Today, I want to dive a little into something that is very complex in the world of mental illness — schizophrenia. It is a complex neurological disorder that typically starts in patients who are ages 15-30 years old, but can affect young children and the elderly as well. The term schizophrenia means “split mind.” The mind is split, so to speak, between reality and delusions and/or hallucinations. There are many other symptoms that come along with schizophrenia, such as anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal, just to name a few. There hasn’t ever been a known cure for schizophrenia, but doctors are getting closer. Here are some excerpts with links to their original sources that discuss progress toward finding a cure for schizophrenia:
Cures for schizophrenia have been thought of in recent decades as the ways in which people with schizophrenia obtain recovery. Recovery from schizophrenia is typically attained through the use of a combination of approaches.
The foundation of recovery from schizophrenia has been medication, specifically, antipsychotic medication.
By utilizing multiple therapies and medication, recovery from schizophrenia is possible.
Researchers are actively working on sequencing the genes that are thought to put a person at high risk of schizophrenia. In the future, treatments that are specific to a person’s genes may be available and more effective than current treatments available today. Moreover, gene therapy may one day be available to fix any malformed genes directly.
Source: https://www.healthyplace.com/thought-disorders/schizophrenia-treatment/cures-for-schizophrenia
Johns Hopkins researchers say that an experimental anti-cancer compound appears to have reversed behaviors associated with schizophrenia and restored some lost brain cell function in adolescent mice with a rodent version of the devastating mental illness.
Source: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/experimental_cancer_drug_reverses_schizophrenia_in_adolescent_mice
Over the years, certain genes and proteins have been found to play a role in the development of schizophrenia. Of particular interest is a protein called disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), which is coded by a gene of the same name.
This protein has a range of vital roles, including regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, and nerve growth. Individuals with hereditary schizophrenia have lower levels of functioning DISC1.
A recent study, carried out at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, investigated a way to maintain higher levels of this protein in the body.
Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/amp/318530
In the end, there will most likely have to be a complex cure for schizophrenia, since the illness itself has many aspects and is so complex.
I put this article together to try to bring comfort for those whose loved ones, or those who are simply struggling with schizophrenia itself, can be filled with true hope for the future. When I first battled with my mental illness, all I wanted was a bit of hope to keep me going. This also, though not solely, is still at least a part of my recovery journey.
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller

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