Less than two hundred years ago, schizophrenia emerged from a tangle of mental disorders known simply as madness. Yet its diagnosis remains shrouded in ambiguity. Only now is the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, psychiatrists’ primary guidebook, shedding the outdated, nineteenth-century descriptions that have characterized schizophrenia to this day. "There is substantial dissatisfaction with schizophrenia treated as a disease entity, it's symptoms are like a fever—something is wrong but we don't know what," says William Carpenter, a psychiatrist at the University of Maryland and chair of the manual’s Psychotic Disorder Workgroup. Psychiatrists may discover that this disorder is not a single syndrome after all but a bundle of overlapping conditions.
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Add CommentI am a privately funded medical researcher in NSW Australia and I have been studying certain pathogenic (Viral) underlying causes of numerous unnatural (for Humans)conditions & diseases, including for example L.O. Diabetes, Asthma, R.Arthritis and several other related conditions, even including M.N.Ds, which are often described as so called "Auto-Immune" conditions (or as undiagnosed conditions, syndromes etc, etc). I also stronly believe this group of underlying (& typically undiagnosed) Viral infections can cause a number of presumed psychological symptoms/conditions/ problems, from so called BiPolar disorder, Depression & even Schizophrenia (depending upon which part/s of the Brain are being infected & or affected). I am now very confident I know 95+% of the (seemingly bizarre & unique)true natures of these viral diseases for the very first time (& I have already published my substantila findings but now only in a limited way). Many presumed pyschological conditions are nearly certainly actually in reality undiagnosed, very real & then very serious systemic Viral infections (of one sub-species or another, of which there are over 100 sub-species known). I should know all this better than anyone else, as I certainly would not have survived my own infection (indeed I nearly died a number of years ago) & the early symptoms of my own then very serious infection, were "diagnosed" 12 years ago as M.S. (which is a rarer & much more serious secondary/ end stage/ complication of the disease process). Needless to say by some near miracle I do not have these horrible symptoms anymore (nor will I ever again)& I am now healthier than I have been for 30+ years. So for all of you out there still struggling greatly with very little help with similar "auto-Immune" (knowingly or unknowingly) inflammatory conditions, the beginning of the end is only a year away (i.e. when my research is more widely published & backed up with some very unique & hugely revealing, yet fairly simple proofs, which are now 100% linking/ connecting all these supposedly "separate"? diseases/ syndromes/ conditions, etc, etc, etc.), Regards, Ian
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisInteresting presentation. I love the timeline functionality.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo is schizophrenia like the 'brain fever' mentioned. A variety of grouped symptoms caused by a multitude of factors? Or is it a condition, one illness, something to be fixed? Or even, perhaps, is it simply part of who we are as humans? We get a big brain and suddenly all sorts of crazy things happen! Especially when we treat each other like, well, let's just say 'not very well'.
"Psychiatrists may discover that this disorder is not a single syndrome after all but a bundle of overlapping conditions."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this'May discover'? I doubt if any psychiatrist in the last 50 years would have said otherwise. This article is somewhat fluffy.
Also, I agree with Nagnostic...please get a new zene cover photo. Are you promoting the Eurythmics?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@Nag - treatments will continue to come... But for treatment for what? What is 'it'? Mustn't we determine what 'it' is before we can effectively treat it?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a former sufferer of crashed serotonin levels who was successfully diagnosed and treated, not by my psychiatrist (who fortuitously died of cancer) but by my G.P., I can tell you from person experience that psychiatry is a lot of time-wasting bollocks. It turned out that my problem was physical, not mental, and having had a ring-side seat at the onset of schizophrenia in someone I know, and seen the alarming physical changes in this person, regardless the mental changes, I would have to agree that schizophrenia too is a physical disorder that manifests itself in problems with the brain.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut viral? Perhaps in some few instances, but on the whole there is an obvious genetic component. My great-grandfather, grandfather, father and myself all had the same problem, and the schizophrenic I mentioned was also a link in a family chain.
While it is true that there are variations in schizophrenia, it is also true that, like cancer, each person's genetic code is unique to the individual, so of course there are going to be variations in the manner in which this disorder presents.
As to there being a number of overlapping disorders, until something concrete is nailed down to substantiate such a claim, this is just so much supposition. Until I see an actual theory emerging, I'll remain sceptical.
Sounds like there's a need for Twizzler's all 'round.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSeriously, for we the public, I think a key question many of us would like answered is why don't folks who suffer from S and bi-polar want to take their meds? I've heard time and again they don't believe they need them, but why?
