ay iAn explanation on the effects of Schizophrenia on the human body.
Introduction Many communities all over the world have difficulties with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is common in the U.S as well as in Namibia, however there are no reliable statistics available on this disease. According to Beukes and Sinkala, Schizophrenia is a consistently unpleasant, incapacitating mental disorder which is widespread in both men and women equally (2013). Schizophrenia is a mental illness that occurs in all societies and cultures. Every, living person in the world is exposed to it. There is a lot of ignorance, superstition, stigma and fear around the mental illness especially among Africans. Around 0.3 – 0.7% of the population are being affected by Schizophrenia during their lifetime (Van Os & Kapur, 2009). This essay will critically provide an explanation on how schizophrenia can affect the body.
Nyadenga (as cited in Beukes & Sinkala, 2013) added that schizophrenia has many factors such as drug abuse, trauma and medical conditions that are causing it. Moreover, Nyadenga (2013) stated that the patients seem to lose interest in life and stop taking care of themselves, by not eating and not bathing.
Diagnoses of schizophrenia There is no simple test to find out whether someone has schizophrenia. It is a severe mental illness that is very hard to diagnose, it affects the way a person thinks, processes emotions, maintains relationships and makes decisions (Chakraborty, 2015). In order for a person to be diagnosed as a schizophrenic, they must show at least two or more of the following: delusions, which are false beliefs that the person would not give up, even when they get proof that they are not true, hallucinations which are hearing or seeing things that are not there, disorganized speech and behaviour, catatonic or coma-like daze and bizarre or hyperactive behaviour. The primary part of the body affected by schizophrenia is the brain.
The regions of the brain affected by schizophrenia. One of the major regions of the brain affected by schizophrenia is the prefrontal cortex. It is the region located, directly behind the forehead. According to Weiten (2014, p 99) this brain region is mainly known for being responsible for complex tasks, such as functions that are executive, including making of decisions, strategy making and improving behaviours. Improper functions of this region can result in loss of these capacities. This region is then connected to basal ganglia, which is another brain area that is also affected by schizophrenia.
The basal ganglia region is known for regulating coordinated movement, motivation and the reward pathway (Chakraborty, 2015). This complex pathway reinforces patterns of behaviour that make a person feel good. Once this area is damaged the person’s ability to walk is affected. Some parts of the body start moving involuntary and they may be moving in strange ways. Similarly, in the case of a patient, Uukule who was also diagnosed as being schizophrenic, after he was medicated the voices he used to hear stopped and it has resulted in his involuntary head shaking (Kapitako, 2014).
According to Simpson, Murray, Bradley and Craigie (1884), the limbic system is a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instincts and moods. It is made up of brain structures which primarily are responsible for emotion and learning as well as processing memory (Weiten, 2014, p99). When this area is damaged, paranoia, anger, hunger and pleasure takes over.
If the level of connection between these brain regions are reduced, the key reasons for abnormal behaviour seen in people with this disorder is made. Studies have shown that people with schizophrenia have slightly smaller brains compared to those without it (Van Os & Kapur, 2009). This is caused by the medication they use. The chemicals in the medicine the patients are given makes the brain matter smaller. Beside the mind complications schizophrenia is also linked to alcohol and illegal drug use.
Usage of alcohol and drugs to silence the voices. The use of alcohol and drugs can lead to different types of physical health problems such as liver failure and stroke. The usage of these two substances can also result in hallucinations which can cause accidents. Schizophrenics tend to use them because they provide them with a claiming sensation that can allow them to handle unusual thoughts and feelings that accompany schizophrenia. The drugs silence the voices and allow sufferers to relax and sleep. Different kinds of cancers and heart problems can be caused by this dangerous habit.
Cardiac problems and schizophrenia. Many schizophrenic’s deaths are caused by heart problems. Simpson et al. (1884) defined cardiac as relating to the heart. In addition, the word was taken from the Latin word “cardiacus”. The drugs and alcohol they use to calm them clot their blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow. This also puts pressure on the heart to pump blood at high rates. When the heart can no longer do this, the brain does not get enough blood and the person dies. High blood pressure can also affect arteries to other parts of the body, such as the eyes, kidneys and legs. Antipsychotics also boosts the risks of heart attacks. They also clot the blood vessels and put pressure on the heart.
Low rates of testosterone in males. Schizophrenia can also lower the testosterone rate in males, causing them to be less active in bed. Patients receiving treatment for schizophrenia have shown high rates of sexual dysfunction (Agarwal, 2013). Testosterone is a hormone that affects emotional regulation and is also responsible for sex drives, high libidos in men and contributes to overall masculine form. Most schizophrenic males are single (Yehuda, Hildebrandt, & Spiegel, 2013). This is because when they became schizophrenics the rate at which testes produce sperm is slowed. The patients do not also think about sexual intercourse, but about insects and persecutions.
A number of physical changes can happen to the body due to low testosterone such as decreased body hair, hot flashes, swelling, lower energy levels and can also cause insomnia (sleeplessness). Untreated schizophrenia can also affect the body badly.
The untreated schizophrenia. Many of the complications associated with the disease can affect the mind, if schizophrenia is untreated and this can affect the body in many ways. This type of complications include depression, which is a period of unhappiness, or low morale which last longer than several weeks and self-injury, which is deliberately harming one’s body. An extreme effect of schizophrenia on the mind is that it leads to suicide. For instance, a person may decide to end his/her life when they can no longer cope with the challenges that come with this disease. Usage of medication also cause side effects.
Side effects of medication Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia. Weiten (2014) states that antipsychotics are a class of psychiatric medication primarily used to manage psychosis (including delusions, hallucinations, paranoia or disordered thought), principally in schizophrenia. This treatment has two main phases, firstly the acute phase, which is when higher doses might be necessary in order to treat psychotic symptoms and secondly the maintenance phase, which is usually life-long. Many patients experience improvement when treated with these drugs. Some patients, however do not respond to the medication as well as they should. Treating schizophrenia with antipsychotic medications can also cause side effects, for example weight gain, movement problems, dry mouth, drowsiness, blurry vision and an abnormally fast heartbeat.
Conclusion In brief, schizophrenia is a chronic condition, meaning that there is no magic cure that could wipe the disease away for good. Support group work can also be vital, as it might help people to connect with others who have schizophrenia and learn how others have controlled this very serious disorder. Therapy can also help people to understand that alcohol really does not help in controlling the disease. Beukes and Sinkala stated that their facility is doing the best to provide quality services, and to handle complicated cases of mental illnesses (2013). Getting diagnosis as early as possible will improve the chances of managing the illness.