Schizophrenia Essays

Schizophrenia Essays Schizophrenia Essay Schizophrenia Essay If the phobias and depression are the common colds of psychological disorders, chronic schizophrenia is the cancer. About 1 in 100 people will develop schizophrenia, joining the millions who have suffered one of humanity’s most dreaded disorders. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder, in which a person loses contact with reality by experiencing grossly irrational ideas and distorted perceptions. Schizophrenia typically first strikes during adolescence or young adulthood; it knows no national boundaries and it affects the two sexes about equally.This paper intent to: (1) understand what schizophrenia really is; (2) know causes of schizophrenia and; (2) aware how an individual can be schizophrenic.II. BackgroundA. Understanding Psychological DisorderImagine yourself living hundreds or thousands of years ago. How might you have accounted for the behavior of a James Oliver Huberty? To explain puzzling behavior, our ancestors often presumed that strange forces- the movements of sta rs, godlike powers, or evil sprits- were at work.   â€Å"The devil made him to do it,† you might have said. The cure might have been to get rid of the evil force- by exorcising the demon or even by chipping a hole in the skull to allow the evil spirit to escape. Until the last two centuries, â€Å"mad† people were sometimes caged in zoolike conditions or given â€Å"therapies† appropriate to a demon. Disordered people have been beaten, burned, and the clitoris cauterized. They have had their own blood removed and replaced with transfusions of animal blood (Farina, 2002).a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Medical PerspectiveIn response to such brutal treatment, reformers such as Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) in France insisted that madness was not demon possessed but a disease that, like other diseases, we could treat and cure. For Pinel, treatment meant boosting patients’ morale by talking with them and by providing humane living conditions. When it was later discove red that an infectious brain disease, syphilis, produced a particular psychological disorder, people came to believe in physical causes for disorders and to search for medical treatments.Today, Pinel’s medical perspective is familiar to us in the medical terminology of the mental health movement: A mental illness (also called a psychopathology) needs to be diagnosed on the basis of its symptoms and cured through therapy, which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital. In the 1800s, the assumption of this medical model- that psychological disorders are sicknesses- provided the impetus for much needed reform. The â€Å"sick† were unchained and hospitals replaced asylums.Equating psychological disorders with sickness does, however, have its critics, among them psychiatrist Thomas Szasz. Szasz believes that mental â€Å"illnesses† are socially, nor medically, defined. When, for many years, Soviet psychiatrists diagnosed dissident citizens as â€Å"psychotic, † they were using medical metaphors to disguise their contempt for these people’s political ideas. Szasz concludes that in North America, too, mental health practitioners have too much authority in today’s society. When they demean people with the label â€Å"mentally ill,† their parents may begin to view themselves as â€Å"sick† and therefore give up taking responsibility for coping with their problems. Many critics respond similarly to the idea that alcohol abuse, overeating, gambling, and sexual promiscuity are addictive diseases- purely uncontrollable compulsions that require sympathy and treatment. As we well see, labels can be self-fulfilling fables.Despite such criticisms, the medical perspective survives and even gains renewed credibility from recent discoveries. Genetically influenced abnormalities in brain chemistry have been linked with two of the most troubling psychological disorders, depression and schizophrenia, both of which are of ten treated medically.Those who accept Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective agree that psychological disorders are sicknesses that have diagnosable and treatable causes. However, they insist that these causes may include psychological of traumatic stress such as that caused by raped and combat.II. DiscussionA. Understanding the cause of SchizophreniaSchizophrenia is not only the most dreaded psychological disorder but also one of the most heavily researched. Some important new discoveries link schizophrenia with biological factors, such as brain abnormalities and genetic predispositions.Schizophrenia is one of the most heavily researched psychological disorders. Several factors have been proposed as causes of schizophrenia, from biochemical imbalances in the brain to faulty family relationships and socioeconomic environment. Although a great deal of interesting research has been carried out, to date no single factor has been isolated as the cause of schizophrenia.a)  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Brain AbnormalitiesRecent advances in the measurement of brain structure and function have set the stage for comparing normal individuals with those suffering from schizophrenia. One brain-imaging technique, computer-assisted tomography, or CT scan, uses many low-energy X-rays of the living brain taken at a number of different points and integrated into pictures by a computer. Studies using this technique show that many individuals with schizophrenia have enlarged brain ventricles, compared to normal persons. Some researchers believe a link sexists between the enlarged ventricles and the lower frequency of alpha waves observed among individuals with schizophrenia.b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genetic FactorsA popular line of research in recent years has been the search for a genetic link in schizophrenia. Several approaches to the study of genetic relationships have been used. Overall, results of this research are consistent with a genetic basis for the disorder. For example, identica l twins are more likely to share schizophrenic diagnoses than fraternal twins, whether the twins are reared apart or together. The greater the severity of schizophrenia, the more pronounced this relationship is. Furthermore, children whose parents both have schizophrenia are three times more likely to develop the disorder than are children with only one parent with schizophrenia, whether children are reared with their parents or not. Children who are reared by an adoptive parent with schizophrenia but whose biological parents are normal do not have higher rate of schizophrenia (Kestenbaum, 2001). The most convincing evidence for a genetic relationship comes from research showing a characteristic defect on chromosome 5 among family members who have some types of schizophrenia (Sherrington, 2000).Naturally, scientists wonder whether people inherit a predisposition to these brain abnormalities. The evidence strongly suggests that some do. The 100-to-1 odds against any person’s i s being diagnosed with Schizophrenia become 10-to-1 among those who have an afflicted identical twin. Although there are only a dozen such known cases, it appears that an identical twin of schizophrenia victim retains that 50-50 chance whether they are reared together or apart.Adoption studies confirm a genetic link (Gottesman, 2001). Children adopted by someone who develops schizophrenia are unlikely to â€Å"catch† the disorder. But adopted children do have an elevated risk if a biological parent is diagnosed with schizophrenia.The genetic contribution is beyond question. But the genetic role is not so straightforward is beyond question. But the genetic role is not as straightforward as the inheritance of eye color. After all, about half the twins who share identical genes with a schizophrenia victim do not develop the disorder. Thus, behavior geneticists Susan Nicol and Irving Gottesman (2001) conclude that some people â€Å"have a genetic predisposition to the disorder b ut that this predisposition by itself is not sufficient for the development of schizophrenia.†III. ConclusionSchizophrenia sufferers must not be condemned but need assistance from their love ones. The most common psychosis is schizophrenia, which usually appears first in childhood or adolescence. There are several types of schizophrenia, with symptoms ranging from excited and sometimes aggressive behavior to complete withdrawal into stupor. Contrary to popular belief, a schizophrenic does not have a â€Å"split personality†; this notion may have developed from the fact that episodes of the illness may be separated by periods of completely normal behavior. Many psychiatrists believe there is an organic basis for schizophrenia- that it is only partly psychogenic or not psychogenic at all- and that it may be hereditary.

