Schizophrenia

[ntuc]

Antipsychotics / Neuroleptics For Mental Disorders - Comments



In terms of antipsychotics / neuroleptics meant for the treatments of mental disorders , clinical evidences actually indicate that those troubled with mental disorders, especially the serious ones, shouldn't just rely solely upon the medications as the one and only means of solution to their mental problems.


To put it bluntly, such medications, they are no different from sleeping pills whereby their calming effects just 'come and go' after the lapse of their effective period whilst their potential disastrous side effects can be permanent upon manifestations. In medical sense, such mental disorders, especially the serious ones is mainly caused by the malfunctionings of the mood regulator neurotransmitter, especially Serotonin in the brain. Next, though the related medications can to a certain extent bring such a severe mental disorder under control by 'artificially' regulating, blocking and controlling the re-uptake of it in the brain of the persons suffering from it, medications alone however, by no means would be able to deal conclusively with the problems due to the fact that the root causes of such a disorder is actually resulting largely from the environmental, circumstantial and other interpersonal factors (or the changes of them) that are deemed to be emotionally and adversely unacceptable to the ones suffering from it to a very great extent. Such negative changes in turn actually account for the negative behavioural changes in them as described


In short, it remains the truth that most of the antipsychotics / neuroleptics meant for especially the treatment of chronic mental illnesses would tend to work in such a way that they would need to change / alter the chemical balances in the brain of those taking such medications in the process of bringing such disorders under control. In the process of doing so, such a mechanism would unavoidably and eventually antagonize the neurotransmitters of the nervous system, especially the serotonin and dopamine (which is necessary for various neuromuscular functions), and hence disturb and interfere with the normal functionings of the nerves of the human body.


Next, though it may take years for such undesirable side effects / scenario to manifest onto the ones taking such medications, I am just in the opinion that in the case of the medications having potentially such unwanted side effects, it would naturally be the duty of the medical personnel / specialists-in-charge to take all the precautionary measures to safeguard the well-being of the patients for the sake of their healthcare and welfare.


The real-life examples that I have come across so far is such that for the ones relying merely upon medications and nothing else to deal with their mental disorders, they would tend to develop both emotional and psychological dependences upon such medictions over the long-term whilst getting their mental conditions deteriorated from time to time, eg, from neurosis to psychosis and then just acquire all those almost irreversibly disastrous undesirable side effects like Extrapyramidal Symptoms, Tardive Dyskinesia, Dystonia, Akathisia, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, Parkinsonism disorders etc from such medications in the end.


In such a connection, psychotherapy, counselling, emotional and other communication / interactive supports would be needed to complement the use of the related medications to achieve greater curative effects for such patients troubled by chronic mental disorder.


As such, medications is one thing, but the mental / cognitive abilities of the patients themselves to eventually change their views and perceptions about their environments / surroundings, circumstances and people they are facing in a more positve way, particularly developed through the help of such counselling supports from the others in order for them to really get better and gradually develop positive behavioural / personality changes, is simply another thing that cannot achieved solely with the help of medications alone.


In a nutshell, medications alone by no means can be a substitute for the positive interpersonal experiences that such patients would eventually need for genuine improvement and recovery of their sanity and the use of them should at the same time be complemented by other psychotherapy efforts to achieve the purpose of holistic healing.


Lastly, I hope that the information given above will turn out to be useful to its intended readers. Thank you.



Related Reference :


http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/tardive_dyskinesia.jsp

[ntuc]

General Cognitive Behavioural Process



Well, a psychologist has actually explained to me before that any human actions / behaviours are generally dictated by a cognitive mental process summarized such as follows, and it would apply as well to the ones suffering from any mental disorders, but nevertheless are still mentally and cognitively well-aware of their surroundings and other objects / factors around them. Next, I find that such reasonings really make great senses, and hence, I just feel like to share it with the intended readers :-


Perceptions (anything we see, we hear, we know, we taste, we touch etc from our surroundings / other people) => Feelings (the way we feel about our surroundings and other people based on anything we see, hear, know, taste, touch etc) => Thoughts (the types of views and opinions that we form in our minds based on the types of feelings we have for anything we perceive) => Actions (how we choose to react in response to those surroundings / other people based on the feelings and thoughts that arise in our minds).


In such a regard, the underlying problem faced by the ones with schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and other mental disorders are such that they would tend to treat their perceptions (as mentioned above) in a very much negatively different way, and that in turn results in them forming all those negative feelings, thoughts and then all those negative actions of which others get to label them as negative behavioural / personality changes.


