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SCHIZOPHRENIA: NATURE OR NURTURE

I. PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AS A DISORDER
Schizophrenia a not only affects the person with the disease but also their
relationship with the people around them .Schizophrenia often withdraw and isolate
themselves, those developing paranoia creating difficulties within their relationship
.Their paranoia causes them to form absorb and suspicious beliefs about their family
or friends. And its hard to reason with them because they are incapable to think
rationally. The common sign and symptoms they have are grandiose delusional
thoughts, anger, tendency to argue, intensity with interacting with others and violent
behavior. A schizophrenic accuses everyone around him lying or somehow trying to
hurt him to feel frustrate and run out of ways to respond anymore usually they would
feel irritated and confused on whether to just go along with such crazy accusations
otherwise, to confront then and these arguments destroy their relationship, if not close
to giving up on it.

Schizophrenic are most likely to attempt suicide ,and few of them succeeding
doing it is more likely to happen in upswing of the disorder, when the symptoms
abated a little and the person sees really more clearly. They often keep their thoughts
private, so any suicidal talk threats or gestures should be taken very seriously.

Alcohol use disorder is said to be the most common co-occurring disorder in

people with schizophrenia. And it also complicates the course and treatment of
schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia who continue to drink alcohol frequently
abuse other substances as well they probably use alcohol and other drugs for many of
the same reasons as other in society, but it could also be an attempt to self-medicate,
relieve symptoms. However the addiction treatment
Program expert a schizophrenic to be stabilized before they can be admitted to their
addition programs and the psychiatrist say they a can't help a patient if they have an
active substance abuse program.

Schizophrenics are unable to carry out daily routine daily activities; this is due to
the delusions, hallucination and fantasies they experience which confuse them to
focus on their task, even simple ones like eating meals and taking baths. They behave
quite silly and have troubles of taking care of themselves. Other signs and symptoms
include impaired communication skills, incomprehensible or illogical speech,
emotional indifference and infantile behavior. Because of these they lose touch on
how they are supposed to carry out their duties for the day. There are also cases when
the diagnosed show inappropriate expressions or responses to certain situations.

II. SCHIZOPHRENIA AS ABIOLOGICAL CAUSE

Schizophrenia has strong heredity component-individuals with a first degree

relative (parent-sibling) who has schizophrenia have a 10 percent chance of
developing the disorder, as opposed to the 1 percent chance of the general population.
But schizophrenia is only influenced by genetics, and not determine by it. While
schizophrenia runs in families about 60% of schizophrenics have no family members
with schizophrenia with the disorder. Furthermore, individuals who are generally
predisposed to schizophrenia don't always develop the disease. Which shows biology
is not destiny.

One possible cause of schizophrenia may be heredity for genetics. Experts think
that came people inherit a tendency to schizophrenia. In fact the disorder tends to
"run" in families, but among blood relatives. People with who have family members
with schizophrenia may be more likely to get disease themselves Dr.Nacher Bechara
an expert psychiatrist point out that if both biological parents have schizophrenia,
there is nearby a 40% chance that their child will get it, too(48).This happens ever if
the child is adopted and raised by mentally healthy adults. In people who have an
identical twin with schizophrenia. The chance of schizophrenia developing is almost
50%.In contrast children whose biological mentally healthy-even if their adoptive
parents have schizophrenia-have about a 1% chance of getting the disease. Some
studies have shown that influenza infection or improper nutrition during pregnancy
and complication during birth may increase the risk that the baby will develop
schizophrenia later in life

Another factor for the development of schizophrenia is the brain chemical

imbalance. In the biopsychosocial theory it stated that dopamine is indeed to some
degree responsible for the onset schizophrenia. In addition to the dopamine factor
however, specific stressors and genetic factors may also be important. In the area of
major illness, especially schizophrenia, excluding biological or neurological factors
from research is liability for research and clinical efforts because schizophrenia is
such a complex. Biopsychosocial phenomenon. The research conducted by Farmer
and pandura suggest that while dopamine may be factor, there may be tendency to
inherit the specific levels of dopamine and how they function in person brain. In other
words some people may be predisposed to chemical imbalance to chemical imbalance
in the brain. The two researchers state very clearly through that the disease itself is not
inherited the vulnerability for the disease can be inherited.
"Vulnerability, in combination with relevant stressors, leads to the development of
symptoms of schizophrenia. This perspective integrates biological characteristics with
psychological and social aspect of human behavior, providing a biopsychosocial
understanding of the variables that lead to a schizophrenic illness.

III. SCHIZOPHRENIA AS ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSE

Twin and adaptation studies suggest the inherited genes make a person

vulnerability to trigger disorder. As for the environmental factors involved, more and
more research is pointing to dress, either during pregnancy or a later stage of
development. High levels of stress are believed to trigger schizophrenia by increasing
the body's production of the hormone cortisol.

Research points to several stress including environmental factors that may be

involved in schizophrenia, including prenatal exposure to a viral infection, low
oxygen levels during birth(from prolonged labor or premature birth), exposure to a
virus during infancy, early parental loss or separation, physical or sexual abuse in
childhood.

In addition to abnormal brain chemistry, abnormalities in brain structures may also

play arose in schizophrenia. Enlarged brain ventricles are seen in some
schizophrenics, indicating a deficit in the volume of brain tissue. There is also
evidence of abnormally low activity in the frontal lobe, the area of the brain
responsible for planning, reasoning and decision making. Some studies also suggest
the abnormalities in the temporal lobes, hippocampus, and amygdala are connected to
schizophrenia's positive symptoms. But despite the evidence of brain are connected to
schizophrenia's positive symptoms. But despite the evidence of brain abnormalities, it
is highly unlikely that schizophrenia is the result of any problem in any one region of
the brain.
Schizophrenia can be wilding destructive force, not only to those who suffer from it,

but also to their friends and relatives. The families of people with schizophrenia often
struggle with a wide range of difficult emotions, including fear, guilt, anger,
frustrations, and helplessness. Worried about the stigma of mental, illness or confused
and embarrassed by strange behaviors they don't understand, family members may
also try to hide their loved one's illness from others.

IV. COPING MECHANISM

Unfortunately, isolation and denial only compound the problems schizophrenia
causes in the home. According to the national alliance on mental illness, the families
who deal most successfully with schizophrenia are those that come to accept the
illness and its difficulties are realistic in what they expect of the ill person and
themselves and maintain a sense of humor. Keeping positive outlooks is much easier
when you have others to turn to for support. Like a loved one with schizophrenia,
support, encouragement, and understanding should be rendered.