THE FOLLOWING ARE SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS COMMONLY TREATED BY THE WASHINGTON ACUPUNCTURE CENTER. SCHIZOPHRENIA Schizophrenia is a mental and emotional disorder characterized by delusional thinking, irrational behavior, inappropriate emotions, withdrawal from reality and sometimes auditory hallucinations. The person with this behavior pattern is so preoccupied with his own body and his own thoughts that he becomes less and less concerned with other people and his environment. It has been called the "whirlpool of self center redness". Although many psychiatrists, especially psychoanalysts, still insist that there is no physiological basis for schizophrenia, recent biochemical research has demonstrated metabolic abnormalities. Physical abnormalities, such as brain tumors and some diseases, can produce schizophrenic symptoms, and some drugs, such as cortisone, can promote the development of schizophrenia. Tranquilizing drugs, such as Thorazine, can relieve the symptoms temporarily and make the patients more comfortable and cooperative, but they damage the basic ganglia of the brain and may produce lethal side effects. Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for schizophrenia and in most cases can replace dangerous drugs. It can be given along with psychotherapy and nutritional therapy. next