Summary of E. Fuller Torrey's Surviving Schizophrenia, 7th Edition

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Schizophrenia means fatigue and confusion, trying to separate every experience into the real and the unreal, and not being aware of where the edges overlap. It means trying to think straight when there are many obstacles in your way.

#2 Sympathy is the ability to put yourself in the place of someone else and understand their situation. It is difficult to sympathize with those who are afflicted with schizophrenia, as it is difficult to understand their situation and their disease process.

#3 When listening to people with schizophrenia describe their experiences, certain abnormalities can be noticed: altered senses, inability to sort and interpret incoming sensations, delusions and hallucinations, altered sense of self, changes in emotions, changes in movements, and changes in behavior.

#4 The senses are often altered in the early stages of breakdown in individuals with schizophrenia. These changes may be either enhancement or blunting, and all sensory modalities may be affected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822500372

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Insights on E. Fuller Torrey's Surviving Schizophrenia, 7th Edition

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Schizophrenia means fatigue and confusion, trying to separate every experience into the real and the unreal, and not being aware of where the edges overlap. It means trying to think straight when there are many obstacles in your way.

#2

Sympathy is the ability to put yourself in the place of someone else and understand their situation. It is difficult to sympathize with those who are afflicted with schizophrenia, as it is difficult to understand their situation and their disease process.

#3

When listening to people with schizophrenia describe their experiences, certain abnormalities can be noticed: altered senses, inability to sort and interpret incoming sensations, delusions and hallucinations, altered sense of self, changes in emotions, changes in movements, and changes in behavior.

#4

The senses are often altered in the early stages of breakdown in individuals with schizophrenia. These changes may be either enhancement or blunting, and all sensory modalities may be affected.

#5

Because of the overacuteness of the senses, it is often difficult for individuals with schizophrenia to concentrate or pay attention. They may experience a flood of sensory stimuli, which can be overwhelming.

#6

One aspect of the overacuteness of the senses in schizophrenia is a flooding of the mind with thoughts. It is as if the brain is being bombarded both with external stimuli and with internal stimuli as well.

#7

The overacuteness of the senses can be very frightening, and it is so described by most patients. The initial days of developing schizophrenia are often described as a heightened awareness, called peak experiences.

#8

Schizophrenia may affect the sense of pain. While it does not happen frequently, when it does, it may be dramatic and have practical consequences for those who are caring for the person.

#9

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that causes problems with sorting, interpreting, and responding to stimuli. It is believed that a fundamental defect in schizophrenia is a frequent inability to sort, interpret, and respond.

#10

Many people with schizophrenia have difficulties watching television or movies, because they cannot follow what is happening while they are listening to the screen at the same time. They may sit quietly in another corner of the room, ignoring the TV.

#11

The switchboard operator in our brain not only sorts and interprets the incoming stimuli, but also hooks them up with appropriate responses. The inability to interpret and respond appropriately is at the core of patients’ difficulties in relating to others.

#12

Schizophrenia is a disease that affects the brain, and its symptoms are thought patterns that are outside of the person’s control. When schizophrenia is described by a psychiatrist, such terms as disconnectedness, loosening of associations, and concreteness are used.

#13

Schizophrenics are not necessarily stupid. They can be very intelligent, but they may lose the ability to abstract and generalize. They may also have a tendency to concrete thinking, which can be tested by asking them to give the meaning of proverbs, which require an ability to abstract.

#14

Schizophrenia is a disease that affects the ability to think logically. It is not surprising that many patients have difficulty with daily activities, such as taking a bus, following directions, or planning meals.

#15

Schizophrenia is often diagnosed based on the symptoms of thinking disorders and blocking of thoughts. Other symptoms include thought withdrawal, which is when a person suddenly stops thinking and looks blank for a brief period.

#16

The ability to make a decision is often impaired in schizophrenia. For example, one of my patients frequently left the front door of the building, turned right, then