A Beautiful Mind: Schizophrenia at a Glance
Schizophrenia got its spot in the limelight with "A Beautiful Mind" in 2001, but this mental disorder goes further than meets the eye.
This brain disorder causes many complications that affect daily life for those who have it, including hearing voices that others can’t hear, extreme paranoia, agitation and isolation, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
The cause for schizophrenia is unknown for now, according to schizophrenia resources on EmpowHer.com. However, some guesses are that schizophrenia may be caused by brain structure and chemistry problems, as well as the genetic factor. Environmental factors may also contribute to later schizophrenia.
Click here to comment on this article.Some symptoms of schizophrenia not mentioned before are hallucinations, delusions, thought and movement disorders, according to NIMH. A few more specific symptoms are listed on EmpowHer.com: lack of emotion, disorganization (thought and speech), inappropriate laughter and poor hygiene and self-care.
Although there is no cure at the moment for schizophrenia, there are many medications and psychosocial treatment available to improve the functionality of a schizophrenic’s life, according to NIMH. There can be side effects to the drugs, like in many other medications, so patients should discuss these possibilities thoroughly with their doctors.
Though many schizophrenics need support from family and friends and can’t easily take care of themselves, this is not the case for all. There are many examples of successful people who have schizophrenia. For example, even though John Nash from "A Beautiful Mind" had a bout with schizophrenia during a certain period in his life, with old age his schizophrenia dissipated and he learned how to control it better, according to www.successfulschizophrenia.org. This was without medication. He was a mathematical genius and professor.
More examples can be found on www.successfulschizophrenia.org, where the site is dedicated to success stories of schizophrenics. What could be more hopeful than that?
Even if medication is necessary, that doesn’t mean a person is unsuccessful. Many mental disorders and even health problems require medication.
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