For example, a person suffering from schizophrenia may, after 'observing' his surroundings, (Perceptions), just in turn, for certain reasons like past traumatic experiences, anxiety disorders, panic attacks etc, would tend to spontaneously and directly feel very much uncomfortable, anxious, scared and fearful for what they get to see, hear, know, touch etc (Feelings) , and in extreme cases, maybe they may get to hear 'voices' and feel very much threatened by their surroundings then have such false and unreal imaginations of which they subconsciously choose to firmly believe in that someone out there is 'really' / 'actually' threatening his life (Thoughts or in this case, purely false hallucinations), and finally just try his very best based on his own misguided judgements, to subconsciously become violently defensive and hostile against the others in order to save himself, from being killed etc (Actions).


Similarly, such an explanation to a certain extent would apply as well to the ones having such disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Claustrophobia (a morbid fear of being closed in a confined space) etc whereby a given surrounding, which may appear normal to other people, would nevertheless and otherwise appear to be abnormally unacceptable to them possibly because of past traumatic experiences, anxiety disorders, panic attacks and other reasons. Next, the feelings and thoughts that such people would have based what they perceive for the given surrounding in turn would be largely uncontrollable, if not subconciously involuntary, while their subsequent responses/ reactions / actions based on their such negative feelings and thoughts, would in turn be very much the so-called reflex reactions which are substantially and in most cases, totally beyond their self-control.


In this regard, it would be very much helpful for the ones dealing with such persons to understand their basic underlying problems and difficulties and in turn treat them considerately and thoughtfully with care, respects and most importantly, compassion, whilst at the same time, also try to be friendly and amicable to them in such as a way that rather than feeling uncomfortable with a given surrounding and becoming agitated, these persons would on the other hand, feel more mind-easing, emotionally calm, placated, pacified, soothed, comfortable and relaxing with that given 'uneasy' / 'uncomfortable' / 'threatening' surroundings that they perceive. Subsequently, all these efforts will definitely be tremendously conducive to the improvements of the conditions of their disorders and possibly the final recovery in the end.


With all due respect, the antipsychotics and other neuroleptics just serve to temporarily block such negative nerve impulses about their such negative perceptions from getting sent to the brain of the ones having such disorders so as to artificially block all those negative feelings, thoughts, and then the actions. Hence, they are simply not a conclusive and permanent solution to such disorders.


Well, in such a context, the most direct way of treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in the most effective, and maybe largely hypothetical way would be for such persons to totally change their perceptions about their surroundings, environments, the other people in a positive way and to start having positive and realistic thoughts and at the same time, to get rid of those hallucinations, fanciful ideas, little by little gradually and slowly out of their mind and replace them with anything normal, practical, realistic and positive. Theorectically, positive perceptions => positive feelings =>positive thoughts => positive actions.


In this sense, a great deal of interpersonal, interactive, communications and emotional supports from the ones genuinely willing to help them would be very much essential in getting this achieved, essentially in changing the ways they perceive, feel and think for anything they deal with so as to enable them to come to a decision on their own to have positive actions.


Nonetheless, above all these external constructive helps from the others, all the self-initiatives, self-controls and self-disciplines that are meant to be exercised, essentially on the parts of the ones suffering from such a disorder, particularly to 'mentally-train' themselves to think realistically, positively, optimistically and to cast out / expel all those weird thoughts, hallucinations, fanciful imaginations and preposterous urges and whims little by little out of their minds and get them replaced with the positive, practical and realistic ones, so as to slowly develop positive behavioural changes in themselves, would in turn actually be the decisive factor in determining whether their conditions will pracitcally improve or not, slowly and gradually in the end.

[ntuc]

Statistics of Recovery Cases For Mental Illnesses



In fact, statistical evidences actually show that among the ones getting mental illnesses, especially the serious one like Schizophrenia, generally one-third of the population of such people would eventually manage to achieve full recovery, another one-third would gain significant improvements while getting occasional relapses of such disorders, whilst the remaining rest would just get their disorders worsened day after day until no recovery is conceivably possible.


In this regard, I could tell you very frankly that the former 2/3 of the population of the ones suffering from serious mental illnesses, especially the serious one like Schizophrenia (who have either achieved full recoveries or substantial improvements), are actually the ones who have successfully overcome their own inner senses of anxieties, fears, panics, phobias and eliminated all the delusional thoughts and hallucinations all eventually by themselves, having received all the necessary external medicational and interpersonal psychotherapy helps from the others.


