Schizophrenia and psychosis across the lifespan

Schizo, Psychosis & Lifespan Development

Indeed, everyone has the tendency to retreat to his or her inner world every so often. This is especially true if life in a person's inner world is more fun or serene than the reality that he or she has to live in. For the majority, it is relatively easy to return to the real world. However, for a person who cannot control his or her inner world, or delusions and hallucinations, anymore- life, in general, becomes something of a nightmare. This paper will describe psychosis, schizophrenia and its life development span.

Psychosis and lifespan development. Psychosis, or the state in which emotions and thoughts are severely disordered and need the help of a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist (Prinel, 2006, 449). Mental illnesses may affect a person as early as childhood (Taylor 1998). However, mental disorders, such as schizophrenia usually surface in a person's late adolescent period or in early adulthood (Kring et al., 2007, 350). Mental illnesses affect both males and females, equally, but may appear earlier for males (Kring et al., 2007, 350). A person who develops a serious mental illness as a child is deprived from experiencing normal maturation and cognitive development (Taylor, 1998, 316). Young patients with a psychosis like schizophrenia may not be impaired, intellectually, but since they do not fully develop their social cognitive skills, they often find it hard to express themselves and to socialize with others (Taylor, 1998, 316-317). Mental illness that manifest in adults can take the form of the following, as categorized by the DSM-IV (1994): Adults may suffer from schizophreniform disorder or schizoaffective disorder, which are mild forms of schizophrenia. However, patients with schizophreniform disorder are still able to function, socially and occupationally. As described by the DSM-IV, those with schizophreniform may show psychotic symptoms within 4 weeks when their usual functioning or behavior is altered and they will exhibit confusion or perplexity at the peak of their psychotic meltdown (American Psychiatric Assiociation, 1994). A person with schizoaffective disorder, on the other hand, also expresses symptoms of schizophrenia but will also experience periods of either deep depression or unipolar illness or bipolar illness, which is a mix of both mania and depression (Taylor, 1998). During this time, hallucinations or delusions are present for 2 weeks, minimum (American Psychiatric Assiociation, 1994). This paper shall now go on to describe schizophrenia, which is the more form of these disorders.