(December 2, 2010 at 4:33 pm)Diamond Wrote: I said maybe.
Sorry, I don't really understand what exactly schizophrenia is.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder believed to be caused by an excessive amount of activity related to the excessive bioavailability of dopamine in the mesolimbic area of the brain. It's characterized by a disintegration of mental and physical functioning manifested by auditory hallucinations, disorganized speech and thinking, and paranoid or bizarre delusions. The disorder is usually accompanied by significant social dysfunction and disability and most commonly appears in the late teens or early twenties. Treatment consists of a combination of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, with some behavioral modification and vocational rehabilitation tossed in the mix.
Religiosity is a common theme amongst those with schizophrenia and command hallucinations such as those described by the young man in the article are also pretty common. My guess is that he'll never stand trial for the murder of his mother... he's too ill and though he would probably benefit from regular administration of some pretty decent antipsychotics, he'll be locked up for the rest of his life.
