Essay examples --

WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA? Schizophrenia is a long-term mental disorder involving a breakdown in thought, emotion, and behavior. This brain disorder affects a person’s overall mental health state. Those suffering from schizophrenia experience one or more of the following symptoms: o Delusions, such as feeling that people are trying to hurt them o Hallucinations, such as hearing or seeing things that are not actually there o Bizarre behavior, such as talking to themselves or acting inappropriately o Disorganized speech, such as using disorderly speech patterns and sentence arrangements o â€Å"Negative† symptoms, such as lacking interest in personal hygiene, disinterest in social interactions, and lack of motivation Schizophrenia affects about 1 percent of the American population. Schizophrenia, although being common, does not affect one particular population over another. Cases of schizophrenia occur equally in both men and women, yet are more common in older teens and younger adults ranging from the ages of about 16-30. Schizophrenia will generally not be initially diagnosed in persons over the age of 45. The disorder is not more prevalent in any certain ethnicity. Schizophrenia usually does not affect children, except in rare cases. There is not an overwhelming amount of information about the etiology of schizophrenia, such as its specific biological/cellular causes. Mental health is a relatively young research field and much is still being learned concerning how the brain operates. Scientists do know, however, that schizophrenia is caused by certain chemical imbalances in the brain. Also, this specific brain disorder affects every inflicted person in a different manner, making it extremely difficult for scientists to fully und... ...he illness stop taking their medications. In this case, the individual is feeling more like normal and thus thinks they no longer need to take their prescribed medications. When this happens, symptoms will return, and will often lead to elevated suicide risks for the schizophrenic person. FOR MORE INFORMATION and HELP: o NAMI, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (www.nami.org) o NAMI in the state of Ohio, 1-800-686-2646 o National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255 o Schizophrenics Anonymous Support Group in Cincinnati, Ohio o Wednesday, 2:45-3:45 at 2340 Auburn Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 o Contact Chris Pedoto, 513-241-1411, for more information o Cincinnati psychiatric doctors specializing in treatment for schizophrenia o David L Fedders (MD), 513-723-0390 o Michael A Gureasko (MD), 513-281-8840 o Khan & Seth (MDs), 513-585-3690 or 513-585-3690