Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder which disables the brain and leaves a person feeling psychotic. A person diagnosed with this disorder may see or hear things that other people don’t. They may also think that, if they are talking with someone, the other person is controlling his or her mind or is planning to hurt them in some way. This will result in the schizophrenic person withdrawing from any social interaction, or becoming very agitated. There are many different genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development of schizophrenia. Some environmental factors would include exposure to certain viruses, stress within that person’s life ( Parents of the person going through a divorce, trouble in school, etc.), prenatal malnutrition in pregnant women, and certain types of drug use in teens. These drugs, such as cannabis, methamphetamine, hash, and marijuana, could be a very likely cause of schizophrenia in teens. Alcohol has also been considered a very likely contribute to the disorder as well. Over all of that, the factors that contribute the most to the development of this disorder are complications during pregnancy. This can include having diabetes while the woman is pregnant, complications during the birth of the child, unusual growth of the fetus, low birth weight, and birth before the baby is fully developed. A pregnant woman can get a response to an infection by the placenta, the fetus, or even the woman herself. Having this infection can set off a certain toxic effect on the developing neurons within the baby, and it will regulate the neurodevelopment processes such as the ones found in schizophrenia. A genetic factor of schizophrenia would be a gene on chromosome twenty-two called COMT ( ... ... middle of paper ... ...e found really tiny changes in the traits of the brain cells of the person. This could have occurred even before the birth of this person. As the person grows up, these changes would click in with the function of the brain, but you wouldn’t be able to see the actual physical change until that person has hit puberty. During puberty, the brain will go through major changes, and, in some cases, it could lead to very psychotic symptoms, therefore leading the person through the development of schizophrenia. There are a number of ways that schizophrenia can develop through a person. There can be even more factors that contribute to the development of the disorder. Scientists are still observing and researching anything they could possibly find out, whether that is gene related or environment related. It is still a disorder that confuses everyone in our society today.

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