Charlene Sunkel's diagnosis of schizophrenia at 19 led to years of struggles with psychosis, characterized by hallucinations and delusions. Although antipsychotic medications effectively treated many positive symptoms like hallucinations, they often fall short for the negative symptoms and cognitive impairments. Antipsychotics traditionally target dopamine, yet this raises questions about the comprehensive understanding of schizophrenia. The ongoing challenge is to develop treatments that address the full spectrum of this complex mental illness, particularly for the two-thirds of patients who do not fully benefit from existing medications.
Charlene Sunkel's journey highlights the severe impact of schizophrenia, and the limitations of traditional treatments that focus solely on dopamine, neglecting other critical symptoms.
Schizophrenia, affecting around 23 million people worldwide, is often treated with antipsychotics that manage positive symptoms but fail to address negative and cognitive issues.
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