100 Questions & Answers About Schizophrenia: Painful Minds, Second Edition

Cover Page......Page 1
Title......Page 2
ISBN 9780763776572......Page 3
Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 12
Introduction......Page 24
Part One: The Illness and Its Characteristics......Page 28
1. What is schizophrenia?......Page 29
2. Is schizophrenia a split personality?......Page 32
3. What are the first signs of this illness? How do I know whether I (or my relative) have schizophrenia?......Page 33
4. Is being “schizophreniform” the same as having schizophrenia?......Page 37
5. What does it mean to have a “schizotypal personality”?......Page 38
6. What is schizoaffective disorder?......Page 39
7. How is schizophrenia different from bipolar disease (or manic depression)?......Page 40
8. Is it possible to hear voices that are not there and not be ill?......Page 42
9. What is catatonia?......Page 43
10. What is the course of the illness over time?......Page 45
11. What exactly is considered a delusion?......Page 48
13. Do people with schizophrenia have language problems?......Page 50
15. Are memory problems symptoms of schizophrenia?......Page 52
16. Do people with schizophrenia have a low IQ?......Page 53
18. Do people with schizophrenia have a reduced life span or die from their illness?......Page 54
19. Are there medical conditions that look like schizophrenia?......Page 55
21. Are there some societies in which no individuals develop schizophrenia?......Page 56
Part Two: Treatment: When, Where, by Whom, and with What?......Page 58
22. What type of professional can treat the first symptoms of schizophrenia?......Page 59
23. Does a psychiatrist always need to be seen and how frequently?......Page 61
25. What if I do not have insurance or if my policy does not cover psychiatric care?......Page 62
26. Do I have to be treated in a hospital if I have schizophrenia, and, if so, for how long?......Page 64
27. What treatments were used before pharmaceutical companies introduced neuroleptic medication?......Page 66
28. What are the current choices for medication?......Page 69
29. Are combinations of different medications more effective than one alone?......Page 72
30. What are the medication side effects?......Page 73
32. How long does medication have to be taken?......Page 75
34. What is cognitive behavioral therapy?......Page 76
36. Can a specific diet help?......Page 79
37. What about vitamins and fish oil?......Page 80
39. Can family therapy help?......Page 82
40. Is electroconvulsive therapy used for schizophrenia?......Page 83
41. What are the pros and cons of participating in research studies?......Page 84
Part Three: The Consideration of Nongenetic Risk Factors......Page 88
42. Do birth complications cause schizophrenia?......Page 89
43. Is schizophrenia more common in some cultural or racial groups than others?......Page 90
44. Can bad family relationships cause schizophrenia?......Page 92
46. Is it better to live in a rural area?......Page 93
47. Is schizophrenia infectious?......Page 94
48. Do viruses cause schizophrenia?......Page 95
Part Four: The Genetic Risk......Page 96
49. What are the lessons from history?......Page 97
50. Is schizophrenia inherited, and if so, how?......Page 99
52. If I have a brother with schizophrenia and my partner does too, what are the chances of our children getting schizophrenia?......Page 103
53. If I have an identical twin with schizophrenia, but I am well, what are my children’s chances of having schizophrenia?......Page 104
55. What does linkage to a chromosome mean?......Page 105
56. What are the methods developed to find gene functional and structural differences?......Page 108
57. What are the current candidate genes for schizophrenia?......Page 110
58. What do DNA copy number variations (CNVs) have to do with schizophrenia?......Page 112
59. How is it assumed that genes cause schizophrenia?......Page 113
60. What is an intermediate phenotype (sometimes called endophenotype) for schizophrenia?......Page 115
61. Will there be future DNA testing for schizophrenia?......Page 116
62. Will DNA testing be useful to determine which medication to administer?......Page 117
64. In this new genome age, what are ethical concerns for the future?......Page 118
Part Five: The Biology Underlying Schizophrenia: Current Research Findings......Page 120
66. Are there any differences in the brains of people who have schizophrenia?......Page 121
68. Are functional MRI scans useful?......Page 125
70. Is schizophrenia a “chemical imbalance”?......Page 126
71. When do the brain changes occur, and is schizophrenia considered a progressive brain disorder?......Page 129
72. What is the neurodevelopmental hypothesis about schizophrenia?......Page 130
Part Six: Substance Abuse and Schizophrenia......Page 132
73. Can drug use in adolescence cause schizophrenia?......Page 133
74. Can someone who has schizophrenia smoke cannabis (marijuana)?......Page 134
76. Is it okay to drink alcohol if you have schizophrenia?......Page 135
77. Why do people with schizophrenia smok ecigarettes excessively?......Page 136
Part Seven: Violence and Aggression in Schizophrenia......Page 138
78. Do people with schizophrenia frequently commit violent acts and crimes?......Page 139
80. How can violent behavior be predicted?......Page 142
Part Eight: Suicidal Behavior and Schizophrenia......Page 144
81. What are the signs of suicidal thoughts in schizophrenia?......Page 145
82. What can be done to prevent suicide attempts?......Page 147
Part Nine: Issues for Women......Page 150
83. Is schizophrenia different in women?......Page 151
84. Should patients who are pregnant take medication for schizophrenia?......Page 153
85. What is the risk of a postpartum relapse?......Page 154
86. What about breast-feeding?......Page 155
87. Can estrogen for birth control help suppress symptoms?......Page 156
Part Ten: The Homeless and Schizophrenia......Page 158
88. How prevalent is schizophrenia among the homeless?......Page 159
89. What causes homelessness?......Page 161
90. Can homeless people be forced into shelters and hospitals?......Page 162
Part Eleven: Living with Schizophrenia......Page 166
91. What are the origins of the stigma attached to having schizophrenia?......Page 167
92. Can a person with schizophrenia be professionally creative?......Page 168
94. Should a person with schizophrenia drive a car?......Page 169
Part Twelve: Ethical Issues......Page 172
95. What does “involuntary” hospital commitment involve?......Page 173
96. What is the legal insanity defense?......Page 175
97. Have there been abuses of the insanity defense?......Page 176
98. Do patients with schizophrenia have the capacity to give informed consent for research and other procedures?......Page 179
99. Can genetic information be abused?......Page 181
100. What support groups, books, and Web sites can I go to for help?......Page 182
Resources......Page 184
Bibliography......Page 186
Glossary......Page 190
Index......Page 200
Back Page......Page 208