No one safe from schizophrenia

No one safe from schizophrenia

JAKARTA (JP): Could not sleep last night? It happens almost
every week day? Or suddenly feeling hypersensitive or
hyperactive? It may be an early sign of mental or behavioral
disorder.

Schizophrenia has several symptoms, mainly the incapacity to
integrate thinking, feelings and behavior. Sufferers are
incapable of differentiating between their fantasies and real
life.

Specific definitions are still formulated. But the World
Health Organization defines schizophrenic disorders as being
characterized in general by fundamental and characteristic
distortions of thinking and perception, and by inappropriate or
blunted responses.

Psychiatrist Heriani at the University of Indonesia's School
of Medicine and Cipto Mangunkusumo Public Hospital in Jakarta
said that basically schizophrenia included significant clinical
changes, including the dysfunction of social relations.

"Social withdrawal, lack of motivation, depression, and dulled
feelings are some of the symptoms as well as delusions and
hallucinations. Some patients may say they hear voices which are
perceived to be inside or outside of their body."

She says that schizophrenia is not a disease, particularly a
hereditary disease.

"I would cite diabetes as an analogy. The genetic factor is
possible but not absolute, both in diabetes and schizophrenia,"
she says, adding that there much research is still needed to be
done, particularly if any genetic factors play a significant role
in schizophrenia.

In handling a patient, psychiatrists usually apply multi-axial
diagnoses which include patients' complaints, background,
physical illnesses, stress, and the adaption ability level,
Heriani says.

Total recovery may occur, but it cannot be guaranteed or a
timeframe estimated. In some cases people get better on their
own. "Family support is very important. So is how other people
behave toward patients. That's why an event like this (a painting
exhibition) is being held," she says.

The painting exhibition she is referring to is by people with
schizophrenia. It is on display at the Taman Ismail Marzuki art
center, Central Jakarta, from Oct. 8 to Oct. 10.

Many people believe that those suffering from schizophrenia
are frightening, dangerous, scary, embarrassing and annoying as
they sometime can suddenly be furious, lazy about washing and
poorly dressed.

"In Indonesia, some people lock the patients' legs between two
pieces of wood or chain them. Few understand that there are now
many newly developed medicines for schizophrenia which allow
patients to be rehabilitated," Heriani says.

Heriani says that it is most common for schizophrenia to
attack people for the first time when they are between 18 and 40
years old. "The disorder may develop, but after the age of 45 we
have to be careful about what may happen in the brain. But it
occurs across society. Everyone, rich or poor, male or female,
can suffer from this."

Heriani says that it is hard to talk about remission periods.
Unlike physical illnesses like cancer, there is no standard
schizophrenia. "It's very individual. The sooner a patient gets
treatment, the better."

There is a problem, however, in that the treatment is always
expensive. Especially when one considers that many people have
the potential to suffer from schizophrenia.

Based on common assumptions, the risk of becoming
schizophrenic is one percent. This means that about two million
Indonesians have suffered, are suffering or are likely to suffer
from this at some point in their lives.

Psychiatrist Tun K. Bastaman says that in Indonesia there are
10,000 beds to treat schizophrenic patients. "In Indonesia, there
are only 400 psychiatrists. Out of that number, 120 are in the
greater Jakarta area."

There are less than 40 psychiatric hospitals, sanatoriums or
hospitals with psychiatric disorder treatment divisions in
Indonesia. (icn)