad things.” (Phsycom). Another disorder, the Schizophreniform Disorder, which affects a person's experiences by suffering “distorted thinking, emotional reactions, and perceptions of reality,” causes a schizophrenic to have a hard time to rely on what's real and what they think is happening (Phsycom). Shared Psychotic Disorder is when a non-schizophrenic starts to be affected the symptoms by the psychotic beliefs/delusions of a schizophrenic. Various symptoms show different types of schizophrenias.

Using many treatments, such as therapy and medications, can result in a positive outcome for reducing symptoms of schizophrenia. Any type of schizophrenia, for example paranoid schizophrenia, schizophreniform, and shared psychotic schizophrenia, can affect anyone, like one of the most well-known artists in the world. As Philip K. Dick says, “If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others,” shows just how people with schizophrenia struggle in their mental and physical daily life.