Schizophrenia
WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA? What does the term schizophrenia mean? In its most elementary
sense, we might say that schizophrenia is a disease, invented by Eugene Bleeder. Eugene
Bleeder was one of the most influential psychiatrists of his time. He is best known today
for his introduction of the term schizophrenia, previously known as dementia praecox. In
actuality, schizophrenia is often used generically and inappropriately as it is often
applied to almost any kind of unusual behavior of which the speaker disapproves.
Schizophrenia is almost universally viewed as the "classic example of madness" . It is a
startling and sometimes frightening experience to unexpectedly come across a person who
proclaims himself Jesus Christ, rants gibberish, or sits with his body unmoving as if
frozen in time and place. For some people, such an experience is too shocking, too
fearsome, too repulsive. They hurry away, trying to dismiss the image of the deranged
individual from their minds.
No other illness is as disabling and baffling as schizophrenia. Today, in spite of the
drugs that have allowed many schizophrenics to live at home or in the community, a
significant number of people admitted to mental hospitals are victims of the disease.
According to the Encyclopedia Of Health, schizophrenics account for nearly 40% of
admissions to state mental hospitals, 30% of psychiatric admissions to Veterans
Administration hospitals, and about 20% of admissions to private psychiatric hospitals.
Schizophrenia is incurable. Its cause or causes are yet unknown, and it is impossible to
predict what course the disease will take. There are many theories about the causes of
schizophrenia, its progression, and its eventual outcome. They are currently being
explored by researchers around the world.
Schizophrenia's most dramatic symptoms are severe and perpetual delusions and
hallucinations. A delusion is a false belief or idea that logic and reason show to be
"crazy". A hallucination is seeing, hearing , or sensing something that is not there.
Both symptoms occur in other mental illnesses, but the content of the schizophrenic
delusions is often distinct enough that the experienced psychiatrist or clinical
psychologist can readily identify the disorder.
Another common characteristic of this disabling disease is the disjointed conversation of
its victims. Their discourse often consists of a series of vague statements strung
together in an incoherent manner. Listeners are left puzzled by what they have heard and
this can be attributed to the unevenness of the schizophrenic's speaking patterns. To one
degree or another, schizophrenics display a certain indifference or nonchalance regarding
what is happening around them. Their whole emotional outlook is deadened, and they show
little or no warmth toward others. They suffer from a mental paralysis. Prolonged
immobility and jerky, robot like movements are other common symptoms of the disorder.
Typically, schizophrenics withdraw emotionally and even physically from the world and the
people around them. They exclude reality and focus on their hallucinations, and the other
thoughts locked within them.
The bizarre thoughts and behavior of schizophrenics usually begin in late adolescence
or early adulthood. The syndrome begins with a gradual deterioration of behavior that may
be more noticeable to the patient's friends than to parents, especially in a
high-school-aged person. Schizophrenia occurs in equal numbers in males and females, but
women, on average, seem to develop the disease four or five years later than men do.
Rarely does schizophrenia first appear in either sex after age 40, and almost never after
50. Symptoms may occur suddenly and dramatically, but more often they begin slowly,
almost imperceptibly. They grow more prolonged, more obvious, and more disturbing ,
almost inevitably ending in at least one hospitalization.
Five long term studies involving more than 1300 patients have concluded that half or
more of the schizophrenics had recovered or showed significant improvement in their
illness after two to four decades. No one can predict which patients will suffer an
unremitting illness, whose schizophrenia will be episodic, or who will eventually go on
to recovery. Yet the findings that some schizophrenics do eventually recover have
inspired new hopes. A diagnosis of schizophrenia remains serious and frightening, but at
least the schizophrenic's outlook may not be as grim and gloomy as was long believed.
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