Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder characterized by difficulty distinguishing between real and unreal experiences, impaired logical thinking, abnormal emotional responses, and inappropriate behavior in social situations. It also affects memory, communication, and appropriate behavior. Globally, it is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses, affecting approximately 1% of the world population. In the United States alone, there are around 2.5 million individuals living with schizophrenia, making it a leading cause of hospitalizations. The onset typically occurs between ages 15 and 25 and affects both genders equally; however, women may experience symptoms later. In rare cases, symptoms can appear before age 12 indicating a more chronic disease course along with cognitive delay in childhood schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia can manifest in different forms and may develop gradually over a long period of time, like months or even years. Some symptoms might suddenly appear, while others could be initially overlooked or mistaken for other conditions. People with schizophrenia may experience feelings of tension, difficulty concentrating, or problems with sleep. As their connection to reality weakens, they often become socially isolated and withdraw from personal grooming and interactions. Early signs of the illness include dropping out of school or performing poorly at work. As the illness progresses, individuals may show signs of psychosis, such as peculiar behavior and incoherent speech. Paranoid delusions are common as individuals perceive non-existent qualities through their senses. Physical symptoms like frowning or unusual movements may also occur along with peculiar standing or sitting positions. Some people become motionless while others constantly move around. The severity of symptoms varies among individuals and fluctuates over time. During periods when they improve, affected individuals may seem relatively normal; however, recurring episodes typically cause symptoms to reappear.
Schizophrenia is a complex and mysterious illness with an unknown cause. Some doctors speculate that it may result from the brain’s inability to accurately process information. Typically, individuals without schizophrenia can effectively filter unnecessary stimuli, like background noises or distant sounds. However, those with schizophrenia struggle to differentiate this additional information.
The development of this condition may be influenced by heredity or genetics as it tends to run in families. Even if a child is adopted and raised by mentally healthy parents, having both biological parents with schizophrenia increases the chance of the child developing the disease to nearly 40%. If an identical twin has schizophrenia, the likelihood rises to almost 50%.
Conversely, if the biological parents are mentally healthy but the adoptive parents have schizophrenia, there is only about a 1% chance of the child developing the illness. This risk level aligns with that of the general population in the United States.
According to researchers, certain environmental factors have the potential to trigger schizophrenia in individuals. Research has shown that people who were exposed to influenza infection or had insufficient nutrition during pregnancy, as well as those who experienced birth complications, are more prone to developing schizophrenia later in life. It is widely acknowledged that the disease results from a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. While some individuals may be more predisposed to the illness, actually acquiring it depends on exposure to significant stressors or traumas.
Commonly employed treatments for schizophrenia include antipsychotic medication, counseling, and rehabilitation. In some cases, hospitalization may be required during acute episodes to mitigate symptoms and prevent future relapses. It is important to note that there is currently no known cure for this condition.
Since the mid-1950’s, antipsychotic medications have been highly effective in managing symptoms of schizophrenia. They have greatly improved the quality of life for many individuals by allowing them to function in society rather than being confined to overcrowded hospitals. It is important to note that there is no universally superior medication because each person with schizophrenia has a unique combination of symptoms. What may be effective for one individual may not work as well for another. While these medications do not provide a cure, they can help alleviate hallucinations and delusions, enabling individuals to regain their grip on reality. Furthermore, medication plays a role in reducing the risk of symptom recurrence and can also decrease the severity of symptoms during relapses.
Individuals with schizophrenia often encounter difficulties in communication and performing daily tasks. Counseling and rehabilitation are helpful in teaching individuals the necessary skills to function outside of a hospital environment. However, these treatments are not as effective during acute episodes. Rehabilitation programs have the potential to assist those with schizophrenia in acquiring important life skills like managing money, cooking, and taking care of oneself, as well as preparing them for employment or reintegrating into the workforce. Individual psychotherapy helps people with schizophrenia differentiate between reality and delusions. Group therapy improves interpersonal abilities, while self-help groups create a sense of shared experiences among individuals dealing with schizophrenia.
Continuing to take the prescribed medication is crucial in effectively preventing relapses. People with schizophrenia may stop their medication for various reasons, particularly due to side effects. It can be challenging for individuals to tolerate unpleasant side effects for long periods, especially when they feel well. Hence, it is essential to find a medication that effectively manages symptoms without causing undesirable side effects. Convenience also plays a role as certain medications require multiple daily doses while others only need once-daily intake. Additionally, some individuals prefer monthly injections of long-lasting medication. Consistently adhering to the prescribed medication is vital in preventing recurring illness and hospitalization.
