Psychological Disorders and Therapy Essay

I. Introduction schizophrenic psychosis is not only the about dreaded psychological disorder alone also one of the nigh heavily researched. round important new discoveries link dementia praecox with biological factors, such(prenominal) as forefront abnormalities and inheritable sensitivenesss.Schizophrenia is one of the intimately heavily researched psychological disorders. Several factors stupefy been proposed as causes of schizophrenia, from bio chemic imbalances in the brain to faulty family consanguinitys and socioeconomic environment. Although a great deal of elicit research has been carried out, to date no single factor has been isolated as the cause of schizophrenia.II. The Understanding and Search for Causes Schizophreniaa) Brain, Structure, Function and AbnormalitiesRecent advances in the measurement of brain structure and function suck in set the represent for comparing normal individuals with those suffering from schizophrenia. One brain-imaging technique, c omputer-assisted tomography, or CT scan, uses galore(postnominal) low-energy X-rays of the living brain taken at a number of divers(prenominal) points and integrated into pictures by a computer. Studies using this technique verbalise that numerous individuals with schizophrenia aim enlarged brain ventricles, compargond to normal persons. Some researchers suppose a link sexists between the enlarged ventricles and the lower frequency of alpha waves observed among individuals with schizophrenia.The idea that imbalances in brain chemistry capability underlie schizophrenia has long intrigued scientists. Strange styles, they knew, can beget strange chemical causes. The saying Mad as a hatter refers to the psychological impairment of British hatmakers whose brains, it was later discovered, were slowly poisoned as they moistened the brims of mercury-laden felt hats with their lips (Smith, 2003). Scientists ar number one to understand the mechanism by which chemicals such as LSD promote hallucinations. These discoveries fuel hope that a biochemical key to schizophrenia might be found.One chemical key to schizophrenia involves the neurotransmitter dopamine. When researchers examined long-sufferings brains after death, they found an excess of receptors for dopamine (Wong, 2000). What is more, drugs that block dopamine levels, such as amphetamine and cocaine, sometimes intensify schizophrenia victims overactive to digressive external and internal stimuli.Modern brain scanning techniques reveal that umteen chronic schizophrenia uncomplainings have a detectable brain abnormality. Some have abnormally low brain activity in the head-on lobes (Cohen, 1999). Others, most often men, have enlarged, fluid-filled aras and a corresponding shrinkage of noetic tissue (Andreasen, 2000).b) Genetic FactorsA popular line of research in recent years has been the search for a familial link in schizophrenia. Several approaches to the study of genetic relationships have b een used. Overall, results of this research be self-consistent with a genetic basis for the disorder. For example, similar twins are more in all likelihood to share schizophrenic diagnoses than fraternal twins, whether the twins are reared apart or together. The greater the severity of schizophrenia, the more pronounced this relationship is. Furthermore, children whose parents some(prenominal) have schizophrenia are three times more likely to develop the disorder than are children with only one parent with schizophrenia, whether children are reared with their parents or not. Children who are reared by an adoptive parent with schizophrenia still whose biological parents are normal do not have high rate of schizophrenia (Kestenbaum, 2001). The most convincing evidence for a genetic relationship draws from research showing a characteristic defect on chromosome 5 among family members who have some types of schizophrenia (Sherrington, 2000).Naturally, scientists wonder whether p eople inherit a predisposition to these brain abnormalities. The evidence strongly suggests that some do. The 100-to-1 odds against any persons being diagnosed with Schizophrenia become 10-to-1 among those who have an afflicted identical twin. Although there are only a xii such known cases, it appears that an identical twin of schizophrenia victim retains that 50-50 come across whether they are reared together or apart.Adoption studies confirm a genetic link (Gottesman, 2001). Children adopted by someone who develops schizophrenia are tall(a) to catch the disorder. save adopted children do have an elevated chance if a biological parent is diagnosed with schizophrenia.The genetic contri just nowion is beyond gather upion. simply the genetic role is not so straightforward is beyond question. But the genetic role is not as straightforward as the hereditary pattern of eye color. After all, about half the twins who share identical genes with a schizophrenia victim do not develop the disorder. Thus, behavior geneticists Susan Nicol and Irving Gottesman (2000) conclude that some people have a genetic predisposition to the disorder but that this predisposition by itself is not sufficient for the ontogeny of schizophrenia.c) Psychological FactorsIf, by themselves, genetically disposed physiological abnormalities do not cause schizophrenia, neither do psychological factors alone. As Nicol and Gottesman report, no environmental causes have been discovered that will invariably, or even with moderate probability, pose schizophrenia in persons who are not related to a schizophrenic.Nevertheless, if genes predispose some people to react to particular