Schizophrenia

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             One may see how the overall view and understanding of schizophrenia may be somewhat misconstrued as a result of these two societal misconceptions. Unfortunately, this places a great deal of pressure upon those working to increase public understanding and sympathy for this harrowing and debilitating condition. As mentioned before, these errors in understanding may have originated from the actual literal word meaning itself. It is for this reason that the term "schizophrenia" can be considered to be one of the most unfortunate constructs in the English language. In regards to the use of the term herein, schizophrenia refers to the diagnostic term that fulfills clearly specified criteria and not to the fallacies proliferated by the news media. Having accurately identified the term, further questions are brought forth. What causes schizophrenia? What are its symptoms? What, if anything, can be used to treat this disease?.
             The illness known today as schizophrenia can be traced back to a German psychiatrist, Dr Emil Kraepelin, in 1896. His original name for the disease was, however, not schizophrenia. Intriguingly and fittingly enough, the name he gave the condition was dementia praecox, which literally means precocious mental deterioration. Simply put, Dr. Kraepelin observed what he called an unusually early mental deterioration disorder. His most notable achievement in regards to dementia praecox is perhaps his identification of many of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Many of his diagnostic principles are still in use today by psychiatrists all around the world. Therefore, it can be said, perhaps, that Dr. Kraepelin has contributed the most to the modern day description and diagnosis of schizophrenia. .
             At the very least, Dr Kraepelin's work provided much of the foundation and academic inspiration for the second great mind of schizophrenia, Dr. Eugen Bleuler. It is Bleuler that first called the disease "schizophrenia".