Causes And Effects Of Schizophrenia

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The brain is an essential organ in the body, and preforms key tasks to aid humanities survival. The brain controls everything a person does and if it is compromised, then it could have devastating consequences to the person. Schizophrenia is a disease that affects the brain in tremendous ways. This disease impacts the way the brain receives information, decodes that information, and eventually acts upon that information. Schizophrenia is thought to be the result of genetics and the environment the person is placed in. Although schizophrenia is a disease that affects the way a brain functions, it can affect the brain in different ways depending on the subtype one has. There are five subtypes which include: paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, …show more content…
One factor that no scientist disputes is the role of one’s genetics. It is approximated that “risk in the general population in just below 1%, it is 6.5% in the first-degree relatives of patients” (Pichionni and Murray 6). Thus, inheritability is a substantial component in the development of this disease. Furthermore, when a twin obtains schizophrenia, the other twin has a 50% probability of developing the disorder as well (Nami). In addition, based on the research scientists have conducted, they concur that schizophrenia is passed down to one’s offspring using multiple genes, rather than just one. The informational article “Schizophrenia” by Marco M Picchioni and Robin Murray explained “the deCODE genetics group in Iceland identified a haplotype in the Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) gene which appeared to double the risk of illness.” This study was later confirmed when South Africa and China got the same results. Along with Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), the gene Dysbindin (DTNBP1) also increases the risk of developing this disorder. Furthermore, the neurotransmitter dopamine undoubtedly affects ones’ chances of obtaining this detrimental illness. According to Exploring Psychology by David Myers, “The hyper-responsive dopamine system could intensify brain signals, creating positive symptoms such …show more content…
As previously stated, the distinguishing indications of paranoid schizophrenia include hallucinations and delusions. The most common form of hallucinations are auditory. Auditory hallucinations are when a person hears people who are no actually there; this is extremely dangerous because those voices may encourage them to hurt themselves or those around them. Although visual hallucinations are feasible, they are uncommon (MNT). In addition, the most common form of delusions are paranoid delusions. This form of delusion is when “you feel like others are conspiring against you” (Gluck). This could potentially become dangerous to others because those suffering may use violence as what they precise as self-defense. Another form of delusions are called delusions of grandeur, which are when one believes they have super powers or are famous. Despite the evidence that discount these assumptions, they cling onto to these fantasies. Other symptoms that may point to paranoid schizophrenia more subtly include: unexplained anger, emotional disconnect, severe anxiety, violent tendencies and frequent suicidal thoughts (Gluck). This can be one of the most difficult subtypes to diagnose because to two defining symptoms are in the person’s head. However, it can become evident if one looks at all the indications together rather than separately. Furthermore, paranoid schizophrenia is a relatively high functioning form when

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