Schizophrenia, Part II

(continued)

The assumptions about a person having a character flaw rather than a medical illness aren't true about mental disorders in general, but they are even less true about schizophrenia. This is because the brains of people with schizophrenia are actually structured differently from the ones of “normal” people. Like in the heart, the brain has pockets called ventricles that contain essential fluids. Recent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans have shown that the ventricles in the brains of schizophrenics are slightly larger than normal, meaning that they have less brain tissue to work with. The difference-3%-might not sound very big, but it does make a difference in how the brain functions. This is only one component and it is not unique to schizophrenia, but it-along with genetics-is one of the important factors doctors have found when it comes to diagnosing and treating the illness.

Another theory is that the brain doesn't develop properly in the womb, causing some of the neurotransmitters to have “faulty connections” that don't accurately process and relay the things our eyes, skin, etc perceive in the world.

Whatever the cause, medical science has come a long way in treating schizophrenia and helping the person handle their daily life. Antipsychotic medications have been very helpful when it comes to the brain chemicals that are out of whack, although some of them have bad side effects. There are ways to reduce these side effects, but it often takes doctors a lot of time and error to figure out which drugs or drug combinations work the best. Along with their families, a patient can learn how to work their lives around their symptoms and organize their thoughts well enough to be able to hold a job or work around their symptoms. For example, Russell Crowe's character in A Beautiful Mind eventually learned to think through and ignore the hallucinations. There may be support groups for both sufferers and family members available. The goal is to keep the person out of the hospital and to teach them how to manage their condition effectively.

When it comes to a disorder as complex and interesting as schizophrenia, I'm only reaching the tip of the iceberg. For more information, visit http://www.schizophrenia.com/#.