DisclaimerThis is a project for an High School AP Psychology Course. This is a fictionalized account of having a psychological ailment. For questions about this blog project or its content, please email the teacher, Laura Astorian: laura.astorian@cobbk12.org

SchizophreniaAn insight into my ailment

Introduction• Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized

by a breakdown of thought processes and by impaired emotional responses.

• This means that I have trouble functioning socially because I have voices in my head that tell me what to do and they influence my thinking.

• I am taking medications like Clozapine and they help me, but the voices in my head keep telling me to discard them.

History of Schizophrenia • The causes of Schizophrenia are still widely

unknown.

• Schizophrenia was actually first identified in 1887, but can be traced back to thousands of years ago, which means that it has been recurring throughout history.

• The word schizophrenia comes from Greek roots, schizo meaning split and phrenia meaning mind, to describe the fragmented thinking of people with the disorder.

Information on Schizophrenia• The symptoms of Schizophrenia

usually begin between 15 and 25 years old for males, with females develop it later (around age 30).

• It is rare for a person to develop Schizophrenia before 10 years of age and after 40 years of age.

• Schizophrenia occurs in all societies regardless of class, color, religion, culture, etc.

Information (Continued)

• Rates of schizophrenia are similar from country to country, between .5 and 1 percent of the population.

Causes of Schizophrenia

• The leading theory of what causes Schizophrenia is that it is a result of genetic predisposition with an environmental exposure, and or stress during pregnancy to trigger the disorder.

• Studies have shown that drugs such as marijuana and cannabis can also lead to Schizophrenia

Treatment of Schizophrenia• In the early 1900’s, Adrenaline, ECT,

and insulin comas were used to treat Schizophrenia.

• After the 1950’s, antipsychotic medications such as Clozapine and Zyprexa were used to treat Schizophrenia.

Treatment (Continued)

• Antipsychotic medications effectively control hallucinations, delusions, and confusions that schizophrenics face, as they normalize the biochemical imbalances in the brain.

Prognosis with Treatment

• A person afflicted with Schizophrenia must take their antipsychotic medication on a regular basis

• After 10 years of treatment, 25% of Schizophrenics completely recover.

Prognosis (Continued)

• After 10 Years:25% are relatively independent25% have improved their functioning capabilites

Overall, at least 75% of the people find their conditions to improve with medication!

Life with Schizophrenia

• I can never find peace because the voice in my head always tell me that something is wrong.

Life with Schizophrenia

• The medications help a great deal, as they dull the voices in my head. Without the voices telling me what to do, I can function somewhat properly.

Life with Schizophrenia

• I have trouble trusting people and don’t have any friends.

Life with Schizophrenia

• My family is bent on making me take medications, which I do not like at all.

Life with Schizophrenia

• I sometimes sit still for hours, talking to the voices in my head.

Life with Schizophrenia

• I feel that everyone is plotting against me, even my family sometimes seems like they’re trying to trick me .

Life with Schizophrenia

• I’m glad I don’t have to undergo electric shock therapy, as if I were born 50 years ago, that would have been the norm for people like me.

How I became Schizophrenic

• I was undergoing a lot of stress from work and school and started becoming paranoid, and soon heard voices in my head. I even hear them today.

Will there be a cure?

• I truly hope that there will be a cure to my illness. I cannot stand the thought of having to listen to evil voices all day.

Thank You!