Overview of Schizophrenia
Mental health matters are very prevalent in the African American community. But unfortunately many people do not get treated, mainly because their disorders are unknown. The percentage of African Americans who get mental health screenings is low. This is due in large part because in African American households, there is often a stigma associated with the receipt of psychological services. People of color are less likely to seek out mental health services, that’s according to a study published by the American Psychiatric Association. The study, “Measuring Trends in Mental Health Care Disparities” showed that African Americans received less care than whites.1 Mental health problems can have an adverse and long term effect on individuals and families. Many disorders cannot be cured, but with proper medication, they can be treated. On such disorder is schizophrenia. 2
What is schizophrenia and why is it important? Well, I’ll answer the second part of the question first. Schizophrenia is important because it has so many dimensions and it is widely misunderstood by many people. It is a chronic brain disorder that affects its victims’ ability to make the distinction between experiences that are real and those that are not real; they are unable to think logically and experience thoughts and behaviors that are abnormal.3 As indicated earlier, many people of color do not get diagnosed with schizophrenia. Another reasons in addition to the above, is because many people who abuse drugs exhibit some of the same symptoms as those of schizophrenia. Often, people who actually have schizophrenia will not be diagnosed as such because their behaviors are mistaken for being high on drugs.
I wanted to look at schizophrenia specifically because I find it to be fascinating. The thing that I find fascinating is that many people who suffer from this disorder were once very normal, ordinary, stable people with no indications they had the disorder or that it might be developing. Men and women seem to be affected differently by it. Men can have their first episode as late as in their 20s, while it can first affect women into their 30s. For men, the average age the disorder first appears is around the age of 14, 25 for women.4 Seldom does it first occur beyond the age of 45 or prior to puberty, though there are some rare cases in which persons in middle age and children as young as age 5 have been reported. 5.
Categories of Schizophrenia
So, how do we know when someone has schizophrenia? The only way to tell for certain is by a diagnosis by a licensed mental health professional; however there are a number of over symptoms to look for to help identify a potential problem in our friends or loved ones:
Hallucinations – to perceive something through one of the senses that is not apparent to anyone else. A man who sees airplanes flying over head or who hears loud voices or gunshots when no one around him sees or hears those things. Someone with schizophrenia can perceive anything from hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, or feeling, or some combination of these things;
Delusions – to falsely believe something to be true. There is a story about a man who believes that he has a dinner date with Marilyn Monroe every Friday evening. Another example might be someone who thinks everyone is trying to sabotage them or their efforts toward success;
Thought Disorder – to be unable to logically think things in a meaningful way. Many people may have thoughts that are blocked, causing them to send garbled messages or stopping their speech mid-sentence not knowing what they were trying to say. A number of people create unintelligible words, a unique langue, sometimes referred to as a neologism; and
Disorders of Movement – to be clumsy and coordinated or exhibit involuntary movement of their body. They may sit motionless for hours or repeat the same movements over and over and over again.7
Treatment for Schizophrenia
So, now that we know what it is, what can be done about it? Well, there is a wide body of research that suggests very favorable treatment for schizophrenia patients. “A very large group of [suffers] has achieved remarkable recovery. They are people who, in spite of ongoing symptoms, have carved out a life…” for themselves.8 Unlike in years past, recovery rates are quite high.
What Next?
The future for people suffering from schizophrenia have vastly improved from what it was 50, 40, or even 30 years ago. Science has come a long way and people who have this disorder are leading fulfilling lives. If you have schizophrenia or if you have a friend or family member who does, contact the National Institute of Mental Health, Schizophrenia Research Program. They are located in Bethesda, Maryland. They can help you with information, as well as provide with some treatment. In some cases, you may even be eligible for travel assistance to the facility. For more information, visit the Web site:
http://patientinfo.nimh.nih.gov or you may send an email to: Schizophrenia@intra.nimh.nih.gov or call 1-888-674-6464.
Endnotes:
1 Benjamin L. Cook, Ph.D., M.P.H., Thomas McGuire, Ph.D., and Jeanne Miranda,
Ph.D., “Measuring Trends in Mental Health Care Disparities,” Psychiatric Services,
December 2007.
2 Ibid.
3 National Institute of Mental Health, “Schizophrenia”, January 2007.
4 Ibid.
5 Patrick A. McGuire, “New Hope For People With Schizophrenia,” Monitor on
Psychology, February 2000.
6 National Institute of Mental Health, “Schizophrenia”, January 2007.
7 Ibid.
8 Patrick A. McGuire, “New Hope For People With Schizophrenia,” Monitor on
Psychology, February 2000.
9 Ibid.
Posted By: Will Saunders
Friday, September 26th 2008 at 2:01PM
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