Cj Ujah: I Had This Stain Against My Name It Hurt So Much And Still Does
Sprinter cleared of deliberately taking performance-enhancing drugs says he always believed the truth would come out
Obviously, I made a mistake, says CJ Ujah quietly, as he breaks his 14-month silence on the failed drugs test that led to Team GBs biggest Olympic doping scandal. But people make mistakes. I am not a cheat.
As all that pent-up frustration and pain begins to uncoil, revelation follows revelation. How it was a basic amino acid supplement bought off Amazon for £10 during lockdown that caused his positive test in Tokyo. How he thought the email telling him the news was a hoax. And, just as remarkably, that he was not tested in the buildup to last years Games, despite being among the worlds leading sprinters.
Speaking exclusively to the Guardian shortly after hearing he has been banned for 22 months by the Athletics Integrity Unit, Ujah also discloses the message he gave to his British 4 x 100m relay teammates Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake after they also lost their Olympic silver medals through no fault of their own. I told them: Listen. I wouldnt jump on a flight to Tokyo knowing I could put you in a bad position. I wouldnt do that.
Ujah, it turns out, had been taking a contaminated supplement for weeks before the Olympics. But because his final drugs test was in May 2021 close to three months before they started it was never pinged until after he competed in Tokyo.
Sign up to The Recap
How Soon After Treatment Will I Feel Better
Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you how long it will take for medication and therapy to work, as different medications take different amounts of time before their effects are noticeable. They can also tell you about other treatment options that might help if the first attempt isnt effective.
Politicization In The Soviet Union
In the Soviet Union the diagnosis of schizophrenia has also been used for political purposes. The prominent Soviet psychiatrist Andrei Snezhnevsky created and promoted an additional sub-classification of sluggishly progressing schizophrenia. This diagnosis was used to discredit and expeditiously imprison political dissidents while dispensing with a potentially embarrassing trial. The practice was exposed to Westerners by a number of Soviet dissidents, and in 1977 the World Psychiatric Association condemned the Soviet practice at the Sixth World Congress of Psychiatry. Rather than defending his claim that a latent form of schizophrenia caused dissidents to oppose the regime, Snezhnevsky broke all contact with the West in 1980 by resigning his honorary positions abroad.
Also Check: How Do You Get Diagnosed With Bipolar
What Can I Do If A Loved One Shows Signs Of Schizophrenia Or A Similar Condition
Because people with schizophrenia often cant recognize their symptoms or condition, they often dont believe they need medical care or treatment. That can be frustrating or frightening for both the person with the symptoms and those who care about them.
If you notice a loved one showing signs of schizophrenia or a related condition, you can try helping them by doing the following:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Schizophrenia can be a frightening condition for the people who have it and their loved ones. Despite stereotypes, this isnt a condition where any thought of recovery or living a happy, fulfilling life is impossible. If you think you have symptoms of schizophrenia, its important to talk to a healthcare provider as soon as you can. Their job is to help you, and healthcare providers especially those who specialize in mental health conditions like schizophrenia have the training to help you not feel judged, ashamed or embarrassed. If you notice a loved one struggling with symptoms of psychosis or schizophrenia, encourage them gently and supportively to get care. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in helping people recover and manage this condition.
Risk Of Schizophrenia If Your Parent Is Schizophrenic
The uncertainty surrounding the genetic makeup of schizophrenia is evident in the data surrounding the risks of developing schizophrenia based on a family member with the disorder. While parents and children share half of their genes, there is only a 6% chance that a child with a schizophrenic parent will develop schizophrenia. Another example is the risk of both identical twins developing schizophrenia. Identical twins basically have the same genetic makeup, yet if one of them has schizophrenia, the twin only has a 48% risk of developing the disorder.
Read Also: How Do You Treat Ptsd
Chemical Changes In The Brain
A series of complex interrelated chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, are responsible for sending signals between brain cells.
Low levels or imbalances of these chemicals are believed to play a role in the development of schizophrenia and other mental health conditions.
Dopamine, in particular, seems to play a role in the development of schizophrenia.
Researchers have found evidence that dopamine causes an overstimulation of the brain in people with schizophrenia. It may account for some of the symptoms of the condition.
Glutamate is another chemical thats been linked to schizophrenia. Evidence has pointed toward its involvement. However, there are a number of limitations to this research.
Complications before and during birth may increase the likelihood a person will develop mental health disorders, including schizophrenia.
These complications include:
Because of the ethics involved in studying pregnant women, many of the studies that have looked at the connection between prenatal complications and schizophrenia have been on animals.
Women with schizophrenia are at an increased risk for complications during pregnancy.
Its unclear if their children are at an increased likelihood for developing the condition because of genetics, pregnancy complications, or a combination of the two.
How Does This Condition Affect My Body
Schizophrenia is a condition that has severe effects on a persons physical and mental well-being. This is because it disrupts how your brain works, interfering with your thinking ability, memory, how your senses work and more.
