Psy 240 Final Essay

Submitted By Thebamboozler
Words: 1766
Pages: 8

The Effects of Schizophrenia, Anorexia and Insomnia on the Human Body

The Effects of Schizophrenia, Anorexia and Insomnia on the Human Body
The human body is capable of many feats, and has even surpassed common expectations on its ability to withstand what is conceived to be the absolute limit. The mind is another feature of the human body that is capable of many feats as well, but they are not necessarily for the better. A person’s mind is capable of any thought, and if combined with the person’s will and proper nourishment can do anything they set their sights on. However, not all of us meet this criteria, and because of it we can suffer from countless disorders and diseases. Throughout the last century we have made astounding leaps and bounds on how the human mind works, but we have also discovered many ways that it can be hurt as well. Our planet has over 7 billion people inhabiting it (United States Census Bureau, 2013), and with each of those individuals comes a unique thought process. These same individuals have experienced events that are either unique to them, or have been shared with another to leave an unforgettable memory that will stay with them until they pass on. Along with these memories, our bodies also play a factor with our genetics, predetermining our physical, as well as mental health in our lives before we are eve born. With all of these factors coming into play, the life of a human being on Earth will always be as unique as the person beside you, and will always have its own share of troubles.
Throughout the ages, the human race has had many leaders who have suffered from what was known at the time as being mad, or insane. However, because of the extensive research that has been conducted throughout the century, this “madness” could be referring to a mental disorder/disease known as schizophrenia. Schizophrenia alone affects 1% of the U.S. population, and is considered of the deadliest mental illnesses discovered (Dahl, 2011). The human brain is a complex organ that has specific criteria that needs to be met in order to function properly, if anything does not mean the requirements, the brain will not function properly, and schizophrenia is just one disorder that can occur because of this. The forebrain, which is the largest portion of the brain that the hemispheres are located at, contains the frontal lobe and temporal lobe, which is what causes the side effects of the disorder to present itself (Dahl, 2011).
Our frontal lobe is what controls our thought organization, which is why a person who is suffering from schizophrenia will have delusions about their environment, and those that are around them (Dahl, 2011). The frontal lobe is also what controls our neural activity, which if overdosed by dopamine, can cause the person to go into a trance like state, and lose all concept of reality. The temporal lobe is what controls our brains hearing, object and facial recognition, and a person who is suffering from the disorder will experience auditory and visual hallucinations (Dahl, 2011). With just these two being skewed, the individual will start to believe their delusions, and will eventually cause the person to act out either with or in opposition of what they believe to be reality. The hindbrain has the pons, medulla, and cerebellum, which are located at the undermost area of our brain, work together to control the body’s motor activity, blood circulation, posture and balance (Dahl, 2011). When either of these, if not all are affected by schizophrenia, the body will display inappropriate body signals, and in more severe cases, have rigid posture, pointless motor activity, and have a substantial decrease reaction to environmental factors. The final area of the brain that is affected is the limbic system, which is located on the innermost area of the brain. This area controls our emotions, memories, learning and sexual behavior, which if disrupted will cause the person to have trouble in