Activities Of Osteocytes, Osteoblasts And Osteoclasts
Many people believed that the bone is static and inert, but this idea is incorrect, the organic andmineral components of the bone matrix are continually being recycled and renewed through aprocess called remodeling. This process goes under way throughout life, as part of normal bonemaintenance. Bone remodeling plays a key factor between the activities of osteocytes, osteoblasts,and osteoclasts.
In the adult stage, osteocytes are continually removing and replacing thesurrounding calcium salts. But osteoclasts and osteoblasts also remain active, even after theepiphyseal plates have closed. For the most part their activities have a balance. As one osteonforms through the activity of osteoblasts, another is destroyed by osteoclasts.
In young adult,approximately each year one fifth of the adult skeleton is demolished and the rebuilt or replaced.The turnover and recycling of minerals give each bone the ability to adapt to new stresses.The mechanism that controls the internal organization and structure is osteoblast. Whenever a boneis stressed, the mineral crystals generate electrical fields.
Osteoblasts have an attraction to theseelectrical fields, and once they are in this area they begin to produce bone. Since bones areadaptable , their shapes reflect the forces applied to them. Heavily streeled bones become thickerand stronget, whereas bones not being accessible to ordinary stresses will be deteriorated.Therefore is important to exercise daily to maintain a normal bone structure.
Family Relations Richard Rodriguez
In his essay, Richard Rodriguez recounts an incident in his life to highlight the challenges within his family. With the use of specific details, he shows how societal changes can lead to a family growing distant and detached. As the family became wealthier, their cultural identity was lost. Rodriguez vividly portrays this cultural shift through a Christmas gathering. Furthermore, Rodriguez’s mother had high expectations for her children to pursue professional careers and attain financial success.
According to Rodriguez, his family used to associate wealth with gifts and presents, joking that they would receive many presents because of their financial success. However, as professionalism has taken precedence in their lives, their familial relationships have become based on professionalism rather than joy. Rodriguez employs vivid descriptions and images, such as his mother’s “feet wreathed with gifts” and everyone’s evident fatigue, to convey his belief that his family has become dull and overly focused on work, lacking the joy they once had when celebrating Christmas together.
The author expresses the idea of discomfort and unease in a shared loving situation by using words like “tired” and “uncomfortably warm” to describe the high temperature or the professionalism of the individuals involved. The concept of change over time is reintroduced, as even a long-standing holiday like Christmas has evolved from one generation to the next. For instance, the author portrays their mother as both surrounded by presents but also appearing “very small” and “worried” in their perspective, suggesting that presents alone may not satisfy her.
The author, Rodriguez, expresses a sense of sorrow for the Christmas celebrations of the past. They were once personal and warm, but now feel obligatory. Rodriguez utilizes descriptive language to portray his family as distant, professional, and impersonal. He employs specific details and words to highlight the uncomfortable atmosphere created by his professional family. The author notes that his mother’s feet are “wreathed with gifts,” indicating that the holiday season has become overwhelming.
The author expresses that his family’s Christmas has become overly materialistic and Americanized, emphasizing this by saying that everyone is exhausted by the time all the presents have been opened. He also depicts his mother’s sadness and anxiety as she gazes at expensive foreign cars, which symbolize how distant her children have become due to their extravagant lifestyles. The use of the word “sharply” suggests that these cars deeply affect her, piercing through her emotions.
Rodriguez reflects on the evolution of his family over generations, highlighting the disparity between his parents’ desire for wealth and their children’s current prosperity. The parents now feel a sense of despair as their offspring not only accomplished the American Dream they once yearned for, but are also living a dream that appeared impossible to them. By employing a narrative structure, Rodriguez allows readers to encounter and interpret events from his personal point of view.
Beginning with his mother’s optimistic vision of their prosperous future, the narrator recounts an event that takes place on Christmas. This storytelling technique provides a means to contrast the past and the present. In the past, the mother longed for numerous gifts for her children, symbolizing their achievements and victories. Today, the abundance of presents serves as evidence that his family has indeed achieved success.
In spite of his parents’ success, the narrator illustrates their detached relationship by highlighting his mother’s anxiety and his father’s lack of communication throughout the evening. This shows the contrast between their achievements and their strained family dynamics. Instead of fostering close ties, they prioritize materialism and pursue the American Dream, which has transformed into an American Nightmare for their parents.