what is going on??? the reality of schizophrenia.

First of all i have to start by saying that schizophrenia to me personally, is one of the scariest disorders that I've heard about. I mean really, hearing voices and being in a state of mind where you see and hear things that are unreasonable and cant even make sense to anyone besides the person who is going through this SCARY, needless to say, disorder.
I cant imagine being so scared of having someone telling me to hurt myself or others to the point where its not reasonable anymore that i would rather try to end my life then continue with that agony. That is exactly how people with schizophrenia feel at times.
Schizophrenia affects men and women equally. It occurs at similar rates in all ethnic groups around the world. Symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions usually start between ages 16 and 30. Men tend to experience symptoms a little earlier than women. Most of the time, people do not get schizophrenia after age 45. Schizophrenia rarely occurs in children, but awareness of childhood-onset schizophrenia is increasing.
Schizophrenia consists of a person having delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, and the weak or absence signs of emotion, speech, and socialization. This disorder affects about 1% of people only. The diagnosis is not an easy task and its not easy to diagnose, because some of the characteristics of schizophrenia are ones that are seen in other disorders and of course, schizophrenia is not exactly figured out as to how someone ends up having this disorder. is it genetically inherited or does the environment or other influences affect how one obtains this disorder? this has not been 100% figured out yet, because many hypothesis are being explained, but none are 100% sure.
Because the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Treatments include anti-psychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments. Treatment helps relieve many symptoms of schizophrenia, but most people who have the disorder cope with symptoms throughout their lives. However, many people with schizophrenia can lead rewarding and meaningful lives in their communities.
Anti-psychotic medications have been available since the mid-1950's. The older types are called conventional or "typical" anti-psychotics. In the 1990's, new anti-psychotic medications were developed. These new medications are called second generation, or "atypical" anti-psychotics.
The outlook for people with schizophrenia continues to improve. Although there is no cure, treatments that work well are available. Many people with schizophrenia improve enough to lead independent, satisfying lives.

How effective are the tecniques used to treat depression?

First of all let me start by saying that people who experience depression, should be able to know what kind of depression they are suffering from, meaning is it mild or chronic depression? Knowing this information can actually help you figure out what kind of treatment is best for you. 
Two of the most effective techniques used to treat depression are the use of antidepressant drugs or psychotherapy. other techniques include are the electroconvulsive therapy, altered sleep patterns, and exercise.
Antidepressant drugs that are used include:

• Tricyclics operate by blocking the transporter proteins that reabsorb serotonin, dopamine, and nor epinephrine into the presynaptic neuron after their release.
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRI)-  selectively inhibit the reuptake of serotonin.
• Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors(SNRI)- block reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine.
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI)-block an enzyme that breaks down catecholamines and serotonin. 
• Atypical antidepressants- miscellaneous group with diverse effects.

Antidepressants alter synaptic activity, but their effects on behavior require at least 2 weeks. The different drugs affects different neurotransmitters, but appear to be equally effective.
Antidepressant drugs are ineffective for many people. For people with mild to moderate depression, antidepressants are not significantly more effective than placebos.
Psychotherapy is about as effective as antidepressant drugs for patients with all levels of severity. Psychotherapy is more likely than anti psychotic drugs to produce long-lasting benefits that prevent or delay a relapse after the end of treatment.
Electroconvulsive therapy(ECT) is a treatmnt through an electrically induced seizure. Electroconvulsive therapy is quick and most patients awaken calmly without remembering it. ECT is used only with informed consent and its usually for people dealing with severe depression who have not responded to antidepressant drugs. its applied every other day for about 2 weeks and they give the patient muscle relaxants and anesthetics to minimize discomfort. the only side effect may be memory loss that can last up to several months not forever, if the limit to the right hemisphere is reduced.
After ECT has relieved depression a way to prevent a relapse is to  use the drugs, psychotherapy, or periodic ECT treatments.
Lastly if you ge enough rest and excercise you save energy or release removing excess of stress that at times may be the cause of depression.
Altogether what i want to state is that after knowing how severe or mild your depression is you can find a way to fix that problem. Don't feel like you are stuck and there is no way out, because there is, you just have to find what best helps you out.

What are the signs of PTSD?

Have you or someone close to you ever gone through a traumatic experience that is still affecting that person today. Well those emotions and that stress that's been accumulating from the experience, can be of great concern because that my friend, can be considered as post traumatic stress disorder commonly known as PTSD, shell shock, or combat stress.

What exactly is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in some people who have endured terrifying experiences, such as a life-threatening attack or watching someone get killed. There symptoms usually last more than a month and you have frequent distressing flashbacks and nightmares and some noises may startle you and bring back memories of the experience.

Sometimes these symptoms don’t surface for months or years after the event or returning from deployment. They may also come and go. If these problems won’t go away or are getting worse—or you feel like they are disrupting your daily life—you may have PTSD.

What are the signs of PTSD you may ask, well the list isn't short, but if you seem to be experiencing some of these factors, you should really have someone help you out:

• Feeling upset by things that remind you of what happened
• Having nightmares, vivid memories, or flashbacks of the event that make you feel like it’s happening all over again
• Feeling emotionally cut off from others
• Feeling numb or losing interest in things you used to care about
• Becoming depressed
• Thinking that you are always in danger
• Feeling anxious, jittery, or irritated
• Experiencing a sense of panic that something bad is about to happen
• Having difficulty sleeping
• Having trouble keeping your mind on one thing
• Having a hard time relating to and getting along with your spouse, family, or friends

 It’s not just the symptoms of PTSD but also how you may react to them that can disrupt your life. You may:

• Frequently avoid places or things that remind you of what happened
• Consistent drinking or use of drugs to numb your feelings
• Consider harming yourself or others
• Start working all the time to occupy your mind
• Pull away from other people and become isolated

Two types of treatment have been shown to be effective for treating PTSD: counseling and medication. Professional counseling can help you understand your thoughts and discover ways to cope with your feelings. Medications, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are used to help you feel less worried or sad.
Your close friends and family may be the first to notice that you’re having a tough time. Turn to them when you are ready to talk. It can be helpful to share what you’re experiencing, and they may be able to provide support and help you find treatment that is right for you.