While the cause of schizophrenia is not actually known, research has led doctors to certain risk factors and possible triggers of the disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, these links are often a combination of genetic makeup, brain chemistry, and a person’s environment. Scientists have found differences in the biology and construction of the brains […]
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When a person first sees a doctor for symptoms of psychosis, it is often at the urging of a loved one. Typically, people dealing with psychosis are too confused by or ashamed of their conditions to go to a doctor on their own. It is important that the families and friends of people with psychosis […]
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Psychosis can be a scary disorder, but just like most disorders, it can be treated. Mental health professionals often use a combination of antipsychotic medication and psychological therapies in treating psychosis. Antipsychotic medications treat psychosis at its source by blocking dopamine transmitters in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in transmitting messages throughout the […]
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Psychosis rears its head in many different ways in different patients. Some people experiencing psychosis may have positive experiences, like seeing a deceased loved one or hearing his or her voice. But others have much more negative experiences, which can lead to harmful thoughts and behaviors and contribute to the stigmas we place on people […]
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Hearing voices has been stereotyped as something that only occurs in unstable people. What most people do not realize is that hearing voices is actually more common than they might think and can happen to any of us. According to studies, an estimated four percent of adults are reported to hear voices, and of those, […]
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Frequency of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders occur every community regardless of ethnicity, class, religion, race or socioeconomics. Rates of schizophrenia are generally similar worldwide – about .5% to 1.0% of the population. In the United States, that comes out to 7.2 people per 1,000, which means that a city with a population of […]
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Schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, but it is only one of 12. When schizophrenia is diagnosed. It is possible that there will be one of the four subtypes of the disorder will be listed on the diagnosis. Catatonic Schizophrenia Paranoid Schizophrenia Disorganized Schizophrenia Undifferentiated Schizophrenia Residual Schizophrenia Regardless of which subtype the person is diagnosed with, […]
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The goal is to facilitate early identification of those experiencing extreme states in order to decrease the duration for untreated symptoms and reduce disruption to the young person’s psychosocial development through a collaborative, recovery oriented intervention.