SchizophreniaMatt Stanhope

Jocham4th Period

This is a project for a 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 Chris Jocham:

jocham@fultonschools.org

What is Schizophrenia?

• Schizophrenia is a mental illness affecting about 1% of people

• Causes people to have a split personality and sometimes experience hallucinations

• People with schizophrenia usually are out of touch with reality

Brain Images with PET scans

Types of Schizophrenia

• Paranoid Schizophrenia- individual is paranoid with one or more delusions or auditory hallucinations.

• Disorganized schizophrenia- disorganized speech and behavior, as well as inappropriate.

• Catatonic schizophrenia- has at least two of the following symptoms: difficulty moving, resistance to moving, abnormal movements, excessive movement and/or repeating what others say or do.

Types of Schizo Continued• Undifferentiated schizophrenia- characterized

by episodes of two or more of the following symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior, catatonic behavior or negative symptoms.

• Residual schizophrenia- the sufferer has less severe forms of the disorder or has only negative symptoms such as withdrawal, disinterest, and not speaking.

The experience of auditory hallucinations can be very scary at times. Sometimes when I am lying in my bed I can hear voices talking to me through the wall.

History of Schizophrenia

• The history of schizophrenia dates back to the Ancient Greek and Roman societies where many of the symptoms of schizophrenia were described in people.

• Before scientists came to know of the illness it was thought that these people were possessed by an evil spirit.

The voices I hear sometimes tell me to do bad things. I have to fight the urge I have to do them by remembering that it is the wrong thing to do.

Causes of Schizophrenia

• Not directly passed on genetically• No single cause for the illness• Chances can increase if your mother got a

certain infection during pregnancy• Dramatic events during childhood also

increase your risk of developing it

Symptoms and Signs

• Delusions• Hallucinations• Disorganized behavior• Inhibition of facial expressions• Lack of motivation• Catatonic behavior• Memory loss

I struggle speaking so I have trouble socializing and meeting new friends. When I do speak I usually don’t make sense so that also discourages me to talk.

How do you know?

There is no one test that positively indicates that someone has schizophrenia. Doctors diagnose this disorder by using medical, family, and mental-health information. Some of the best indicators is looking at the persons entire life and environment. There is also a physical examination and lab tests to evaluate the person's general health.

I am always paranoid that people are stealing money from me so I usually hide my wallet if I don’t have it on me.

Treatments

• Antipsychotic medication• Psychosocial treatments• Rehabilitations• Cognitive behavior therapy

Risperidone (Risperdal)

Substance Abuse

• People with schizophrenia get addicted to nicotine at three times the rate of regular people.

• Makes antipsychotic medications less effective

Using marijuana was most likely one reason I developed schizophrenia. If I used it anymore it makes my psychotic symptoms worse so I have had to completely stop.

When is it diagnosed?

• Usually symptoms start around 20-30• Men usually develop symptoms earlier than

women• Affects both men and women equally

Some days all I want to do is just lay in my bed. I have not motivation to do anything.

Famous People with Schizophrenia

Dr James Watson- co-discorver of DNA and noble prize winner.

Lionel Aldridge- NFL football player and Super Bowl champion.

John Nash- famous mathematician and noble prize winner.

My schizophrenia sometimes causes me to have memory loss witch causes me to lose track of my things very easily.