Exploration and Deepening in Schizophrenia - Assignment Example

? Schizophrenia, Its Symptoms, Diagnosis and Its Effects Jerry T. Ciacho This paper explores and delves into Schizophrenia, a chronic and severe psychological disorder that is distinguished by the breakdown or degeneration of the way a person thinks and acts. This paper will give insight and further understanding and knowledge on this condition. It will also look into its various symptoms and indication, and the process on how patients are diagnosed with this mental disease. Additionally, this paper will look into the different possible treatment options when one is diagnosed with Schizophrenia and the likely course of this illness, or prognosis such as how the person relate or react to the environment including the people around them. In addition, it will also look into the different ways different people react to this brain disorder. It will explain and give a clear and comprehensive account on how this affects a person’s everyday life: the way they think or see the world, the way they act and more, including how their surroundings or how the environment in which they live in are affected as well. Schizophrenia, Its Symptoms, Diagnosis and Its Effects Schizophrenia is a complicated disorder that is difficult to deal with. It becomes a challenge to tell apart between what is real and what is not. It becomes problematical to be able to think clearly and sensibly, control feelings and emotions and communicate with other people. Nonetheless, this condition can still be effectively supervised, cured and treated. Schizophrenia, is a brain disorder characterized and typified by crumbling of emotional receptiveness and normal thinking progression. It materializes itself in many different forms. Although it varies from person to person, there are general basic defining symptoms. One is aural delusion also known as paracusia, which is one of the most common symptoms recorded of schizophrenic patients. It is the recognizing of different sounds and “voices” without any auditory cause. Other symptoms include unsystematic and messed up verbal communication and thoughts. In psychiatry, this is referred to as thought disorder or formal thought disorder. It is used to explain inarticulate and meaningless language but is believed to be used by schizophrenic patients to display their own thinking. Schizophrenia can also appear in the form of paranoia, or irrational fear of the environment around them, and outlandish delirium. Nearly all Schizophrenic patients have a difficult time in relating with other people around them. They demonstrate considerable social and/or occupational dysfunction. They often show a lack of interest in developing interaction or relationships with other people. This incapability of create and develop relationships, empathize, or to feel closeness with others is called asociality. They have a harder time in adjusting to their situation and with people. According to studies and observation in 1999, Americans believe that these individuals are more susceptible and more likely to have irritable fits and can be dangerous, as they can suddenly act violently without any reason at all. Most schizophrenic instances happen in the later teenage years or early adulthood. IN general, the younger the person shows signs and symptoms of schizophrenia, the more serious the case is. Furthermore, according to statistics, men generally tend to have a more severe case of schizophrenia than women do. A psychiatrist or a mental health professional usually performs diagnosis of schizophrenia after a full complete psychiatric evaluation. This assessment is done by interviewing the person thoroughly to draw out main symptoms and take a look at other probable diagnoses. The diagnosis is then established through the medical opinion of the person who conducted the assessment, based on the results and information of the structured clinical interview. In addition, there are other diagnoses that are associated or related to schizophrenia, but are less severe and are less insidious. Some of these include schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, brief psychotic disorder and schizoaffective disorder. Schizophrenia has great human, emotional and financial price. This sickness results to a reduction in life expectancy to twelve to fifteen years. This is due to its connection to corpulence and inactive existence among a few. Smoking is also highly associated with schizophrenia. Most patients lean on to smoking with eighty to ninety percent cigarette consumers. To exacerbate this statistical fact, most of these smokers use cigarettes heavily and use ones that have an especially high content of nicotine, the extremely addictive agent in cigarettes that also acts as a stimulant and a depressant on the body. In addition, there is also an augmented rate in suicidal propensities with schizophrenic patients, with twenty to forty percent attempting suicide at least once. This illness is also a major reason for disabilities. Due to this, patients with schizophrenia usually live autonomously but with the support of the community. Others, on the other hand, fully recover and perform well in society right after. Even though schizophrenia is more often than not a chronic brain illness, there is a possibility of recovery and help that is obtainable through psychiatric and psychological help along with medical aid. With constant assistance and support, intaking of the right medication, and undergoing different kinds of therapy that will help, a lot of patients with schizophrenia are later able to carry out normal thinking processes and actions, function without help and live fulfilling lives. There are several available medications for schizophrenia. Among them are chloropromazine, haloperidol, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, olanzapine and risperidone. These medications are antipsychotic drugs. These help decrease or relieve the symptoms and helps the patient function more successfully and properly. They do not cure schizophrenia, but the majority of patients have shown great improvements when treated with these kinds of drugs. Psychotherapy is one of the most recommended way of helping the patient improve and get better. Other kinds of therapy are also available, including cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, which help improve self-esteem, social performance and perceptiveness. There is also family therapy or education in which the entire family of the individual who is suffering from schizophrenia. This has been discovered to be very beneficial. Currently, studies are being conducted to see if music or creative therapy can also have promising advantages. As a conclusion, the possibility of full recovery is best attained when schizophrenia is diagnosed and looked at right away with the proper care and courses of action taken. There should not be any delay or postponement in seeking help as it will gradually decrease the probability of recuperation and will not improve any chance of the patient to be able to live a normal life again. References Hirsch, S. R., & Weinberger, D. R. (1995). Schizophrenia. Oxford: Blackwell Science. Barbour, S. (2002). Schizophrenia. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. Bernheim, K. F., & Lewine, R. R. (1979). Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments. New York: Norton. Harman, C. E. (2003). The Diagnosis and Stigma of Schizophrenia. Brookings, Or.: Old Court Press. Schizophrenia. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml Read More