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Dry. Carol Services Ivy Tech Community College Lafayette/Charlottesville March 4, 2009 Psychosis: Schizophrenia. What does this mean? Schizophrenia is an incapacitating mental condition that has many symptoms and no cure. Most people associate schizophrenia with “split personalities” but that is not true of the disease. Actual symptoms include but are not limited to hallucinations, delusions, being unable to make decisions, shifting thoughts rapidly, forgetting or losing things, losing interest in personal hygiene, moodiness, impaired cognitive abilities, lack of energy and titivation Just to name a few.
According to Wade and Atavist (2008 peg. 628), schizophrenia is defined as a psychotic disorder marked by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized and incoherent speech, inappropriate behavior, and cognitive impairments. There are many aspects of schizophrenia as one would expect. In this paper we will be looking into types of hallucinations and delusions, public views on schizophrenia, the burden on families, and victims living and dealing with the cancer-like disease.
Scientists today have many theories on the origins of schizophrenia. Some of these include genetic predispositions, brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter normalizes, prenatal Ana Adult complications, Ana adolescence abnormalities of brain development. Schizophrenia is the deep space nine of psychotic mental disorders. Not so much that it is uncharted territory but the disorder remains largely a mystery (Envied, Rather, and Greene, 2008, p. 397).
Many researchers believe now that schizophrenia is caused by genetic problems that produce subtle abnormalities in the brain and that genes interact with certain stresses in the environment during prenatal development, birth, or adolescence Wade and Atavist, 2008, p. 630). Wade and Atavist (2008) likened the origins of schizophrenia to a relay, stating that it starts with a genetic predisposition and ends with synaptic pruning in the brain or external stresses that serve as triggers for the disease in adolescence. There are many symptoms of schizophrenia but the most common associated are hallucinations and delusions.
According to Corseting and Corner (2002, p. 185-186), auditory hallucinations and delusions of persecution are the commonly held by people with schizophrenia. Auditory hallucinations are voices ND sounds that are not there. Delusions of persecution involve feeling plotted or discriminated against, spied on or threatened in some way. More symptoms include losing interest in day to day life and hygiene. This makes it hard for an individual with schizophrenia to function inside of families and relationships, or to hold down jobs, or go to school.
In the beginning these behaviors may go unnoticed by loved ones or coworkers. People choose to Justify the behavior. After a time, schizophrenics will act stranger and crazier, and the acute phase will begin. This is when the psychotic symptoms occur. It is important to note, however, that people with this mind eating disease can experience times of relative normalcy. Our text mentions a game of chess. Therapy, including medication, is an option that individuals with schizophrenia may consider to live a more normal life. In Goutiness’s article (2002, p. 83-589) psychodrama psychotherapy has meta- analytic evidence supporting substantial improvement for the patient in the following three therapies: psychodrama, cognitive-behavioral, and nonparametric support. When paired with medication the treatments became even more effective. An example of this is cited in Goriness’s writings on Jim who was taking authorize to help with his delusions of persecution (2002, peg. 186). Sprained is also an antispasmodic drug that, empirical evidence will back in showing improvements for mood symptoms, and reduces risk of relapse Rivals-Vasquez, Rafael (2001, p. 62-665). Not all patients with schizophrenia respond well to any therapy. They Just get more and more withdrawn. The problem with schizophrenia is that while some people may be able to live out a normal life others with the same disease will barely be able o function with the treatments mentioned above. There is no set pattern for schizophrenia which makes it so hard for researchers to predict and then treat. Fortunately there has been much progress in the field of schizophrenic studies and hopefully there will continue to be more advancement to help patients live a more normal and full life.
So how do family dynamics come into play with schizophrenia? In my opinion, it’s like a coin. Heads, the family is caring and nurturing to the patient, caring for their needs. Tales, the family may be the cause for the mental disorder in he first place. Families play a large role in schizophrenia either way you look at it. Patients that return to a negatively charged home life often relapse more as opposed to tense won return to Tamales Walt low levels AT negatives tattletales (Lopez, Helped, Polo, Jenkins, Karen, Vaughn, and Snyder, 2004, p. 428-439) Family warmth is important in a schizophrenics home life.
On the flip side researchers have blamed the onset of schizophrenia on an adolescent’s home life. External stresses could be a “trigger for the disease” states our text (Wade and Atavist, 2008, p. 632). Also, though not widely supported by researchers today, family stress and structure, parent roles and attitudes may contribute to schizophrenia Comer, Ronald J. , 2001, p. 445-446) Although I must stress again that there is little to no empirical evidence to support this theory. Because families can be such a large part in a schizophrenics life clinicians are offering family therapy in addition to other therapies the patient is trying.
Not only is the patient receiving help but so are the families. Families are provided with education, emotional support, and guidance. Realistic expectations and tolerance is established. I would say that family dynamics are caused in part by our cultural views on schizophrenia. The psychosis often brings to mind horrible images of lobotomies and feelings of fear and uncertainty. In an article by Beat Schulz and Matthias C. Moneymaker (2005, p. 316-323), public images of schizophrenia predominately emphasized negative characteristics, such as dangerousness and unpredictability.
No wonder the same stereotypical thought runs through our minds when we here the word schizophrenia. The media is our main source of information on the disease. Most people only know about the disease if someone they know has it or if someone they know knows someone diagnosed with it, or if we hear about it in school. Fear of the unknown aptly describes schizophrenia. There are so many negative untruths about the disease it’s sometimes hard to decipher fact from fiction. The riddle of schizophrenia is likely to be several riddles, waiting to be solved (Wade and Atavist, 2008, p. 632). Even today schizophrenia is a mystery.