Psychological Disorders and Therapy Essay

I. IntroductionSchizophrenia is not only the almost dreaded psychological disorder still also one of the most heavily exploreed. Some important stark naked discoveries link schizophrenia with biological factors, such as heading abnormalities and genetic predispositions.Schizophrenia is one of the most heavily researched psychological disorders. Several factors book been proposed as causes of schizophrenia, from biochemical imbalances in the judgement to faulty family relationships and socioeconomic environment. Although a great deal of interesting research has been carried out, to date no single factor has been dislocated 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 befuddle set the stage for comparing normal individuals with those suffering from schizophrenia. peerless brain-imaging technique, computer-assisted tomogr aphy, or CT s butt end, uses m any an(prenominal) low-toned-energy X-rays of the living brain taken at a number of different points and compound into pictures by a computer. Studies using this technique show that many individuals with schizophrenia bemuse enlarged brain ventricles, comp ared to normal persons. Some researchers believe 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 might underlie schizophrenia has long intrigued scientists. crazy behaviors, they knew, can have strange chemical causes. The saying Mad as a hatter refers to the psychological deterioration 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 are beginning to understand the instrument by which chemicals such as LSD produce hallucinations. These disc overies fuel hope that a biochemical mention to schizophrenia might be found.One chemical key to schizophrenia involves the neurotransmitter dopamine. When researchers examined longanimouss brains subsequently death, they found an excess of receptors for dopamine (Wong, 2000). What is to a greater extent, drugs that block dopamine levels, such as amphetamine and cocaine, some propagation devolve forward schizophrenia victims overactive to irrelevant external and internal stimuli.Modern brain scanning techniques reveal that many chronic schizophrenia patients have a detectable brain abnormality. Some have abnormally low brain activity in the frontal lobes (Cohen, 1999). Others, most very much men, have enlarged, fluid-filled areas and a corresponding shoplifting of cerebral tissue (Andreasen, 2000).b) Genetic FactorsA popular line of research in recent age has been the search for a genetic link in schizophrenia. Several approaches to the study of genetic relationships have be en used. Overall, results of this research are consistent with a genetic basis for the disorder. For example, identical twins are more plausibly to portion 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 both have schizophrenia are three times more apparent 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 but whose biological parents are normal do not have higher rate of schizophrenia (Kestenbaum, 2001). The most convincing evidence for a genetic relationship comes from research showing a characteristic defect on chromosome 5 among family members who have some types of schizophrenia (Sherrington, 2000).Naturally, scientists venerate whether race inherit a predisp osition 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 dozen such known cases, it appears that an identical twin of schizophrenia victim retains that 50-50 aspect whether they are reared together or apart.Adoption studies confirm a genetic link (Gottesman, 2001). Children adopted by someone who develops schizophrenia are unlikely to catch the disorder. But adopted children do have an tremendous risk if a biological parent is diagnosed with schizophrenia.The genetic contribution is beyond chaseion. But the genetic image is not so candid is beyond question. But the genetic role is not as straightforward as the inheritance 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 breeding of schizophrenia.c) Psychological FactorsIf, by themselves, genetically predisposed 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 correspond probability, produce schizophrenia in persons who are not related to a schizophrenic.Nevertheless, if genes predispose some people to react to particular experiences by developing schizophrenia, then there must be identifiable triggering experiences. Researchers have asked Can stress trigger schizophrenia? Can difficulties in family communications be a impart factor?The answer to each question is a strong, clear maybe. The psychological triggers of schizophrenia have be elusive, partly because they may vary with the type of schizophrenia and whether it is a low-developing, chronic schizophrenia, or a sudden, lancinating reaction to stress. It is true that young people with schizophrenia tend to have unusually 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 vulnerable people?Most of us can relate more easily to the ups and downs of mood disorder that to strange thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors of schizophrenia. Som etimes our thoughts do jump around, but we do not talk nonsensically. Occasionally we feel unjustly suspicious of someone, but we do not feat that the introduction is plotting against us. Often our perceptions are distorted, but rarely do we see or study things that are not there. We have felt regret after jocularitying at someones misfortune, but e rarely giggle in response to detrimental news. At times, we just exigency 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 nonexistent 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 entirely biomedical. Even studies of identical twins show that more than half these pairs do not have share diagnoses of sc hizophrenia. Because they do share all genetic material, there must be environmental factors that also wreak to the disorder, either by protecting constitutionally vulnerable individuals or by precipitating symptoms of the disorder (Kestenbaum, 2001). One way of conceptualizing the relationship between the environment and schizophrenia is through with(predicate) the concept of stress. A stress guesswork holds that individuals are genetically vulnerable to the disorder.III. TreatmentBehavioral TherapyVoluntary behaviors are strongly influenced by their consequences. This strain fact enables behavior therapists to reinforce desired behaviors, while withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors. Using operative conditioning to solve specific behavior problems is called behavior modification, a therapy that has raised hopes for some cases thought hopeless. developmentally challenged children have been taught to care for themselves. Autistic children have learned to interact. P eople with Schizophrenia have been easeed to behave more rationally on the hospital ward.Physical methods or therapyThis includes electroshock therapy and brain surgery. It consists of passing 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 intercession is successful, the patient learns realistic methods of dealing with conflicts. The technique of free association is an important part of psychoanalysis. The patient is encourage to talk about whatever 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. ratiocinationSchizophrenia literally translated means split mind. Split mind refers not to a multiple-personality split, but rather a split from reality that shows itself in disorganized thinking disturb perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions.The schizophrenia victim experiences an altered world. Minute stimuli, such as the grooves on a brick or the reflections of a voice, may steal 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 burn himself with a cigarette lighter or even f eed murder. Less commonly, people see, feel, taste, or smell things that are nonexistent. Such hallucinations have been compared to dreams breaking into waking consciousness. When the profitless seems real, the resulting perceptions are at best bizarre and at worst terrifying.