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Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia. Characterized by a loss of contact with reality Typically appears during young adulthood and can get worse with age if it goes untreated Considered the most severe psychological disorder. Symptoms. Include: hallucination, delusions, and thought disorders
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Schizophrenia • Characterized by a loss of contact with reality • Typically appears during young adulthood and can get worse with age if it goes untreated • Considered the most severe psychological disorder
Symptoms • Include: hallucination, delusions, and thought disorders • Hallucination are usually auditory • Delusions of grandeur where they create scenarios that do not exist or become famous people • Thoughts are often very unorganized, mental processes are unclear
Symptoms Cont’d • Also suffer from social withdrawal, impaired social skills, and loss normal emotional response • Catatonic Stupor: is an immobile, expressionless, coma like state • Symptoms cause extreme stress • 20% of schizophrenics attempt suicide, 10% of schizophrenics commit suicide • It is estimated that 2.4 million people in the US suffer from schizophrenia
Paranoid Schizophrenia • Frequent auditory hallucinations are all related to a single theme • Distrustful of everyone, except for one special relationship • Often believe that there is a conspiracy in which everyone is out to get them
Disorganized Schizophrenia • Incoherent in thoughts and speech • Behavior is unorganized • Are either emotionless or show inappropriate emotions • Often smiling, laughing, or giddy • Hygiene is often neglected
Catatonic Schizophrenia • Characterized by unstable and erratic movement • Activity may slow to stupor and then suddenly begin again • May hold body positions (even uncomfortable ones) for hours at a time
Psychological Views • Psychoanalysts believe that schizophrenia is the result of overwhelming impulses from the Id, there is constant conflict between the id and the ego • Other views focus on the family environment, especially one in which a parent frequently shows intense emotions
Biological Views • Schizophrenia appears to be a brain disorder, many of the problems (language, attention, memory) are controlled by the frontal part of the brain • A loss in synapses makes it difficult for the brain to communicate • Can be associated with complications during pregnancy or childbirth