CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 83

Photo by Varun Baker

The individual, the institute outlined, will need
support during this time as, when people with
a mental illness are pressured and criticised,
their improvement is stymied. Often, their
symptoms may get worse. The Institute instructs
that telling the individual when he or she is
doing something right is the best way to help
them move forward.
Mental Health Officer Patricia Rose, who did
not wish to disclose the institution to which
she is attached, explained that, when it comes
to any kind of psychiatric condition, one has to
examine the “biological, psychological, social,
and cultural factors”.

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling
brain disorder that is caused by several factors,
which range from genetics and environment,
to different brain chemistry and structure.
“When you look at social factors, you have to
look at substance abuse and marijuana. The
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) in marijuana is
known to influence the way the brain functions.
Anything that affects the normal function of
the brain can result in mental illness,” she said.
Rose noted that in order to diagnose a person,
he/she has to manifest certain signs and
symptoms over a period of time. These include,

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