Lastly, what I am trying to say is that as long as there're hopes in getting improvements for one's mental disorders, one should put in the necessary efforts and work hard towards that goal of gaining more and more sanities and finally full recoveries if possible.

[ntuc]

Further References (Please Look For Posts Made By ntuc) :


http://www.mentalhealthforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3039

[ntuc]

As a summary,



I'm suggesting the following as a solution to mental disorders :



1/3 of medicational helps + 1/3 of psychotherapies, interactive, interpersonal, emotional, communication, conselling supports from the others + 1/3 of self-determinations, self-initiatives, self-controls, self-wills and self-disciplines to think positively, rationally, realistically and practically as well as to lead a normal and healthy life



These are actually the advices I have obtained from many neurologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists as well as the very conclusions I have experienced myself.



Lastly, I hope that the information given will be relevant and useful to the intended readers. Thank you.

[ntuc]

Schizophrenia : Is It Really Related To Actual Brain Damages ?



Quotation excerpted from someone else :



'Data from modern scientific research proves that schizophrenia is unequivocally a biological disease of the brain, just like Alzheimer's Disease and Bipolar Disorder. For one thing, schizophrenia is now known to be partially caused by genetics and to be inherited. For another, modern non-invasive brain imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerized Tomography (CT), have documented structural differences between schizophrenic and normal brains. Individuals with schizophrenia have up to 25% less volume of gray matter in their brains, especially in the temporal and frontal lobes (known to be important for coordination of thinking and judgment). Patients demonstrating the worst brain tissue losses also tend to show the worst symptoms.'



My Replies :



In fact,


for different individual cases, and phenomenon about the loss of brain tissues, it will be depending on the diagnosis provided and revealed through a brain scan, MRI, CT-Scanning and other detailed medical examinations. It is due to the very fact that for the ones having schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, especially the mild ones, they may not necessarily suffer losses of brain tissues at any given stages.



In fact, such schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders would tend to be closely related to the moods of the ones suffering from them, most of the antipsychotics / neuroleptics would actually work in such a way that they would artificially change the chemical balances in one's brain so as to block / regulate the activities of mainly the mood regulator neurotransmitter, Serotonin (which runs out of control in the case of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders) as well as the neurotransmitter Dopamine (which primarily and essentially control human bodily movements).



By the way,


please take note that in the case of such bodily chemical imbalances, malfunctionings of neurotransmitters, hormones etc (which are essentially and extremely liquidly, streamy, fine, subtle and faint, if not, highly transparent) occuring to the brains and nervous systems, such brain imaging techniques as MRI's and CAT Scans etc would certainly not be able to observe and reveal such scenarios or to provide any accurate or conclusive diagnosis / analysis under such medical circumstances.



And basically, such brain scanning techniques under such medical scenarios would simply reveal or show nothing at all.



In such a case whereby there are no brain damages / deformities / losses of brain tissues detected, medicational aids, psychotherapies and self-efforts on one's part would, at least to a certain extent, help restore such chemical balances and then enable the ones troubled with mental disorders to get the necessary improvements for their conditions and probably recoveries for their illnesses in the end.

[ntuc]

The Long-term Neuro-generative side effects of Antipsychotics / Neuroleptics - My Opinions




In terms of such a loss of brain tissues associated with the ones having schizophrenia, I do have something to add based on the prevailing empirical medical facts, theories and evidences which are in turn closely related to the intake of antipsychotics / neuroleptics meant for the treatment of such a schizophrenia disorder and other mental illnesses.



In this regard, as to the antipsychotics / neuroleptics, they are actually powerful tranquilizers that work by changing the actions of chemicals in the brain, and such medications are generally prescribed for serious psychiatric disorders, as well as neurological and gastrointestinal disorders.



Next, in terms of such powerful mind-altering drugs of antipsychotics / neuroleptics (such as Risperdal etc) meant especially for Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder etc, those taking it for a certain period of time will certainly and almost unavoidably get themselves exposed to their undesirable adverse neurological side effects.