experiences by developing schizophrenia, wherefore there must be identifiable triggering experiences. Researchers have asked Can nisus trigger schizophrenia? Can hard-foughties in family communications be a contributing factor?The answer to each question is a strong, undetermined whitethornbe. The psychological triggers of schizophrenia have proved elusive, partly because they may modify with the type of schizophrenia and whether it is a low-developing, chronic schizophrenia, or a sudden, dandy reaction to tense. It is true that young people with schizophrenia tend to have un usually disturbed communications with their parents. But is this a cause or a result of their disorder? It is true that stressful experiences, biochemical and abnormalities, and schizophrenias symptoms often occur together. But the traffic between brain biochemistry and psychological experiences runs both ways, so cause and effect are difficult to sort out. It is true that schizophrenic withdrawal often occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, coinciding with the stresses of having to become independent, to assert oneself, and to achieve social success and intimacy. So is schizophrenia the maladaptive coping reaction of biologically defenceless people?Most of us can relate more soft to the ups and downs of mood disorder that to strange thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors of schizophrenia. Sometimes our thoughts do jump nigh, but we do not talk nonsensically. Occasionally we feel unjustly louche of someone, but we do not feat that the world is plotting against us. Often our perceptions are distorted, but rarely do we see or hear things that are not there. We have felt regret after laughing at someones misfortune, but e rarely giggle in response to bad news. At times, we just want to be alone, but we do not live in social isolation. However, millions of people around the world do not talk strangely, suffer delusions, hear innocent voices, see things that are not there, laugh or cry at inappropriate times, or withdraw into their private imaginary worlds. Because this is true, the scientific quest to solve the cruel puzzle of schizophrenia continues.d) Environmental StressApproaches to schizophrenia have not been exclusively biomedical. Even studies of identical twins show that more than h alf these pairs do not have share diagnoses of schizophrenia. Because they do share all genetic material, there must be environmental factors that also contribute to the disorder, either by protecting constitutionally unguarded individuals or by precipitating symptoms of the disorder (Kestenbaum, 2001). One way of conceptualizing the relationship between the environment and schizophrenia is through the concept of stress. A stress hypothesis holds that individuals are genetically vulnerable to the disorder.III. TreatmentBehavioral Therapyunpaid worker behaviors are strongly influenced by their consequences. This sample fact enables behavior therapists to reward desired behaviors, while withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors. Using operant conditioning to solve specific behavior problems is called behavior modification, a therapy that has embossed hopes for some cases thought hopeless. Retarded children have been taught to care for themselves. Autistic children have lear ned to interact. People with Schizophrenia have been helped to behave more rationally on the hospital ward.Physical methods or therapyThis includes electroshock therapy and brain surgery. It consists of locomote electric currents through the brain, producing convulsion coma.PsychoanalysisA procedure requiring that the patient and analyst meet for hour- long sessions several times a week for many months. During these hours the analyst helps the patient bring into consciousness the repressed conflicts that have caused the illness. If the treatment is successful, the patient learns realistic methods of dealing with conflicts. The technique of free acquaintance is an important part of psychoanalysis. The patient is encouraged to talk about any(prenominal) comes to mind, without regard to apparent relevance or propriety of the material. The analyst helps the patient to understand the meaning of this material. Patients develop resistance in their efforts to talk freely, and it is the analysts task to help them overcome such resistance. Resistances are usually associated with feelings of guilt in regard to fantasies about hostility, dependency and sexuality.IV. ConclusionSchizophrenia literally translated means split mind. Split mind refers not to a multiple-personality split, but rather a split from reality that shows itself in disorganise thinking disturb perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions.The schizophrenia victim experiences an altered world. split second stimuli, such as the grooves on a brick or the reflections of a voice, may distract attention from the whole scene or from the speakers meaning. Worse, the person may perceive things that are not there.Such hallucinations are (sensory experiences without sensory stimulation) usually auditory. The person may hear voices that seem to come from outside the head and that make insulting statements or give orders. The voices may tell that patient that she is bad or that he must raise himself wit h a cigarette lighter or even commit murder. less(prenominal) commonly, people see, feel, taste, or smell things that are nonexistent. Such hallucinations have been compared to dreams suspension into waking consciousness. When the unreal seems real, the resulting perceptions are at best bizarre and at worst terrifying.