Schizophrenia is a lifelong disorder that severely affects how one in 100
Americans thinks, feels, and acts. It usually appears during the late teens
or twenties. More men than women develop schizophrenia.
Knowing the difference between what is real or imagined is difficult.
Having unpredictable emotional responses is common for them.
Schizophrenia is difficult for the person
and their families. People with it have difficulty in society, at
work and in school. Many must rely on disability benefits.
Family members may have to help financially and make sure that they take
prescribed medication. Ten percent of our prison inmates have this diagnosis.
No cure for schizophrenia has been discovered.
With proper treatment, many people with this illness can lead productive
and fulfilling lives.
It is not caused by poor parenting, bad mothers,
a personal weakness, or a "split personality." It is not a symptom of a
character flaw. Nobody with this serious disorder can simply "get over
it" or ignore the hallucinations and delusions.
It is a serious thought disorder that affects
a person's ability to function in everyday activities. It affects work,
family, and social life and is not their fault.
A number of factors are thought to be involved:
Genetics (heredity): This disorder tends to
run in families. Environmental events may trigger schizophrenia, such as
viral infections or highly stressful situations or a combination of both.
It appears when the body undergoes hormonal and physical changes,
like those that occur during puberty.
Chemistry: Our genes help determine
how the brain uses certain chemicals. People with schizophrenia have a
chemical imbalance that means they either are very sensitive to or
produce too much of a brain chemical called dopamine, which helps
brain cells send messages to each other. The imbalance of this chemical
affects the way a person's brain reacts to the world around them.
Loud music or bright lights may overwhelm a person with schizophrenia.
This problem in processing different sounds, sights, smells and tastes
can also lead to hallucinations or delusions. They may act
according to voices they hear.
Complications during pregnancy and birth:
Some researchers suspect that a viral infection, improper nutrition during
pregnancy, or birth complications may increase the chances of a person
developing schizophrenia. Next week, this column will discuss
what you can do to make life less complicated if you know or live with
a person suffering from schizophrenia.
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Living
with schizophrenia
The primary treatment for schizophrenia is medication.
Unfortunately, taking medications regularly is often one of the biggest
problems in the treatment of schizophrenia. During periods when they
quit taking their medications, the consequences are felt deeply by the
family and friends of schizophrenics.
Success in treatment of schizophrenia, depends
on a lifelong regimen of both drug and counseling support or group therapy.
The medication helps control the delusions and hallucinations.
The person may still have trouble finding a job, relating effectively,
or coping. Poverty, homelessness, and unemployment are often associated
with this disorder, but they do not have to be.
If the individual finds appropriate treatment and sticks with
it, a person with schizophrenia can lead a happy and successful life.
Symptoms will return when they suddenly stop their treatments.
If you are living with a family member who
has schizophrenia, you can do a few things to make life a little easier
for your family:
1. Daily routine developed for the patient to follow.
2. Medication: Do whatever it takes to make sure
they take the prescribed medication daily. The newer medications, treat
a broader range of symptoms of schizophrenia, and have fewer side effects
than traditional antipsychotic medications.
3. Talk openly about problems or fears the patient may
have.
4. Take time for yourself. Caring for the patient
can be emotionally and physically exhausting.
5. Keep directions simple and brief. Setting clear limits
on behavior and executing logical consequences provides needed security
for everyone in the family.
6. Be patient and calm.
7. Ask for help if you need it; join a support group.
8. Family therapy can help stabilize
the schizophrenic family member.
The stress and hardships of having a loved one with this disorder
are often overwhelming and difficult to cope with for a family. Family
members benefit from belonging to a support group in their community.
Sharing common experiences and learning new ways to best deal with
frustrations, feelings of helplessness, and anger is vital.