Because your brain isnt working correctly, having schizophrenia often causes you to struggle in many parts of your day-to-day life. Schizophrenia often disrupts your relationships . It can also cause you to have trouble organizing your thoughts, and you might behave in ways that put you at risk for injuries or other illnesses.
You May Like: How Much Does Bipolar Medication Cost
Risk Factors For Schizophrenia During Pregnancy And Delivery
Many pre- and perinatal risk factors for schizophrenia have been identified, although these tend to have a modest effect, with typical odds ratios or relative risks of 2. These factors include antenatal exposure to influenza, especially during second trimester, and other respiratory infections, rubella during pregnancy, hypoxia-related obstetric complications, low birth weight and prenatal growth retardation . So far, the evidence is less secure for antenatal stress and malnutrition in pregnancy.
What Conditions Fall Under The Schizophrenia Spectrum
According to the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition , the disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum are:
- Schizoaffective disorder.
- Catatonia is a syndrome that can include a lack of movement, unusual movements, unusual repetitive behaviors, not speaking and social withdrawal. It can also complicate schizophrenia, as well as other psychiatric and medical conditions.
- Other schizophrenia spectrum disorders . This diagnosis allows healthcare providers to diagnose unusual variations of schizophrenia.
Also Check: How To Calm Anxiety At Work
Does The Brain Shrink With Schizophrenia
Shrinkage is a normal part of brain development. Previous research has found that during adolescence – the period when schizophrenia tends to set in – most shrinkage occurs in the frontal lobes. These areas of the brain are involved in abstract thinking and have also been identified as being affected in schizophrenia.
Research Shows Cellular Clean
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Center sampled the smell neurons pictured here, from individuals with and without schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Through examining these cells, neuropsychiatrist Koko Ishizuka, in collaboration with Kyoto University, found a protein that is usually cleared out by the cellular waste management. Her work suggests that the link between these brain disorders and the cellular clean-up system deserves a closer look.
-
Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder. It often runs in families and can cause troubling symptoms.
-
It’s caused by a chemical imbalance and other changes in the brain.
-
Symptoms include hearing voices, feeling that people are out to get you, and having false beliefs that are not based in reality.
-
These symptoms can make it very hard to function in the world and take care of yourself.
-
Treatment includes antipsychotic medicines, support services, and a healthy lifestyle.
You May Like: Is Bipolar Considered A Disability
Environmental Causes Of Schizophrenia
As for the environmental factors involved, more and more research is pointing to stress, either during pregnancy or at a later stage of development. High levels of stress are believed to trigger schizophrenia by increasing the bodys production of the hormone cortisol.
Research points to several stress-inducing environmental factors that may be involved in schizophrenia, including:
Prenatal exposure to a viral infection
Low oxygen levels during birth
Exposure to a virus during infancy
Early parental loss or separation
Physical or sexual abuse in childhood
Treatments
The causes of schizophrenia are still unknown , treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Treatments include antipsychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments.Schizophrenia is a chronic condition, where patients require lifelong treatment. This disorder affects the ability to think.
Antipsychotic MedicationsAntipsychotic medications have been available since the mid-1950. The older types are called conventional or typical antipsychotics. Some of the more commonly used typical medications include: Chlorpromazine Perphenazine Fluphenazine .In the 1990s, new antipsychotic medications were developed. These new medications are called second generation, or atypical antipsychotics.
One should always consult their psychiatrists or psychologists before taking any anti-psychotic medications as they have their own side effects too.
Rehabilitation And Living With Schizophrenia
Treatment can help many people with schizophrenia lead highly productive and rewarding lives. As with other chronic illnesses, some patients do extremely well while others continue to be symptomatic and need support and assistance.
After the symptoms of schizophrenia are controlled, various types of therapy can continue to help people manage the illness and improve their lives. Therapy and psychosocial supports can help people learn social skills, cope with stress, identify early warning signs of relapse and prolong periods of remission. Because schizophrenia typically strikes in early adulthood, individuals with the disorder often benefit from rehabilitation to help develop life-management skills, complete vocational or educational training, and hold a job. For example, supported-employment programs have been found to help people with schizophrenia obtain self-sufficiency. These programs provide people with severe mental illness competitive jobs in the community.
For many people living with schizophrenia family support is particularly important to their health and well-being. It is also essential for families to be informed and supported themselves. Organizations such as the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America , Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness offer resources and support to individuals with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses and their families .
Also Check: How To Help A Child With Panic Attacks
What Is The Difference Between Schizophrenia And Psychosis
Schizophrenia and psychosis are two strongly connected terms, but they also have significant differences.
- Psychosis: This is a grouping of symptoms that involve a disconnection from reality and the world around you . Psychosis can happen with other medical conditions and mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder.
- Schizophrenia: This is a spectrum of conditions that involve psychotic symptoms.
