Sorting out fact from fiction, one of the world's leading experts presents an absorbing account of what is actually know about the complex subject of schizophrenia.
This is a clear and readable book by one of the world's foremost authorities on schizophrenia. The book provides a thorough overview of current knowledge on this disease. Gottesman uses the results of family, twin, and adoption studies to explore the genetic, environmental, and psychosocial contributions to the development of schizophrenia.
Not this is in fact probably the best medical book explaining to me what schizophrenia is. There are two explanations.
And sumery of factors that couses it.
Cigarettes, alcohol in the environment or family and the industrial metropolis cause Schizophrenia. --- The first adequate description of schizophrenia appeared independently in England and France in the same year 1809 in Observations on Madness and Melancholy, John Haslam, superintendent of the Bethlem Hospital in London, described what we recognize today as unmistakable schizophrenia.
There is form of insanity which occurs in young person; and as far as these cases have been the subject of my observations, they have been more frequently noticed in females. These whom I have been distinguished by prompt capacity and lively disposition; and in general have become the favorites of parents and tutors, by their facility in acquiring knowledge, and by a permutanity of attainment. These disorder commences, about or shortly after, the period of menstruation, and in many instance has been unconnected with hereditary taint, as far as could be ascertained by minute inquiry. The attack is almost imperceptible, some months usually elapse before it becomes the subject of particular notice, and fond relatives are frequently deceived by the hope that this is only an abatement of excessive vivacity., conducting to a prudent reserve, and steadiness of character. A degree of the apparent thoughtfulness and inactive precede, together with a diminution of the ordinary curiosity, concerning that which is pressing before them; and they therefore neglect these objects and pursues which formally proved course of delight and instruction. The sensibility appears to be considerable bludent: they do not bear the same affection toward their parents and relations: they become unfeeling to kindness, and careless of reproof. To their companions they show a cold civity, but take no inerest wherever in the concern... Thus in the interval between puberty and manhood, I have painfully witnessed this hopeless and degraditing change in a short time has transformed the most promising and vigure itelects a slavering and bloated idiot. --- Object cathexis the investment of libido or psychic energy in objects outside the self, such as a person, goal, idea, or activity.
Schizophrenia is complicated collection of learned social responses, object cathexis,self concepts, ego weaknesses, psychodynamisms, etc. These are dispositions of first or second order (more proximal orders). They are not provided by our genes. They are acquired by social learning especially learning involving interpersonal aversivness. Assume the mutated gene ( a structure ) cause an aberrant neurohumor that directly alters (neuronal) signal selectivity at the synapse. Then the gene is a structure, the gene-controlled synthesis of an abnormal substance ( or the failure to make a certain substance) is an event; the alternated synaptic condition is a state; and the results of the stat's exsisting at the billions of CNS ( central nervous system) synapses is alternated parameter of CNS function i.e , a disposition. But this disposition is a disosinton of at least third (perhaps forth or fifth) order with respect to these moral dispositions that are the subject-matter of clinical psychiatry and psychoanalysis. Hence, an individual's being characterized by a certain gonotype is a disosition of still higher order, because (presumably) the synaptic disposition itself is not an absolutely necessary consequence of the first link of the gene's action, since it could be avoided if we knew how to supplement the brain's inadequate supply of magic substance X, or how to provide a related molecule that would bring the parametrics of CNS function back to the "normal" base (1972).
Hospitalizet patients too had rought life as For the first 70 years of this century20th century), the excess mortality (compared to the general population at the same time). of schizophrenics ranges from 200 to 500 % . A male schizophrenic, once he was admitted to the psychiatric hospital during the first half of the century, would have remained life expectancy of 68 % of that of a non-hospitalized male, for female it is 54 %.
Tuberculosis was often pointed to as the major cause of the excess mortality.
Also becouse of eugenic sterilization. In 1952 the current (don't know if it still is) effective immigration law was enacted... Because they fall under category "insane" Schizophrenics are (ore where) excluded from entering the country. Among anarchist, drug addicts, psychopathic personalities, homosexuals, Total of 31 categories.
30 states at some point or other passed the law for eugenic compulsory sterilization. Dr Harry Sharp developed the technique of vasectomy as a replacement for castration.
A vasectomy (male sterilization) is a surgical procedure to cut or seal the tubes that carry a man's sperm to permanently prevent pregnancy.
A year ago, when the doctor took my blood and did heart tests, he said that I could have children : )
By 1964 64 000 persons in USA has been sterilized, half of them mentally ill. California alone was responsible for 20 000 sterilizations.
Nazi treatment " life unworthy of life" costed sterilization of 200 000 Schizophrenics, 80 000 manic-depression, 20 000 epilepsy, 60 000 Huntington disease, congenital malfunctions such as clufoot or cleft palate 20 000, hereditary alcoholism 10 000. Total 410 000. At least 350 000 where carried under the legislation, 56,214 in the first 12 months.
Between 1934-1945 3.5 000 000 men and women were sterilized on "eugenic" grounds.
Eugenics is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. -- And yes, narcotics can imitate same effects.
In fact, LSD(lysergic acid diethylamide), amphetamine(speed,crack,crystal,ice),phencyclidine(PCP,angel dust,cocaine(crack) and other street and "designer" drugs, can produce short-duration symptoms that can mimic genuine Schizophrenia close enough to false diagnose.
Bromide, carbon-monoxide, alcohol and digitalis, produce what can be called a drug-induced or pharmagoical phenocopy of a schizophrenic alike psychosis.
Alcohol also can cause disease symptoms via intake of substance called disulfiram (antabuse) - a synthetic compound used in the treatment of alcoholics to make drinking alcohol produce unpleasant after-effects