For
more information contact: Schizophrenics Anonymous, MHA in Michigan, 15920
W. Twelve Mile, Southfield, MI 48076 or call (248)557-6777; If you are
online, contact: mailto:mha-mi@juno.com
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ADD in Adults
What happens to the children that suffer
from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) when they grow up? ADD and ADHD,
(attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder), are prevalent. Do
the children outgrow this problem? Not always. Researchers
estimate that about two of every 100 adults is trying to deal with this
problem. The disorder is more common in men than women.
Doctors recently diagnosed a 55-year- old
father of twin boys as having ADHD. He is a successful businessperson.
His difficulties date back many years. In early high-school he procrastinated
and had trouble getting his homework done. As a result, his grades
dropped. After entering the job market, he could not seem to stay
in a job for more than two to three years.
This gentleman has been successfully treated
with Ritalin. He is now able to focus and stick with projects till
they are completed. He used to be famous for being a great starter,
but a lousy finisher.
The features seen in adults with ADD and ADHD
are the same ones seen in children with these disorders. Stubbornness
distresses them, they have a low tolerance for frustration, and experience
repeated conflicts in their relationships with peers and those in authority.
Often they complain of dissatisfaction and boredom with work, and acting
without thinking.
Treatments of adult ADD/ADHD include several
approaches:
MEDICATIONS include stimulants like Ritalin,
Cylert, Adderall, and Dexedrine. Antidepressants can also help to
manage the anxiety and mood disturbances. Seven out of ten people
responded so well to an antidepressant that they no longer had the symptoms
common to ADD/ADHD.
COUNSELING to help look at life situations
in new ways helps change expectations and reduce frustration. Learning
how to communicate and express anger more efficiently helps reduce common
conflicts that can ruin a perfectly good day!
Some individuals may be treated for this disorder
all their life. However, the quality of their life will be much more
satisfying than if they remain untreated.
Talk to your doctor about this if you have
been bothered with these symptoms since childhood and your future happiness
is at risk. Life is too short to be miserable.
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The gift of confidence
Speaking with and meeting strangers, or being seen
in a public situation can create huge fears of being humiliated or embarrassed.
A social phobia is painful. Many simply avoid the discomfort of school
or employment opportunities because of the fear. Talking on the telephone
may be extremely uncomfortable. Eating in public or standing in line
at the grocery store can be so miserable that leaving home becomes rare.
Close to one person in every 12 may have a
social phobia or social anxiety. The overwhelming feeling that others
are judging their performance as inadequate forces their shy, quiet, demeanor.
Feeling they are the focus of others' attention creates the urge to escape
to the security of aloneness or familiarity.
This disorder is usually noticed early in
childhood. Parents commonly say that their child has always been
extremely shy and "clingy." The parents naturally fall into anxious,
overprotective patterns which perpetuate the problem.
More females than males are affected by social
phobia. Yet, our society makes it more difficult for males to avoid
working. As a result, males seek help for this problem at the same
rates as females.
Help for this disorder comes in three forms:
THOUGHT CHANGING: With the help of counselors, the
half-conscious irrational thoughts of failure and humiliation are examined.
Establishing new thoughts reinforces the truth to replace the old.
Something like, "I am a success because I am getting help for my problem"
is repeated daily rather than "I must be a failure." To encourage
repetition of the new truths, individuals may reward themselves with doing
something they really enjoy for 15 minutes a day. If they forget
to repeat the messages by the end of the day, they penalize themselves.
A self-imposed penalty may be something like cleaning the bathrooms, or
vacuuming the floor mats in their car.
MEDICATIONS: Antidepressants such as Paxil, Parnate,
and Nardil have been shown effective for this disorder. Several others
are being studied right now. More options may be added to the
list of approved drugs. In the event a specific public performance must
be achieved, the drug classifications of beta- blockers and anti-anxiety
medications can be taken before the performance.
EXPOSURE: By doing the feared activity and looking
for evidence that people are watching and talking about them, social phobics
can discover the truth and neutralize their fear.
The earlier this disorder is identified, the
less discomfort and misery a child might have to endure. If you suspect
your child is suffering from this disorder, talk to your pediatrician and
give your child the gift of a more confident future by seeking treatment.
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