Mental Illness Paper

Mental Illness Paper

Schizophrenia 101
William Edwards
HCA/240
Danielle Griffin

What’s that? Who’s there? I told you to leave me alone. Don’t laugh at me! No, I won’t do that! You can’t make me! Go away! Stop! I hate you! I hate me! Ahhhhhhh! This is the daily life of a person with Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is more than just a word; it is a person. Once someone is diagnosed with Schizophrenia they are no longer just Dave or Sally; they are Dave the Schizophrenic or Sally the Schizophrenic.
The actual term Schizophrenia or Schizophrenic is not that old. According to the International Mental Health Research Organization (IMHRO) the actual word Schizophrenia is less than 100 years old, but the illness itself is believed to have with mankind all the way through its history. (International Mental Health Research Organization, 1996-2010) There has also been documents traced back to Pharaonic Egypt all the way to the second millennium before Christ that identify Schizophrenia. In the Book of Hearts which is an Egyptian medical papyrus there are detailed descriptions of depression, dementia, and thought disturbances which are all typical for schizophrenia. Many of all mental disorders of this time were just considered abnormal and were all grouped together like mental retardation, mental illness, or physical deformities. They didn’t differentiate between them, but the documentation from that time showed that current diagnosis would confirm a schizophrenic diagnosis today.
What is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality, often a significant loss of contact with reality. They may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange or confusing ways, believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like they’re being constantly watched. With such a blurred line between the real and the imaginary, schizophrenia makes it...