Sieckmann 1
Marissa Sieckmann
K-Dizzy
December 9, 2011
iSearch
Part I
Wiz Khalifa
This is what I already know about Wiz Khalifa. I know that he is a rapper and that he has
put out more than 3 albums. His latest album was Rolling Papers. I know that he smokes
a lot of marijuana and he talks about it in his songs. I also know that he started becoming
serious about rapping at around the age of 12. He was an army brat and his parents were
divorced since he was young. He used the name “Khalifa” because it means successor in
Arabic.
Addictions
I know that that having addictions is a hard thing to overcome. I have known a lot of
people in my life who have died because their addictions took over them. I know that
when you have an addiction to something, you will never be the same. If you are addicted
to something as little as nicotine or as big as heroin, it changes you. You become
dependant on it and you always need to have it. You are mean and nasty if you don’t
have it.
Shrooms
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When you’re on shrooms I know that you hallucinate a lot. I also know that if you are
already high of marijuana it increases your high. I have been around people who do meth
and they see and hear things that don’t actually happen. When you’re on shrooms you
pretty much feel like you see flavors, and taste colors.
Marijuana
Marijuana is one of the most common drugs, especially amongst teenagers. It is cheap
enough for anyone to get. I know that when you smoke marijuana you feel such a high
sensation. You think everything is funny, and you are extremely hungry. I know that if
you have an ounce or more of marijuana on you, then that counts as a felony. There are a
lot of terms for marijuana. For example, bud, reefer, weed, pot, mary jane, etc.. I also
know that even though it might not seem like it marijuana is a gateway drug and it does
make you want to do other things. I learned in health freshman year that every time you
smoke marijuana it brings your “happy” level down more and more until whenever
you’re not high, you’re depressed.
Schizophrenia
I really don’t know a lot about schizophrenia except for the fact that people with the
disease see and hear things that aren’t really there. I know this because I saw the movie
“A Beautiful Mind” with Russel Crowe in it and it really shows you what it would be like
to be in the mind of a schizophrenic.
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“Schizophrenia.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders 1 (2005): 1.
Print.
Schizophrenia is a word derived from 2 Greek words meaning “split mind” discovered by
a Swiss doctor named Eugen Bleuler. Schizophrenia is categorized as a psychotic
disorder marked by severely impaired thinking. There are 2 types of schizophrenia,
positive or negative. People with positive schizophrenia respond well to drugs, and
usually have “positive symptoms” like delusions or hallucinating. People with negative
schizophrenia are usually described as “poorly adjusted” before the schizophrenia
overtakes them. They have withdrawal from others and “psycho-motor retardation”. Most
schizophrenics have good outcomes with psychotherapy. Family therapy is also
recommended.
Bengston, Michael. psychcenter.com. N.p., 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
Through time schizophrenia has always been a disorder that has amazing everybody.
People used to think that people with this disorder were cursed by the devil. It is also said
that having to deal with cancer is an easier task that dealing with the disorder called
schizophrenia. Delusions and hallucinations are very common in schizophrenia. “For
instance, someone with schizophrenia may act in an extremely paranoid manner –
purchasing many locks for their doors, always checking behind them as they walk in
public, refusing to talk on the phone.” It is also not weird that they try and “self-
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medicate” their symptoms with “mind altering” drugs like nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, and
marijuana. About 10% commit suicide within the 20 years of having the disorder.
"NIMH · Publications." NIMH · Home. N.p., 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
Scientists have concluded that schizophrenia runs in families. Schizophrenia may result
when a certain cell has a malfunction. Scientists say that environment is a key factor also.
For example, viruses, malnutrition, problems during birth, and other psychological
problems. They are also learning about brain chemistry and why it has anything to do
with schizophrenia. People with the disorder have brains that have little distinctions in
them too. The brain also goes through a lot of changes during puberty and people say that
that could trigger psychotic symptoms.
"Gale - Home." Gale - Home. N.p., 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
A lot of people classify schizophrenia with multiple personalities, which is not a true
comparison. Schizophrenics have a different perception in reality, and it has nothing to
do with multiple personalities. There could be people with both of the disorders but they
are not the same thing. Psychiatrists rely primarily on antipsychotic drugs to keep the
disorder under control. There are two types of medications, typical and atypical. The two
most common symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations and delusions.
Hallucinations are defined as something in which the person hears, sees, smells, or feels
something that is not actually present. Delusions are something in which a person’s false
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beliefs can not be shaken by the truth. Males and females show the disorder differently.
Males show it in their late teens or early twenties. Women do not experience it until their
late twenties or even early thirties. 1% of the population develops the disorder.
