Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia accounts for more than 80% of psychosis cases. The prevalence of schizophrenia in the general population is estimated to be 1%.

It can appear at any time in life, and there seem to be no sex distinctions. However, there is an age period between 18 and 25 years, where its onset is more frequent. The age of the onset is one of the factors that determines the prognosis, the earlier the onset of the disease, the worse the prognosis will be.

 

Here, specialists from Moorpark-located rehabilitation center The Meadowglade, specialized in mental health and eating disorders will share more about this disorder.

Causes of schizophrenia

The Meadowglade specialists claim that to date it has not been possible to identify what causes this serious disorder. The numerous data that are becoming known in this regard indicate that its origin, maintenance and prognosis are due to a complex interaction of various factors. The Meadowglade specialists share these factors below.

Genetic causes. The Meadowglade specialists explain that genes are biological elements through which the disorder can be transmitted from family members. It is not known for sure where this behavior lies or what it consists of, but it is likely that it has to do with the maturation process of the central nervous system and the complex mechanisms that mediate communication with brain structures.

Biochemical causes. In brain studies performed in individuals with schizophrenia, variations of certain chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin or glutamate have been found. They are brain neurotransmitters and their excess could be the cause of the appearance of schizophrenia.

Alterations during pregnancy and / or childbirth. Mental health specialists from The Meadowglade (follow them on Linkedin) indicate that certain changes during pregnancy or childbirth can cause this psychotic illness to appear during pregnancy or childbirth. Nowadays, based on studies, specialists agree that lesions found in patients correspond more to a neurodevelopmental variation than to a neurodegenerative disease, although it is highly probable that both alterations can coexist in the same patient.

Cognitive Mental Distortions

Psychotic disorders lead the person who suffers from them to have a distorted perception of reality. This is why hallucinations or delusions are the most characteristic symptoms of any psychotic disorder.

Specialists from the mental health center The Meadowglade, share that the two main mental health disorders, where cognitive deterioration is observed, are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Eating Disorders

People with eating disorders take these concerns about body weight to extremes. This lead them to develop abnormal eating habits. These habits can put their well-being and even their lives at risk.

Here, eating disorder specialists from The Meadowglade explains more about these increasingly common disorders.

Adolescent Mental Health

Adolescence (10 to 19 years) is a stage in which the mental health of the person begins to form. The changes that occur in this period, which can be physical, emotional, or social, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems.

Experts from the mental health center, The Meadowglade, indicate that promoting the psychological well-being of adolescents and protecting them from adverse experiences and risk factors, that may affect their ability to develop their full potential is essential both for their well-being during adolescence and for their physical and mental health in adulthood.

What is Psychosis?

The word psychosis causes consternation and fear and is most commonly associated with madness and encourages stigma and degrading treatment of people with mental illness. In this article, mental health specialists from The Meadowglade, will try to clarify your doubts and at the same time reduce the stigma that surrounds this term. 

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by repeated episodes of excessive food intake in a short period of time. This is coupled with excessive concern about body weight control, which may lead you to use methods to control weight gain.

We went to The Meadowglade, a rehabilitation center, specialized in health and eating disorders, and spoke with the specialists about this disorder.

Compulsive Eating

Eating disorders are extreme manifestations of a variety of weight and food concerns experienced by women and men. These include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and compulsive eating. These are all serious emotional problems that can have life-threatening consequences. In this article, experts from The Meadowglade, an Outpatient Rehabilitation Center specializing in Mental Health and Eating Disorders, will focus on compulsive eating, a severe, life-threatening, and treatable eating disorder.

Compulsive eating is primarily characterized by frequent episodes of uncontrollable eating, or non-stop eating. There are no purges, but there are sporadic fasts or repetitive diets. Weight can range from normal to discreet, moderate, or severe obesity. Like anorexia and bulimia, compulsive eating can result in mental and medical complications. Fortunately, with proper help, this can be treated and people can heal. It’s recommended to work with a treatment team that specializes in eating disorders. The Meadowglade team is comprised of doctoral level medical healthcare professionals, mental health specialists and therapists, and eating disorder practitioners and therapists.

Most of us surely know what it means to eat a meal until you feel really uncomfortable. It is a fairly accepted behavior on certain dates, such as Christmas. But what happens when this behavior is repeated often? The consequences can be really serious, causing physical health problems such as obesity, diabetes, increased cholesterol ... And also psychological and emotional changes such as insecurity, feelings of guilt and shame, sadness, insomnia, depression, social isolation, among others.

Compulsive eating, or binge eating disorder involves a deterioration in the quality and satisfaction with one's life, as well as problems in adapting socially. Obesity is another consequence of people who eat compulsively.

How do you know if you are a compulsive eater?

It is very common to meet people who are not aware of their real problems. Eating abusively is apparently accepted in our society. Therefore, it is even more difficult to discern normal behavior from problem behavior.

What's more, advertising encourages us to eat to “be happier”. So it is easy to believe that my relationship with food is fine, without realizing that we really have a hard time working.

Another reason why it is difficult to identify whether or not I am a compulsive eater is that I have been able to learn these behavior patterns from my closest environment. So I have no examples of what a healthy relationship with food entails.

How can I identify if I am a compulsive eater? Here, The Meadowglade shares some signs that can give you the answer.

·         Hunger appears as an urgency and you must be satiated at that very moment.

·         You eat even without hunger and feeling full.

·         When you are bored, tired, you just eat.

·         You eat excessive amounts of food in a given period.

·         Feeling of lack of control over the amount of food and the way you eat.

·         After the act of eating, feelings of guilt, regret, sadness, shame appear...

·         You are looking to eat alone or on the sly.

·         Lack of consciousness during the act of eating.

·         Intense concern for body, weight and image.

·         You eat faster than most people do.

·         Go on a diet, repeatedly.

I     If you or someone you know is struggling with compulsive eating, chronic dieting, or emotional eating, it can be helpful to get support from a treatment team. The Meadowglade’s professional team has a reputable track record with many years of experience in the fields of adult mental health and adult eating disorders.