Schizophrenia The Challenging Mental Illness Essay

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by the breakdown of the thought processes, of emotional responsiveness and of contact with reality. The term schizophrenia itself means â€Å"fragmented mind.† A person with this disorder has trouble with deciphering between what is â€Å"real† and what is â€Å"unreal†. (Gur Johnson, 2006) Symptoms of schizophrenia can be divided into five categories: psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive impairment, mood problems, and behavioral disturbances. No two people with schizophrenia have the same symptoms; each person is unique. Symptoms can vary in intensity and alter over time. (Mueser Gingerich, 2006) Psychotic symptoms also known as positive symptoms include perceptions†¦show more content†¦(Mueser Gingerich, 2006) Mood problems both temporary and long-standing are common in schizophrenia. There are five types of mood problems, anxiety, depression and suicidal, anger and suspicion, inappropriate or incongruous effect and labile mood. Delusions and hallucinations leave the person feeling anxious and in turn make them uncomfortable and they try to avoid certain situations. This can also make them angry and hostile towards the people around them, making a person that has this illness very difficult to get along with. Some people with schizophrenia begin to feel hopeless, worthless and helplessness causing depression and suicidal. About 5 percent of people with this disorder die from suicide. (Mueser Gingerich, 2006) Roughly 1 in 100 people develop schizophrenia and it usually develops in late adolescence or early adult-hood, often between the ages of 16-30. It seldom develops after the age of 35. The development may take place over months or even years. Women develop the disease at a slightly larger rate than men; however, schizophrenia is more likely to develop in those living in poverty, among ethical/racial minorities. In the United States, approximately 2-3 million people suffer from schizophrenia. (Mueser Gingerich, 2006) Schizophrenia can be caused by genetics, environment or a chemicalShow MoreRelatedMental Illness : A Beautiful Mind1534 Words   |  7 PagesMental Illness Portrayal in A Beautiful Mind In our current society, entertainment such as movies and television shows help shape the stigma so many individuals follow and use to create their opinions. Whether the filmmaker realizes or not, there is always an impact and opinion left on the viewer. When combining entertainment and mental illness, mental illness has been displayed in a wide variety of states throughout the course of the last few decades. 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