And is there any understanding as to why those who suffer with such conditions are predisposed to becoming addicted to pain pills or recreational drugs?
However, it would be nice to see some literature the general public might use to identify why someone they know has suddenly gone off the rails as we don't know how to deal with it.
However, thanks for the article, it's most welcome.
Hi Gsmonks, I am also convinced that many cases of undiagnosed conditions, brought about due to physiological/physical problems are misdiagnosed as psychiatric, with disastrous results for the poor unfortunate sufferers whose lives are destroyed as a result.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlease tell us more about your diagnosis, management/treatment and recovery.By passing on your history you may help zillions of us out there.
gsmonks,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am glad you found help, but I believe you are confusing psychiatry and psychology. Psychiatry is a medical specialty; psychology is not. Most psychiatrists prescribe medication for treatment; psychologists do not. Would you go to a cardiologist or a GP for heart problems? Psychotherapy is not necessarily a part of psychiatry, but diagnoses are still required (and there are no blood tests for depression). If your psychiatrist was relying too much on psychotherapy (e.g. to treat rather than to diagnose), then you should go to a new psychiatrist.
My guess is that you were prescribed an SSRI such as Prozac, Zoloft, etc. SSRI's are the most prescribed drugs in the US. And depression can be easy to self diagnose. I think it is good that you got help and it all worked out for you. However, depression is more complex and can be much more broad than simply resulting from your "crashed serotonin levels." If that was the case, depression would no longer be much of a medical issue (no need for further medical research).
Many people have treatment-resistant depression. This includes people who have been successfully treated with SSRI's for years or even decades, but then it stops working. Should these people simply continue going to a GP or should they see a medical specialist that only work with people with neurological based mental disorders (i.e. what you called "physical, not mental").
"Psychiatrists may discover that this disorder is not a single syndrome after all but a bundle of overlapping conditions."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI agree wholeheartedly.
Like Asperger syndrome, recently lumped in with Autism Spectrum disorders (despite Aspie's usually not having language development issues and usually being relatively high functioning compared to most Autism sufferers) psychiatry is just as likely to add depression to schizophrenia. Why should we expect it be treated any differently than ASD by the psychiatric bureaucracy?
The number of people who don't take their medication is very low, but there are two reasons: 1) the person feels fine and so neglects to take them, and 2) the effects of the medication are worse than the disorder.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis isn't so common with bi-polar, but with schizophrenia a common complaint is that antipsychotics leave them feeling emotionally flatlined. It's less common with bi-polar because only certain drugs produce this side-effect.
You evidently don't know the difference between the two types of "control" where medication is concerned. One type controls the illness, the other controls the patient. Until recently the latter was pretty much all the drug companies had to offer. When people remark on the "patients taking their meds" subject, they're usually demonstrating their ignorance, although the media largely to blame. With a lot of drugs it's a trade-off between feeling horrible and just feeling crappy.
Why pain pills and recreational drugs? Because sufferers are often desperate for any kind of relief. I went through thirty years of what amounts to torture, seeking relief for crashed serotonin levels. Narcotic painkillers fix the problem temporarily, like flicking a switch, but taking them for this problem is illegal and is deemed a form of abuse. For sufferers such as myself, they're like pouring cold water on a 2nd degree burn.
Most of the literature available on the subject is garbage that's not worth reading. But what can you expect, when sufferers are at the mercy of the fields of psychology and psychiatry, both of which are a bad marriage between brain science and pseudoscientific philosophical bullshit.
@ judi.burstyner: I went through 30 years of hell at the hands of both psychiatrists and psychologists. I studied psychology in university, Cramer, and do know the difference. Our textbook back then was Psychology Today, and if you get your hands on a copy (1974 edition), you'll find that it's chock-full of bullcrap such as ESP, Parapsychology, sensitive ferns, Kirlean (sp?) photography, philosophical, pseudoscientific malarky by Freud, Jung, Jaspers, and that other clown whose name I can never remember, plus some real science.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy particular problem (low serotonin levels) is genetic and affected my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father and myself. Onset in each case was around 10 years of age.
The problem itself is very much like having diabetes. Your body either doesn't produce insulin or produces insulin but has a problem with absorption. People like me either can't produce enough serotonin or else produce it but can't absorb it.
I saw a good many psychiatrists and psychologists over the years. Enough to come to the conclusion that when they start talking about your childhood, or try giving you the couch treatment, leave. They're wasting your time, and your one-and-only life.
