Mental Disorders: The Environmental Causes Of Schizophrenia

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Over 3.2 million people in the world today suffer from the severe mental disorder called schizophrenia, and sadly, most of them are not being treated for it (Lane). Schizophrenia, by definition, is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves (National Institute of Mental Health). This disorder makes it difficult for the afflicted to distinguish between what is real and what is not. This often makes it very hard for schizophrenic people to function normally in society. They need special care and medicines to lessen their hallucinations and allow them to behave normally. Schizophrenia is not as uncommon as people may think. In fact, about one in one hundred people around the world develop schizophrenia …show more content…
These include both environmental and genetic influences. Environmental factors could be anything that has influenced your life after birth and shaped you into the person you are. Possible environmental causes of schizophrenia include: low oxygen levels during birth, exposure to a virus during infancy, physical or sexual abuse as a child, and early parental loss or separation (Help Guide). Schizophrenia also has strong heredity causes. People who have a parent or sibling with the disorder have a ten percent chance of developing it, as opposed to the one percent chance of the general population (Help …show more content…
These include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and “negative” symptoms (Help Guide). Delusions occur when one thinks they have obvious evidence of something, but in reality, he or she made it all up in his or her head. The affected person may often think that someone is out to get him or her, or may feel constantly watched or monitored by some outside force or person. He or she gets angry when no one takes what he or she is saying seriously, and will often act out in anger or violence. This is a commonality between 90% of all schizophrenic affectees (Help

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