The Good News about Schizophrenia

It’s easy to dwell on the negatives when dealing with schizophrenia, but the truth is, there are many reasons for hope:

·         We know, without question, that schizophrenia is a no-fault disorder of the brain and that with appropriate treatment and supports, the illness doesn't necessarily have to have a chronic, deteriorating course. People do and can recover!

·         Early diagnosis and the availability of community-based treatment and social supports can restore an individual’s dignity, improve her quality of life, and enable her to make meaningful contributions to her family and community. Your loved one may find a different path than you or she anticipated, but it can still be a good one.

·         The ultimate goal of recovery is about more than relief of symptoms. Recovery entails helping people get back to work or school, live with others, and make their own life decisions. Patients and families should accept no less.

·         The role of families and friends is critical to recovery. They need to:

§  Support and anchor their loved ones during the acute phases of the illness

§  Help their loved ones find the tools they need to recover and avoid relapse

·         Continue to educate themselves to better cope with the challenges they encounter, working individually and collectively to fight stigma and discrimination based on misunderstanding.

Just as scientists now know that there are many different types of cancer, researchers may one day learn that schizophrenia is a family of similar disorders that are currently lumped under one term. This discovery could pave the way for more targeted and personalized treatments. Because the precise causes of schizophrenia are still unknown for any particular individual, scientists are exploring a number of possibilities including genetic, viral, infectious, chemical, developmental, and environmental explanations. There has never been more research being conducted on the causes and cures for schizophrenia than there is today.

Read the Label

Get into a habit of reading the labels on food. While they may have messages such as “Low Fat” or “Reduced Calorie” written all over the front of the package or can, when you read the label and understand what you are looking for, you will probably be surprised. Regardless of what the claim may be, the label may tell another story. The concerned state agency provides these important guidelines, therefore, should be what you look for. If the message and label do not jive, move on to a different product.

Fat-Free - Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving, with no added fat or oil

Low fat - 3 grams or less of fat per serving

Less fat - 25% or less fat than the comparison food

Saturated Fat Free- Less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0.5 grams of trans-fatty acids per serving

Cholesterol-Free- Less than 2 mg cholesterol per serving, and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving

Low Cholesterol- 20 mg or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving

Reduced Calorie- At least 25% fewer calories per serving than the comparison food

Low Calorie- 40 calories or less per serving

Extra Lean- Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood

Lean- Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood

Light (fat)- 50% or less of the fat than in the comparison food (ex: 50% less fat than our regular cheese)

Light (calories)- 1/3 fewer calories than the comparison food

High-Fiber- 5 grams or more fiber per serving

Sugar-Free- Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving

Sodium-Free or Salt-Free- Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving

Low Sodium 140 mg or less per serving

Very Low Sodium- 35 mg or less per serving

Schizophrenia Risks - cont'd....

Prenatal factors

What happens to you before you’re born — or during the process of birth- can affect you all your life. The likelihood of schizophrenia developing has been linked to several prenatal (before birth) factors:

·         The age of the birth father: One prenatal risk factor that’s been linked to schizophrenia is the age of the birth father. Children with fathers who are over the age of 50 are three times more likely to develop schizophrenia than children whose fathers are under 30 years old at the time of their birth. Some researchers have suggested that this may be the result of sperm mutations that occur with advancing age.

·         Influenza: Studies have shown that children born to mothers who contracted the flu while pregnant (especially during the second trimester) also have a greater chance of developing schizophrenia.

·         Starvation: Maternal starvation is linked to increased risk of schizophrenia in offspring. Starvation can occur either because of poverty or because of eating disorders such as anorexia.

·         Stress: Recently, a large epidemiological study looked at stressors such as the death of a close relative or a diagnosis of cancer, heart attack, or stroke in a close relative as risk factors for having children who would develop schizophrenia later in life. Only one of these factors increased risk: The risk of developing schizophrenia or a related disorder was 67 percent greater among the children of mothers who experienced the death of a close family member during the first trimester than those who did not have that stress. The vast majority of fetuses exposed to these prenatal environmental stressors did not develop schizophrenia, leaving the perplexing question of why some did and others didn't still unanswered.

Schizophrenia Risks

Obstetrical and birth complications

The ways in which birth complications double the risk for schizophrenia are not known. But several studies show that various obstetrical and birth complications do increase risk.

A statistical review of multiple studies looking at the link between obstetric complications and schizophrenia found three groups of complications associated with the disorder:

·         Complications of pregnancy, including bleeding, diabetes, Rh incompatibility, and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure

·         Abnormal fetal growth and development, including low birth weight, cardiovascular congenital anomalies, and small head circumference

·         Complications of delivery, including lack of uterine muscle tone, inadequate oxygen intake by the baby, and emergency cesarean section (C-section)

·         Other life experiences

Although parents have been let off the hook as far as finger-pointing blame for schizophrenia goes, the current consensus is that other environmental stressors and stress in general may contribute to the onset of schizophrenia. For example, urban life, geographic migration, and poverty are all associated with increased rates of schizophrenia.

Other studies have shown that individuals with schizophrenia smoke marijuana more often than the general population. Some prospective studies now show that smoking marijuana (before the onset of psychotic symptoms) increases the likelihood of schizophrenia by two to four times. On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of people who smoke marijuana don’t develop schizophrenia.