With disorders such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and depression (which runs in the female population in my family), if the shrink is yakking, your time is being wasted.
If the health-care professional in question is worth their salt, they'll send you to be tested. Serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters have levels that can be studied. The best thing to do is treat head-shrinkers of all stripes like mechanics. Get them to check under the hood. If your oil level is low, get them to fill it. If they want to talk, tell them to get stuffed and stop wasting your time.
As I said, it was my G.P. who stepped up after my psychiatrist died (doing me a great favour in the process). He (the GP) said that he and his colleagues had been talking, and were certain my problem was low serotonin levels. I was tested, their suspicion was verified, I was put on serotonin reuptake inhibitors plus a drug to offset the awful anxiety they produce for the first month, and at the end of the month- POOF! End of problem. For the first time since I was 10 years old, the horrible, crappy feeling produced by low serotonin levels vanished.
We're not talking a control, here. My problem is 100% gone. Except for having to take pills, I'm cured.
I was given trifluoperazine, trifluobenzene and other garbage back in the day, horrific side-effects and all.
gsmonks,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am not defending psychology. You are the one that made the mistake of studying psychology, rather than going to med school. I am sorry you had that terrible experience.
Let's clear up a few things:
1) You do not believe in psychotherapy -- congrats, neither do I.
2) You believe in using medicine for treating monoamine neurotransmitter disorders -- congrats, so do I.
What you seem not to understand is that NOT MANY PSYCHIATRISTS USE PSYCHOTHERAPY. It is even considered unethical by many psychiatrists to provide psychotherapy; and if the patient and/or doctor believes it might help, then the patient is referred to a psychologist/therapist/counselor/social worker.
If the medicine is working good, many psychiatrists will not require you to see them anymore than every six months.
YOU HAD A BAD PSYCHIATRIST!
The ironic thing is that you are taking psychiatric medication:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychiatric_medication
Why use a GP??? The only reason I can think is that it's the law to get an SSRI through a medical doctor. I would guess what you really want is for all psychiatric medication (except maybe controlled substances) to be available OTC like they are in Mexico.
It seems there were important differences on how the diagnosis of Schizophrenia was applied in both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, with some diagnoses made in the USA as Schizos being Anti-Social Personalities, Poor Impulse Control or Manic Disorders for others. Since Neuroleptic Drugs, or "Major tranquilizers" were introduced in the Clinics, focus changed from peculiar things such as "Understanding or Analyzing the Psychotic Talk" to the Biological and Genetic Basis of the Disorder, and even the French Psychoanalist Jacques Lacan went much further in saying that: "Any coherent speech is a psychotic speech", in a line that considers Psychosis as a conflict with reality; however the main features of hallucinations or delusions, grossly distorted thought (For example, delusions of influence, thought broadcasting, theft of thought, insertion of thought and so on) and interference in activities of daily living continue being required for the diagnosis of Schizophrenia to be made. Symptoms are classified as Positive, for example delusions or hallucinations, and Negative, as blunted affection, lack of contact with the surrounding persons and things, and impaired mentation; many approaches exist for the Negative Symptoms, and "Atypical Anti-Psychotic Drugs" are a big step ahead in this aspect of the ailment, Schizophrenia that according to some, may affect a part of the population as high as 3%.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHi Daisy, thanks. Do you have a good reference for the 56 potential 'biomarkers' investigated in 2010?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisN.B Dr John Williams, Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust said: “This research reminds us that we must understand the complex societal factors as well as the neural mechanisms that underpin the onset of mental illness, if we are to develop appropriate interventions.” http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/schizophrenia-linked-to-social-inequality
There is no question that schizophrenia is a physical disease. My gut instinct is that it begins when the mother has a virus that somehow affects the child's development, especially it's brain (there is published literature on this topic in scientific journals). I would not be surprised if we eventually learn that what we inherit are vulnerabilities in some part of the immune system - but definitely they have a genetic component. I have a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. I also have suffered from depression and anxiety disorders most of my life, as did my mother, and as do at least 2 of my children, maybe all three of them. And what we need to understand is what the actual or proximal cause of them is. It can't be serotonin, because when you take an antidepressant, your serotonin levels are raised within 20 minutes, but you don't feel better for 3 to 4 weeks in most cases. Something happens "downstream" that affects depression. What??????? Would that there were a magic bullet with no side effects!
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