Hunter GriselLBST 2214-644SchizophreniaSchizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder characterized by failure to understand realitythat can vary greatly in severity.It affects how a person feels, thinks, and behaves.More severesymptoms may include a loss of reality, hallucinations, delusions, or dysfunctional ways ofthinking. Other symptoms can cause difficulty in sustaining activities and general reducedfeelings of pleasure in everyday life along with an inability to focus.Schizophrenia like manyother psychological disorders has a broad spectrum of symptoms.It is believed that animbalance in brain chemicals may play a role in schizophrenia.Genetics and environmentalfactors may be necessary for schizophrenia to develop which generally occurs between the agesof 16 and 30.Treatment for schizophrenia is complex and highly individualized and because thecause is unknown, the treatment is focused on eliminating the symptoms of the disease.Antipsychotic medications are usually a first line of defense, but these medications come withsome hefty side effects that may or may not go away with time.These side effects can be areason why many schizophrenics have trouble staying on medication for any length of time.Many medications may be necessary before the right one or combination of medications arediscovered to suit the individual’s needs.
