Written Portion

1. What is the scientific ​definition​ of your mental disorder

-Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that causes the person who has it to lose touch of reality.

2. Does this fall into a​ category ​of a type of disorder?

-Schizophrenia falls under the category of mental disorders.

3. How is it ​caused​? Be specific and detailed.

-Scientists are not completely sure on how schizophrenia is caused, but they do know that it is
caused by unsteady dopamine levels and can be genetically related.

4. What are ​warning signs/symptoms​ to lead you to believe someone has

this?

-Some warning signs to lead you to believe someone has schizophrenia are: hallucinations,
delusions, confused thoughts, disorganized speech, trouble concentrating, odd physical
movements, lack of happiness, trouble with sleep, withdrawal from society, struggling with basic
functions, and no motivation.

5. What are the ​health risks​?

-Schizophrenia affects a person’s daily living mainly menatlly and socially. It makes it harder to
focus and causes mental problems such as delusions or hallucinations. It makes life harder
socially because people with schizophrenia are more isolated and often like to be left alone.

6. What is the ​science​ behind this disorder? What do researchers say is the
physiology or psychology of this disorder?

-The science behind schizophrenia has yet to be completely discovered. They do know,
however, that the limbic system (the part of your brain responsible for emotions and
feelings) is directly affected and this causes the feeling of isolation from reality.

7. How is it ​treated​? Is it ​curable​?

-Schizophrenia cannot be cured, but it can be treated with medication, rehabilitation,

therapy, and hospitalization.

8. List at least 5 ​statistics​ pertaining to your illness.

-There are 1.5 millions of cases of schizophrenia reported in the world each year.
-1 in 4,000 people will get diagnosed with schizophrenia.
 -There are a little more than 200,000 diagnoses in the U.S. each year.
-10% of people with schizophrenia will attempt suicide and people with schizophrenia are
more likely to have problems with substance and alcohol abuse.
-Schizophrenia will be diagnosed more commonly between the ages of 16-30.

9. List four or more ​specific resources​ that could help in dealing with this
disorder. And list the number or website. ​(National resources such as
organizations, hotlines, websites, etc., as well as community resources such as local
support groups, organizations, specific counselors/trusted adults in the area, medical
personnel, etc.)

-​https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-disorders/schizophrenia-treatment-and-self-hel
p.htm​ is for self help if someone with schizophrenia needs help.
-(​812)-523-7852 is the phone number of a trusted psychiatrist named Joyce Spurgeon 
who gives mental illness treatment to patients with schizophrenia. 
-​https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/​ is a mental health website that is dedicated to finding 
and addressing individuals mental health problems. 
-​http://www.namiindiana.org/​ is a website based in Indiana that helps people with how to 
live with their mental illness. 

10. Give an ​actual example​ (or two) of someone who has this disorder.
Describe how it affects them and their day to day life. ​(This can be found
online.)

-Lionel Aldridge was a football player on the Green Bay Packers. He won 2 Super Bowl
Championships and later went on to be an analyst. His schizophrenia didn’t stop him from
his passion or making a substantial living. However, when he first was diagnosed, he went
on to become homeless for a while and even got divorced.
-Peter Green, the guitarist for the band Fleetwood Mac, has shared publicly about his
experience with schizophrenia. He has admitted to having to go to a hospital because it
was the only place where he truly felt safe from himself. He learned from his run-ins with
schizophrenia to keep things simple and live life without too many risks.

11. Have you stumbled across any ​interesting facts​? List at least two!

-​There are 5 types of schizophrenia: paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, 

and  
residual. 
-The term “schizophrenia” was first used by doctors 132 years ago but was really first 
used by  
 the Ancient Egyptians in the 2nd millenium BC. 

12. What are at least two common ​myths​ and the respective ​facts​ relating to
your mental disorder?

-One common myth that is told about schizophrenia is that all people with schizophrenia
have split personalities or hear voices.
-Another common myth about schizophrenia is that people are more violent when they
have the disorder. This is conveyed by all the horror or dramatic films involving people with
schizophrenia as the villain or antagonist.

Sources Cited:
“11 Facts About Schizophrenia.” ​DoSomething.org​,
www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-schizophrenia​.

“Schizophrenia.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research, 10 Apr. 2018,
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-203
54449​.

Tamminga, C A, and D R Medoff. “The Biology of Schizophrenia.” ​Dialogues in

Clinical Neuroscience​, Les Laboratoires Servier, Dec. 2000,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181617/​.

“The Science Behind Schizophrenia.” ​Pasadena Villa​, 23 Aug. 2017,

www.pasadenavilla.com/2012/10/31/the-science-behind-schizophrenia/​.