A Simple Guide to Become a School Board Member

A Simple Guide to Become a School Board Member The school board is the governing body of a school district. Board members are the only elected officials within an individual school district who have a say in the daily operations of that school district. A district is only as good as the board members who make up the entirety of the board. Becoming a school board member is not for everyone: You must be willing to listen to and work with others and be an adept and active problem solver. Boards where members bond and agree on most issues usually oversee an effective school district. Boards that are split and feud often have disarray and turmoil, which ultimately undermines the mission of schools in the district. A boards decisions matter: Poor decisions can lead to ineffectiveness, but good decisions will improve the overall quality of the school or schools in the district. Qualifications to Run for School Board There are five common qualifications that most states have in order to be eligible to be a candidate in a school board election. A school board candidate must: Be a registered voter.Be a resident of the district she is running inHave at least a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalencyNot have been convicted of a felonyNot be a current employee of the district and/or be related to a current employee in that district. Although these are the most common qualifications necessary to run for school board, it does vary from state to state. Check with your local election board for a more detailed list of required qualifications. Reasons to Become a School Board Member Becoming a school board member is a serious commitment. It takes quite a bit of time and dedication to be an effective school board member. Unfortunately, not every person who runs for a school board election is doing it for the right reasons. Each individual who chooses to be a candidate in a school board election does so for his own personal reasons. Candidates may run for a school board seat because they: Have a child in the district and want to have a direct impact on their education.Love politics and want to be an active participant in the political aspects of the school district.Want to serve and support the district.Believe they can make a difference in the overall quality of education that the school is providing.Have a personal vendetta against a teacher/coach/administrator and want to get rid of them. Composition of the School Board A school board is usually made up of three, five or seven members depending on the size and configuration of that district. Each position is an elected one and terms are typically either four or six years. Regular meetings are held once a month, typically at the same time each month (such as the second Monday of each month). A school board typically is made up of a president, vice president, and secretary. The positions are nominated and chosen by the board members themselves. Officer positions are typically chosen once a year. Duties of the School Board A school board is designed as the principle democratic body that represents local citizens on education and school-related issues. Being a school board member isn’t easy. Board members have to stay up-to-date on current educational issues, must be able to understand education jargon and have to listen to parents and other community members who want to pitch their idea on how to improve the district. The role of the board of education plays in a school district is vast. The board is responsible for hiring/evaluating/terminating the district superintendent. This is probably the most important duty of the board of education. The district’s superintendent is the face of the district and is ultimately responsible for managing the daily operations of the school district. Every district needs a superintendent who is trustworthy and who has a good relationship with their board members. When a superintendent and school board are not on the same page, chaos can ensue. The board of education develops policy and direction for the school district. The board of education also: Prioritizes and approves the budget for the school district.Has the final say on hiring school personnel and/or terminating a current employee in the district.Establishes the vision that reflects the overall goals of the community, staff, and the board.Makes decisions on school expansion or closure.Manages the collective bargaining process for the district’s employees.Approves many components of the district’s daily operations including the school calendar, contracts with outside vendors and curriculum The duties of a board of education are much more comprehensive than those listed above. Board members put in a lot of time in what essentially amounts to a volunteer position. Good board members are invaluable to a school district’s development and success.  The most effective school boards are arguably those that have a direct impact on nearly every facet of the school but do so in obscurity rather than the limelight.