Essay 3: Schizophrenia

Melodi L. Haller

Dr. Ken Kerr

EN101-5

October 28, 2010

Schizophrenia

            Mark Vonnegut, the now 63-year-old son of Kurt Vonnegut, a renowned 20^th century American writer and artist (Reed), is a pediatrician and Harvard Medical School graduate (Gatehouse).  He is married with children and has just completed his latest memoir, Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So (Gatehouse), where he discusses how he has coped with his illness and reveals details of his childhood and telling genetic history.  Mark was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 1971 when he was just 23 and is one of the rare individuals whom as managed to live a relatively productive, successful, and happy life despite his condition (Gatehouse).  Not everyone diagnosed with schizophrenia is as fortunate as Mark.  Typically diagnosed in early adulthood, schizophrenia is a severe and debilitating mental illness with little known cause, the symptoms of which can go undetected or unreported for years.  Without an early diagnosis or proper and consistent treatment, Schizophrenia worsens over time, often leading to repeated, potentially dangerous mental breakdowns, homelessness, or suicide.

            Early signs of the condition may seem mild at first which makes early diagnosis and intervention difficult.  Initially, family members, friends, or co-workers might notice unusual behavior such as the loss of friends, poor grades in school, trouble trusting people, or odd ways of communicating (Schizophrenia / Disorders).  The person hearing voices or hallucinating may be afraid to tell anyone.  While symptoms usually increase over a period of 3 to 5 years, sometimes they begin suddenly over the course of only a few weeks (Zieman).  He or she will begin to have paranoid delusions or think that they have some type of special status, “like Martians talking to them” (Zieman).  The affected individual may see or feel objects or people that are not there (Zieman).  The symptoms are “terrifying to those afflicted and can make them unresponsive, agitated or withdrawn” (Schizophrenia / Disorders).  In its initial stages, symptoms of the disease affect how one thinks and feels and quickly spills out to observably odd behavior.

            If not treated, the disease can interfere with the individual’s day-to-day functioning and lead to the loss of one’s job, relationships, and dignity.  People with schizophrenia have trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy, expressing and managing normal emotions, and making decisions.  Paranoid schizophrenics usually have feelings of “extreme suspicion, persecution or grandiosity, or a combination of these” (Schizophrenia / Disorders).  Disorganized schizophrenics have incoherent thoughts but are not necessarily delusional.  Catatonic schizophrenics withdraw and isolate themselves.  Residual schizophrenics simply tend to lose their motivation or interest in life (Schizophrenia / Disorders).  Other symptoms of schizophrenia include:  psychomotor problems such as clumsiness, unusual mannerisms, or repetitive actions; inability to initiate or follow through on plans; neglecting personal hygiene and grooming; and problems with attention and memory (Schizophrenia / Disorders).  A psychotic episode or suicide attempt may land them in the hospital or in police custody.  Multiple relapses and remission cycles are common (Schizophrenia / Disorders) and, while there is no cure for schizophrenia, it is treatable and manageable with medication and psychotherapy, especially if diagnosed early and treated continuously.  However, many patients aren’t consistent in taking their medication due to the long list of negative side affects, which can eventually have severe and tragic consequences.

Inpatient hospitalizations, homelessness, and suicide are all sadly prevalent outcomes of the disease when untreated.  People with schizophrenia may not be able to hold onto a job or pay a mortgage, resulting in homelessness.  According to Treatment Advocacy Center in Alexandria Virginia, in 2004, approximately 200,000 individuals with schizophrenia or manic-depressive illness were homeless in the U.S., about one-third of the total homeless population, and approximately 90,000 were in hospitals receiving treatment (“Facts”).  It is estimated that approximately 10% of people with schizophrenia commit suicide in the first 10 years of the illness (Schizophrenia / Disorders).  Depression, which may also lead to drug and alcohol abuse, is also very common in schizophrenics which makes the disease more difficult or impossible to treat.  However, research is being done to find markers, such as abnormal brain scans, that can help detect the disease early, allowing for quicker interventions (Schizophrenia / Disorders) and providing some hope to those affected.  In his interview with Mark Vonnegut, Jonathan Gatehouse reports “Vonnegut sees progress.  In the public sphere, society has become more accepting of mental illness in the decades since he wrote his first memoir” (Gatehouse); and “he hopes for more improvement.”  Vonnegut says “One positive change would be taking the focus off hair-splitting diagnoses and putting it on patient care.”

            Schizophrenia is almost always a life long disorder (Zieman), and “going crazy is … a destructive process” says Vonnegut.  Schizophrenia is a complex and devastating disease that researchers are working toward curing.  Physicians and scientists have made great strides these past few years in learning more about the causes and effects of the disease using PET scans and MRIs to detect abnormalities in the brains of schizophrenic patients (Zieman).  The bottom line is that if patients are diagnosed early enough and are consistently receiving the proper treatment, it is possible for them to lead relatively stable and productive lives. 

Works Cited

“Fact and Statistics.” Schizophrenia.com, In-depth Schizophrenia Information and Support. 2004. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. <http://www.schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm>.

Gatehouse, Jonathon. “Escaping the Strait Jacket.” MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCOhost, 18 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.  <http://http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ulh&jid=MAC&site=src-live>.

Reed, Peter. "Kurt Vonnegut." Vonnegut.com -- The Official Website of Kurt Vonnegut. 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.kurtvonnegut.com/artist.asp>.

“Schizophrenia / Disorders / NARSAD.” Narsad / The Brain and Behavior Research Fund. Sept. 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.narsad.org/?q=node/9/disorder#fragment-2>.

“Schizophrenia.”  Columbia Encyclopedia. EBSCOhost. Web. 16 Oct. 2010. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=umh&AN=IXBschizoph&site=src-live>.

Zieman, Ph.D., Gayle. Schizophrenia in Children and Teens. Publication no. 36255587. EBSCOhost. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.

aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=36255587&site=src-live>