In the short-term (an average of 3 - 5 years), any persons relying just on such antipsychotics / neuroleptics, especially in larger and larger dosages, and nothing else for their mental disorders may very well get the chemical balances of their brains and nervous systems substantially and tremendously disturbed through their nerve-disrupting side effects (especially when the activities of the key neurotransmitters in the brain and nervous system get seriously blocked, antagonized etc) . Next, such undesirable neurological side effects as Tardive Dyskinesia , Akathisia, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome etc may just manifest onto the related persons under such circumstances.



While in the long-term (an average of beyond 7 years), such antipsychotics / neuroleptics, especially the older version / first generation ones, if taken in ever-increasing dosages, they will just gradually move one after another steps further to causing some really serious neuro-degenerative damages to the brains and nervous systems of the ones, especially those relying solely upon them for mental disorders.



This is to say, for the ones having worsening chronic prolonged mental disorders, these antipsychotics / neuroleptics, after causing serious chemical imbalances in one's brain / nervous system, the powerful nerve-disrupting side effects of such antipsychotics / neuroleptics may just move on to inflict some serious physical damages to the brain / nervous system such as losses / deformities of brain tissues, neuron networks of the nervous system etc. Generally, Parkinsonism (one of the neuro-degenerative diseases) would be one of such examples in this context under the category of Extrapyramidal Symptoms (which is associated with the side effects of antipsychotics / neuroleptics).



Hence, that probably to a certain extent, will explain the reason why certain people, especially the ones suffering severely and chronically from some serious mental disorders like schizophrenia etc, will tend to have brain tissues damages / losses / deformities as revealed, observed and diagnosed by certain brain scanning / MRI / CT-Scanning, other encephalography, related medical examinations etc.



In a nutshell, early precautions associated with the use of such antipsychotics / neuroleptics would be utmost essential and necessary to safeguard oneself from their potentially disastrous nerve-disrupting side effects.

[ntuc]

'Brain Damages' - Its Two Different Categories In The Context of Mental Disorders




Well, if one is to refer any form of disturbances, ailments, disorders etc occurring to the brain as 'brain damages' regardless how mild or how serious they are, such 'brain damages' can generally be divided into the following two categories as explained below :



In the case of serious 'brain damages, they may involve losses of brain tissues, brain masses, brain deformities and other real 'physical' damages which are observable through brain scanning techniques.



And in all such cases as mentioned above, the medical consequences are really the very serious ones whereby they may be highly irreversible, irreparable etc due to the very fact that brain cells, / nerve cells / neurons etc (which are widely distributed in the brains and the nervous systems) are unable to regenerate themselves once they are destroyed. In short, once they are destroyed, they may be lost permanently. Hence, that's exactly the reason why there is simply no 100% total conclusive cure available currently for such brain-damage-related diseases like Alzheimer, Parkinsonism etc.



Whilst in the case of the other forms of 'brain damages' which are not observable and cannot be revealed through brain scanning techniques, the problems may very likely be caused by the bodily chemical imbalances in the brains / nervous systems such as what I have explained in my previous post above.



Next, unlike the former 'brain damages' which are 'physically' serious and observable through brain scanning techniques, those other 'brain damage' which involves just bodily chemical imbalances, malfunctionings of neurotransmistters, hormones etc (which cannot be observed through brain scanning techniques), such very much less serious disorders can actually be remedied and dealt with in far easier ways through both formal and alternative medicines / therapies.



This is due to the very fact that such bodily chemicals as neurotransmitters, hormones etc, even when they are antagonized, destroyed etc, they can still always be re-generated, renewed and secreted by the related brain cells, neurons etc. And it would take just the right treatments to achieve this goal of restoring such bodily chemical balances of the ones having the related disorders.



Whilst in the case of mental disorders, especially the non-brain-damage-related ones, I would suggest the following as one of the solutions :



1/3 of medicational helps + 1/3 of psychotherapies, interactive, interpersonal, emotional, communication, conselling supports from the others + 1/3 of self-determinations, self-initiatives, self-controls, self-wills and self-disciplines to think positively, rationally, realistically and practically as well as to lead a normal and healthy life



These are actually the advices I have obtained from many neurologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists as well as the very conclusions I have experienced myself.



Lastly, I hope that the information given will be relevant and useful to the intended readers. Thank you.

[ntuc]

Hallucinations / Delusions, symptoms of Schizophrenia - Brief Analysis




In fact, for the symptoms of hallucinations / delusions etc that might come along with certain mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder etc, well, I was actually informed by the psychiatrists and psychologists that all these hallucinations / delusions etc, 'they' are actually 'fed' on such negative feelings as fear, anger, frustrations, suspicions and all other fanciful, illogical, irrational, erratic and unreasonable senses of those suffering from such hallucinational disorders.