Disturbances Of Early Development
Prospectively collected measures of premorbid function have consistently revealed neuromotor abnormalities and developmental delays. In the British 1946 Birth Cohort pre-schizophrenic children were found to have delayed motor and speech development by the age of 2 years. In the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort the ages that children learned to stand, walk and become potty-trained were related to subsequent risk for schizophrenia and other psychoses earlier milestones reduced the risk, whereas later milestones increased it. Cannon et al.showed, in a birth cohort from New Zealand, that children who went on to develop schizophreniform disorder had persistently poor motor function over repeated measurements in childhood. In an innovative study using home movies filmed during childhood, pre-schizophrenic individuals could be differentiated from their healthy siblings by viewers who were blind to the psychiatric outcomes.
Also Check: Can Bipolar Disorder Cause Panic Attacks
What Is The Difference Between Schizophrenia And Multiple Personalities
While the name schizophrenia does come from the Greek words for split and mind, none of the conditions under schizophrenia involve multiple personalities. Instead, multiple personalities fall under a condition known as dissociative identity disorder . That condition falls under the category of dissociative disorders.
Early Warning Signs Of Schizophrenia
In some people, schizophrenia appears suddenly and without warning. But for most, it comes on slowly, with subtle warning signs and a gradual decline in functioning, long before the first severe episode. Often, friends or family members will know early on that something is wrong, without knowing exactly what.
In this early phase of schizophrenia, you may seem eccentric, unmotivated, emotionless, and reclusive to others. You may start to isolate yourself, begin neglecting your appearance, say peculiar things, and show a general indifference to life. You may abandon hobbies and activities, and your performance at work or school can deteriorate.
You May Like: How Do You Know If You Are Bipolar Disorder
Biological Origin Of Schizophrenia
Imaging studies showed C4 located at the synapses of primary human neurons. Image: Heather de Rivera, McCarroll lab
The risk of schizophrenia increases if a person inherits specific variants in a gene related to synaptic pruningthe elimination of connections between neuronsaccording to a study from Harvard Medical School, the Broad Institute and Boston Childrens Hospital. The findings were based on genetic analysis of nearly 65,000 people.
The study represents the first time that the origin of this psychiatric disease has been causally linked to specific gene variants and a biological process.
It also helps explain two decades-old observations: synaptic pruning is particularly active during adolescence, which is the typical period of onset for symptoms of schizophrenia, and the brains of schizophrenic patients tend to show fewer connections between neurons.
The gene, complement component 4 , plays a well-known role in the immune system. It has now been shown to also play a key role in brain development and schizophrenia risk. The insight may allow future therapeutic strategies to be directed at the disorders roots, rather than just its symptoms.
These results show that it is possible to go from genetic data to a new way of thinking about how a disease developssomething that has been greatly needed.
The path to discovery
Connecting cause and effect through neuroscience
Answering this question required synthesizing genetics and neurobiology.
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider
You should see your healthcare provider as recommended. You should also see them if you notice a change in your symptoms, such as symptoms getting worse even if youre taking your medication. You can also see them if side effects of your medication are causing disruptions in your life. Your healthcare provider can sometimes recommend alternative medications or treatments that might better treat your condition without causing those same effects.
When should I go to ER?
You should go to the ER or call 911 if you have thoughts about harming yourself, including thoughts of suicide, or about harming others. If you have thoughts like this, you can call any of the following:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline . To call this line, dial 1.800.273.TALK .
- Local crisis lines. Mental health organizations and centers in your area may offer resources and help through crisis lines.
- 911 : You should call 911 if you feel like youre in immediate danger of harming yourself. Operators and dispatchers for 911 lines can often help people in immediate danger because of a severe mental crisis and send first responders to assist.
You May Like: Why Do Eating Disorders Happen
What Are The Four A’s Of Schizophrenia
The fundamental symptoms, which are virtually present through all the course of the disorder , are also known as the famous Bleuler’s four A’s: Alogia, Autism, Ambivalence, and Affect blunting . Delusion is regarded as one of the accessory symptoms because it is episodic in the course of schizophrenia.
What Can I Expect If I Have This Condition
Schizophrenia is a condition where the outlook varies greatly from person to person. People who have schizophrenia tend to struggle with work, relationships and self care. However, with treatment, some are able to work, care for themselves and have fulfilling relationships.
This condition also often affects people in cycles. That means many people with this condition go through periods where the condition flares up and their symptoms get much worse, followed by a period where symptoms improve but they still have some ongoing struggles.
Despite how serious this condition is, treatment does make it possible for people with schizophrenia to live with the condition and minimize how it affects their lives.
How long does schizophrenia last?
Schizophrenia is a lifelong condition. While some people will recover from this condition after having only one or two episodes, schizophrenia symptoms can return unpredictably. People with a history of schizophrenia are in remission as long as symptoms dont return.
Whats the outlook for this condition?
Schizophrenia itself isnt a deadly condition. However, its effects on a person can lead to dangerous or harmful behaviors, to both themselves and the people around them.
Also Check: How To Help A Child Having A Panic Attack