Schizophrenia/Psychotic Disorders

TYPES OF SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS

• Delusional Disorder Paranoid type Catatonic type Disorganized type Undifferentiated type

WHAT IS A SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDER

• Schizophrenia/ Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. They make it hard for someone to think clearly, make good judgments, respond emotionally, communicate effectively, understand reality, and behave appropriately. When symptoms are severe, people with psychotic disorders have trouble staying in touch with reality and often are unable to handle daily life.

THE CHARACTERISTICS

• While there have been no links to a physical abnormality, there are mental characteristics.
• The biggest problem most people with this disorder face is withdraw from friends and family.

CAUSES AND RISKS OF THE DISORDER

• There are many ways someone is at risk of a psychotic disorder, including a family history of schizophrenia, delivery complications, maternal exposure to influenza (particularly during the second trimester), neuro- behavior deficits, early (first year of life) parental separation, institutional rearing, and distressed family functioning. It seems that no specific gender is at greater risk but that the problems of your environment and heredity play the biggest roles. Drug use will also increase likelihood of disorder.

PREVENTIONS

• Sadly there are no real preventions. Doctors best advice is to be aware of the genetic background of your parents and make sure to attack symptoms immediately. Studies show early action against these disorders are highly effective.

THE WARNING SIGNS

• As previously mentioned you need to act as fast as possible when dealing with these disorders. The earliest symptoms that you should look out for are a worrisome drop in grades or job performance, Trouble thinking clearly or concentrating, Suspiciousness or uneasiness with others, A decline in self-care or personal hygiene, Spending a lot more time alone than usual, Strong, inappropriate emotions or having no feelings at all

TREATMENTS PT. 1

• Most psychotic disorders are treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy, which is a type of counseling. The main type of drug that doctors prescribe to treat psychotic disorders are “antipsychotics.” Although these medicines aren’t a cure, they are effective in managing the most troubling symptoms of psychotic disorders, such as delusions, hallucinations, and thinking problems.

TREATMENTS PT. 2

• Newer "atypical antipsychotics" include: Aripiprazole (Abilify), Asenapine (Saphris), Brexpiprazole (Rexulti), Cariprazine (Vraylar), Clozapine (Clozaril), Iloperidone (Fanapt), Lurasidone (Latuda), Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Paliperidone (Invega), Paliperidone palmitate, (Invega Sustenna, Invega Trinza), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Risperidone (Risperdal), Ziprasidone (Geodon)

SCIENCE BEHIND THE DISORDERS

• Scientists have long known that dopamine is involved in the development of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. People with schizophrenia have an overactive dopamine system, releasing more dopamine than healthily people. Currently, the drugs used to treat schizophrenia aim to regulate dopamine levels in the brain.

SCIENCE BEHIND THE DISORDERS PT. 2

• But scientists say dopamine doesn't tell the whole story. Some people with schizophrenia don't respond to dopamine-regulating drugs, Stone said. And most of the genes that have been linked to schizophrenia are involved in the production or regulation of glutamate, not dopamine. Drugs such as PCP that act on the glutamate system produce symptoms similar to those seen in schizophrenia.

STATISTICS

• Around 3% of the people of the United States experience at least one psychotic episode during their lives.
• Every year, about 100,000 teenagers and young adults in the United States experience their first psychotic episode.
• Psychotic disorder statistics estimate that between 0.25 and 0.64% of the people in the U.S. suffer from a psychotic disorder.
• 10% of people with schizophrenia commit suicide, compared to 10 per 100,000 in the general population.
• The average age for on set psychotic disorders is 24

MYTHS

• People with psychosis are psychopaths.
• People experiencing psychotic symptoms are dangerous.
• People with psychosis have split personalities
• Drugs can’t induce psychosis

FACTS

• There is a difference between psychosis and psychopathy.
• Those with psychotic symptoms are not likely to deliberately harm others.
• People with psychosis do not have split personalities.
• A common cause of psychosis is drug use.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

• Lionel Aldridge. Zelda Fitzgerald. Peter Green. Darrell Hammond. John Nash. Skip Spence.

SOURCES

• Attached by pdf.