This is to say, the more and more, and the frequent and frequent that such people having hallucinations / delusions are to entertain / indulge / revel / engrossed in such negative feelings of fear, anger, frustrations, suspicions and all other fanciful, illogical, irrational, erratic and unreasonable senses, and the stronger and stronger of those senses that such people suffering from schizophrenia / bipolar disorder tend to have, then the worse and worse their delusional and hallucinational conditions would tend to become / deteriorate over time. So, one would really need to learn how to control oneself so as not to let their such negative senses running out of control.



In short, in dealing with such problems, just don't give all these hallucinations / delusions etc what 'they' want (in these case, that will be those negative unrealistic / irrational / wildly fanciful senses etc as desceribed above) so as to prevent the symptoms from deteriorating from bad to worse.



So, the ways of overcoming these hallucinations / delusions etc, on one point, would be to use certain related medications to temporarily bring such a condition under control (temporarily in the sense that medications have their limitations especially in terms of their curative period, whilst at the same time, such a 'temporary healing' is actually achieved through the artificial suppressing of negative nerve impulses to block all such negative feelings, thoughts - in this case, mainly the hallucinations, and finally the actions which arise from negative perceptions).



On the other hand, one's self-initiatives and self-efforts to exercise self-controls, self-disciplines, self-rationalisings, self-reasonings etc to overcome all those delusions and hallucinations would be of utmost essential in helping oneself to cope with such mental disorders.



This is to say, in order to overcome all those delusions, hallucinations etc, one would need to exercise all those self-initiatives, self-controls etc to exercise self-reasonings and self-rationalisings, so as to enable oneself to gradually and slowly think positively, rationally, realistically, reasonably, practically and sensibly, as well as, at the same time, to replace all those delusional, hallucinational thoughts, wild imaginations etc, bit by bit, with rational and reasonable thoughts and senses, just like the what the normal healthy people do.



In the meantime, one would reasonably require certain psychotherapy, emotional, interactive, interpersonal and communication supports in getting such goals achieved. In this regard, such other activities as doing sports, playing indoor games (such as chess, card games etc), engagings in one's favourite hobbies, watching comedies, reading something interesting, positively inspiring etc, would all be useful in both distracting one's mind from having delusions, hallucinations etc, whilst at the same time, subconsciously instilling into their minds all those optimistic and positive thoughts that one would need to deal with such disorders.



In short, having hallucinations, which to a certain extent might be assoicated with certain mental disorders, well, they may be painful experiences to most people, however, it would take just the right treatments and other related remedial factors to achieve holistic healings for such disorders / hallucinations etc.

[ntuc]

Mental Disorders - Further Explanations




Actually, in terms of mental disorders which may come along with hallucinations / delusions, all those external aides of medications, psychotherapies, interactive, interpersonal and emotional supports etc, they are all meant for the same ultimate goal of bringing such disorders under control and there is simply no doubt for that.



Next, since it's the ones having mental disorders are who are actually suffering from such illnesses, which arise from negative perceptions, negative feelings and negative thoughts formed in their own brains / minds (instead of other people's brains / minds), it would eventually necessitate they themselves to put in their very own self- efforts, having received both external medicational and interpersonal helps from the others, to exercise self-controls and self-disciplines on their own to direct their own brains for self-reasonings, self-introspections and self-rationalisings.



This is to say, for the self-cognition / thinkings psychological part of the ones having mental diorders to form those positive feelings and positive thoughts in their own minds on their very own, and then to naturally develop postitive behavioural / personality changes, such a cognitive thought / thinking process actually can hardly be 'dictated' by anyone else other than they themselves. In such connection, as to the cognitive / thinking abilities / processes of different individuals, one of the simplest examples will be the process of learning a knowledge or something else whereby a person can get the best text materials, teachers, lecturers, tutors etc to assist one in his / her learnings, however, it would still ultimately depend on the very cognitive ability / process pertaining to that particular person which is then the key decisive factor in determining whether the knowledge is successfully acquired in the end or not.



In short, those self-efforts (related to self-cognitions), in the very end, will eventually be very much essential, or rather the decisive factor in determining whether the persons having mental disorders will achieve improvements / recoveries for their mental conditions or not.