The Importance Of Psychology When the word schizophrenia comes up, many people immediately began to assume ideas

that the media pushes into the publics mind. People only see schizophrenic patients as violent, those people that hear voices in their head and plenty of other derogatory stereotypes. While some minimal parts of this might be true, schizophrenic sufferers are not ust !crazy people". Through the science of psychology we have learned that schizophrenic patients are much more mild mannered and not violent at all unless provo#ed. Psychology has also shown us that schizophrenia is not necessarily un$curable but there are methods to help treat schizophrenia and it is not a natural born phenomenon there are also factors outside of brain chemistry that can lead to schizophrenia. Through testing, research and tal#ing with patients, psychology has helped many patients suffering from schizophrenia and many other types of disorders as well. %chizophrenia has always been labeled the !crazy" disorder. With the assistance of the social media, schizophrenia has never been fully understood. %ociety ust tends to believe what the media feeds them, so schizophrenic patients are assumed to be violent, hear voices and are imagined as people with straight ac#ets. With help from psychology, people are now beginning to realize that schizophrenic patients are not crazy but in reality are very timid and try to avoid social confrontation. &iolence from schizophrenic patients is a rare commodity, and only happens if patients are provo#ed. There is also a preconceived notion that patients can never lead normal lives. That is not true at all' psychology research shows that many patients are leading a somewhat normal life compared to what their life would be li#e without any sort of treatment whatsoever. Psychology also plays a ma or role in helping treat schizophrenia. Psychologist

such as (ennifer )ottlieb and *orinne *ather, both are strong advocates of *ognitive +ehavioral Therapy ,*+T- for schizophrenia. *+T aims to solve dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions, which are prominent problems for schizophrenic patients. In shorter terms this is a sit down and tal# therapy for patients. .s research shows, *+T seems to be very successful and shows much potential, it is /uic#ly rising up through the ran#s of treatment methodologies. Other types of psychological treatment are family therapy, assertive community and cognitive remediation. .long with tal# therapy treatments there have also been new developments for drug related treatment. The science of psychology helped distinguish a certain malfunction in the brain that can be helped by the new drugs being presented in the scientific community and through testing they seem to be showing a high success rate. 0esearch in psychology there is a correlation between dopamine in the brain and schizophrenic sufferers. With the help of newly produced drugs, hopefully that can help alleviate the dopamine nerves that are not wor#ing correctly in schizophrenic patients. With new psychoactive drugs and tal# therapy treatments, people who suffer from schizophrenia can hope for a better future. %chizophrenia is usually thought as only chemical and brain dysfunctions but through research in psychology, scientists #now that environmental factors also play a huge role in schizophrenia. %ome environmental factors include, social living environment, drug use and prenatal stressors. 0esearch shows that #ids, who lived in an unstable neighborhood, teased often in school or living in an urban environment, raises chances of ac/uiring schizophrenia. .lso, children who showed anti$social behavior in social situations, is an early warning sign of schizophrenic conduct. 1rug use is also considered an environmental factor and can trigger the symptoms of schizophrenia. 2ast

but not least prenatal e3posure to high stress levels and malnutrition can eventually lead to schizophrenia. .ll of these environmental factors have been divulged from psychological analysis. .s mentioned before brain chemistry as well as brain structure plays an important role in schizophrenia. .s research shows physically spea#ing the brain of a schizophrenic is altered in size in the frontal lobes, temporal lobes and hippocampus. 1opamine levels, serotonin levels and glumate levels also seems to vary in the brain of a schizophrenic. %chizophrenia in itself is caused both neurologically and environmentally.