English Composition 1
Extended Definition Essay
Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Disorder
January 29th 2014
Schizoaffective disorder is widely
misunderstood by the general population. The definition of Schizoaffective
disorder is not very discernable because it is a Psychiatric condition that is
a combination of both mental and emotional conditions that make up the
disorder, but do not completely classify the patient as having any of these
symptoms fully. For example, I suffer from Schizoaffective disorder, and I have
mild to moderate paranoia that comes and goes based on my emotional stability,
I also have Bi-Polar disorder which is a condition that alters my mood and
makes it difficult for me to control my emotional state at times, going from
happy to sad to angry in a matter of minutes. Another condition that is usually
accompanied with schizoaffective disorder is Dysthymia, also known as chronic
persistent depression. Those who suffer from schizoaffective disorder do not
have a concrete list of noticeable symptoms because it effects each person in a
different way, not to mention the fact that schizoaffective is a combination of
many different disorders but does not have a set list that qualifies one for
diagnosis. This condition is also considered to be borderline schizophrenia,
the difference between the two is the level of awareness and ability to
differentiate reality from hallucinations. One with schizophrenia usually also
has MPD or Multiple Personality Disorder, this is where the person affected by
MPD changes demeanor and personality in a split seconds time. Those who suffer
from MPD can’t control when they switch from one personality to the other, nor
how long they stay as that personality, some people in the community that are
unfamiliar with this disorder may think that a particular person with MPD is
either a psychopath, or on drugs. Thanks to the media, particularly Hollywood
horror movies, a great majority of today’s population believe that anyone who
rocks back and forth, talks to themselves, or consistently hears and sees things
that others don’t is a “psycho” and will inevitably snap and go on a killing
spree. We have a great deal of horror movies to thank for this inaccurate
description of this disorder. Not everyone with MPD is schizophrenic, but at
least 60% of all “full blown” schizophrenics have MPD. People with
Schizoaffective disorder are usually on the mid to higher end of the
functionality spectrum, they know when they are having a hallucination, they
are able to control themselves more effectively, and with the aid of medication
can keep most of their symptoms under control. Whereas those who struggle with
schizophrenia are on the lower end of the spectrum and statistically will spend
most if not all their lives either in a care facility or being cared for by a
family member. When you compare two people, one on each end of the spectrum, it
is visibly clear which one is on which end. The person with schizoaffective
disorder can find it easy to sit still a lot better than the person with
Schizophrenia, moreover, the person with schizophrenia will find it abundantly
more difficult to hold a coherent, and complete conversation with you. The
common misconceptions of schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia is that
they are one and the same, that anyone with these disorders cannot and should
not be trusted around anyone for fear that they will end up hallucinating and
hurting someone. While this is a possibility, it is less common than you would
think, most schizoaffective people will harm themselves before hurting someone
else. Those with schizophrenia are more aggressive more often, but there is
most always a trigger that sets them off, either a sound, a word, a picture,
exc. That gives them a bad thought, thus starting racing thoughts and
uncontrollable behavior. This is not the case in all schizophrenic patients
though, so one must be cautious about how they react to each person
individually. The saying goes, “There is a fine line between genius and
insanity” and that rings true for most people with mental illness, they are for
the most part very creative and imaginative, a good few are very good at either
art or numbers, and a resounding number of those with these kinds of disorders
tend to have a very good memory. Not like a person with no mental illness who
would remember a name or a face, but a good memory when it comes to rather odd
things most people would not even notice at all, like the color of the wall, or
a minute detail about someone’s personal attire, something most people
overlook. As long as those who suffer from these seemingly debilitating
disorders can find the right medication combination and a good psychotherapist,
they can become active and useful members of society in some way, either by
helping young people who are going through the same things they did, or raising
awareness and research for a better treatment of the disorders, or maybe
becoming a best-selling author of the most vivid, and perhaps the most
terrifying novels you will ever read in your life. Society needs to come to the
realization that not all of the people who are effected by schizophrenia and
schizoaffective disorder are dangerous or evil people, we need to come to terms
with the fact that those who suffer from these disorders have more obstacles in
their lifetime than most people do, and be more willing to educate themselves
and lend a helping hand so that they can be more stable and live a better
lifestyle. Because these people have a lot to offer the community as a whole in
some form, they just need to find a way to let it out in an understandable way.
In conclusion, more people need to educate themselves and be more sensitive to
the trials and problems those who suffer from schizoaffective disorder and
conditions like it are going through on a daily basis, and be more involved in
the lives of these people. I believe that if more people did this, and showed
that they want to help out, then it would make the lives of at least the mid to
higher level functioning patients feel more understood and less outcast in
their own communities.
Grade: -A