Part 4
I decided to study about schizophrenia because it is a very interesting topic that scientists
are still trying figure out. As I was looking through all of my sources I kept coming
across the same question couple of questions, “How can you tell someone has
schizophrenia? Are there different types of the disorder?” and many others. I decided to
figure that out and I came across a lot of helpful research.
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder, observed first by a scientist by the name of
Eugen Bleuler (TGEGD). The word “schizophrenia” is derived from two Greek words
meaning “split mind”. Recently they have discovered that there is more than one type.
Type I or positive schizophrenia gives the patient “good symptoms” like delusions, or
hallucinating. They respond well to medication as well. Type II or negative schizophrenia
has “negative symptoms” like withdrawal from other people and psycho-motor
retardation. There are five subtypes; which are paranoid, disorganized, catatonic
undifferentiated, residual, and schizoaffective disorder. “Schizophrenic patients are
typically unable to filter sensory stimuli and may have enhanced perceptions of sounds,
colors, and other features of their environment. Most schizophrenics, if untreated,
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gradually withdraw from interactions with other people and lose their ability to take care
of personal needs and grooming” (Gale).
There are signs where you can tell that someone has the disorder. For example if
the patient is having either delusions, somatic hallucinations, hearing voices, or thought
insertion or thought withdrawal. “The so-called positive symptoms of schizophrenia are
those that represent an excessive or distorted version of normal functions. Positive
symptoms include Schneider’s first rank symptoms as well as disorganized thought
processes or catatonic behavior” (Gale). Males start showing signs of brain disorder in
their late teens or in their early twenties. Unlike men women show signs in their later
twenties to early thirties.
Through time schizophrenia has always been a disorder that has amazed
everyone. People used to think that people with this disorder were cursed by the devil. It
is also said that having to deal with cancer is an easier task than dealing with
schizophrenia. Delusions and hallucinations are common. “For instance, someone with
schizophrenia may act in an extremely paranoid manner – purchasing many locks for
their doors, always checking behind them as they walk in public, refusing to talk on the
phone” (Bengston). It is also not weird that they try and “self-medicate” their symptoms
with “mind altering” drugs like nicotine, marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol. About 1% of
the population has schizophrenia, and 10% of those people commit suicide within twenty
years of having the disorder.
A lot of people classify schizophrenia with multiple personalities, which is not a
true comparison. Schizophrenics have a different perception in reality, and it has nothing
to do with multiple personalities. There could be people with both of the disorders, but
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they are not connected. Psychiatrists rely primarily on antipsychotic drugs to keep the
disorder under control for as long as possible. There are two types of medications, typical
and atypical. The two most common symptoms are hallucinations and delusions.
Hallucinations are defined as something in which the person hears, sees, smells, or feels
something that is not actually present. Delusions are something in which a person’s false
beliefs can not be shaken by the truth.
Through my journey I learned a lot about schizophrenia and what the people with
the disorder go through. I learned about the symptoms, the treatments, and the different
types of schizophrenia. I learned a lot more than I bargained to, and it really opened my
eyes to different things.
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Works Sited
Bengston, Michael. psychcenter.com. N.p., 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
"Gale - Home." Gale - Home. N.p., 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
"NIMH · Publications." NIMH · Home. N.p., 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
“Schizophrenia.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders 1 (2005): 1.
Print.
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Part 5
The process of writing and researching for my I-Search was long, and it took a lot of
work. At first I was really worried about how I was going to get this all done. Mr. Kozak
told us that there were 5 parts, and I was actually a little intimidated. As we started
thinking of topics I really thought I was going to do something on medical marijuana. But
as we researched a little about each of them I realized that something that would really
interest me was something about schizophrenia. I talked it over with Mr. Kozak when he
took us to the library and put us in groups, and he liked the idea a lot. After he sent us
back to the computers I immediately started looking through the sites that Ms. Nelson
had showed us to use. I got 4 sites the first day and then the next day I got my last source.
I started on my annotated bibliography the next day we went to the computer lab. I
started getting a little off track and then Mr. Kozak decided to give us assigned seats. I
was pretty upset, but I did get a lot of my work done. I thought that I was on track and
doing everything right, but then Mr. Kozak showed the class a model of what ours should
look like and I realized my Part I and II don’t look the way they should. So now after I
finish my Part 5 I have to go back and revise my parts one and two. But for the most part
I think I did a pretty good job for the time that I was given. Overall, I’m pretty glad that I
chose schizophrenia for my topic because I learned a lot more than I bargained for and it
was actually a really interesting thing to research.