Analysis and Case Analysis of the Male Sufferer - Essay Example

Mental Health: Case Study on Schizophrenia Number Department Introduction The case involves a 28-year-old male who exhibits symptoms of a mental health problem. The victim is restlessness in the restaurant and paces up and down. The patient appears to be very agitated and cannot sit still regardless of attempts by his associates to calm him down. On my arrival, the victim exhibits signs of disorientation and does not want to be touched by anyone. Jack seems to understand why I am present, and shows signs of disorganized speech when answering my questions. He sounds delusional in his speech by uttering words such as the world is “screwed up”, and then stops and goes quiet while standing unsteadily on his feet. Jack then states that he desperately wanted to talk with his sister, and in an attempt to observe him deeply, he becomes more agitated. This is a clear case of an individual suffering from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a persistent, severe, and debilitating mental disorder that affects people between 17 and 35 years of age (Billow et al., 1997). At 28, the victim in this case falls within the age bracket. Jack’s symptoms are apparently of an individual suffering from schizophrenia, who in most cases must show the following signs: delusion, false individual attitudes held with certainty regardless of reason or proof to the contrary, and not related to the victim’s cultural background; auditory hallucinations that the world has lost its worth, which takes place die to the lack of a credible external stimulus; disorganized ideas and actions; disorganized speech; and catatonic behaviour (Billow et al., 1997; Bloch and Singh, 2001). Jack’s catatonic behaviour may be observed in his condition of becoming rigid on his feet and his unresponsiveness as well as his agitation when realizing that his condition was being observed more keenly. History of Schizophrenia Throughout history, the mental illness has confounded both the medical fraternity and the society in general (Richard and Brahm, 2012). Initially, victims of schizophrenia were believed to be bearing the brunt of demonic powers (Billow et al., 1997). The society dreaded such people. People persecuted them. Others exiled or detained them in a room for the rest of their life. Despite the tremendous achievements made in the advancement of the understanding of its triggering factors, course, and management, schizophrenia continues to be more difficult to diagnose and manage. According to Bloch and Singh (2001), it is easier for the society to understand and manage other health complications than it is to comprehend the bizarre behaviour, delusions or strange thoughts of the victim with schizophrenia. Like many psychological disorders, the precursors to schizophrenia are beyond ken. Close associates usually are shocked by the condition. They exhibit fear or anger before they come to terms with the condition (Mackenzie and Poltera, 2010). People usually imagine an individual with schizophrenia as more likely to be aggressive or wild than a victim who has a different kind of chronic mental disorder (Johnston, 2004). However, these pre-empted thoughts and distortion of facts can be easily corrected provided the family of the victim are willing to learn how to go about the condition (Billow et al., 1997). Anticipations turn out to be more practical as schizophrenia is increasingly recognized as an illness that requires constant and usually permanent therapy (Payne, 2002). Simplification of the disorder and recent great leaps made in neuroscience and neuropsychology provide new expectations for locating more appropriate remedies for a disorder that once carried a serious prognosis (Richard and Brahm, 2012). According to Sullivan et al. (2007), schizophrenia is attributed to a wide range of weird behaviours that hugely impact the lives of victims and their associates. Symptoms and Diagnosis An individual diagnosed with the condition may report hallucinations related to hearing sounds, strange delusions, and disorganized thoughts and speech (Payne, 2002). The speech problem may manifest in different ways, ranging from loss of consistent thoughts and broken sentences that largely do not make any sense, to incoherence in extreme cases (Billow et al., 1997). Severing of social ties, deteriorating personal grooming, and loss of morale and sound opinion are all common symptoms of schizophrenia (Billow et al., 1997). Moreover, there is usually a discernible pattern of psychological problem, for example, failure to respond to issues or questions targeted at the individual. Loss of social cognitive skills and ability, paranoia, and withdrawal are common symptoms linked with schizophrenia (Payne, 2002). According to Farris (2005), difficulties in going about one’s duties and loss of long-term memory, low concentration, improper brain functioning, and level of processing information are also associated with schizophrenia and are manifested in Jack. The patient also mute at some instance, remained motionless on his weak feet, and exhibited pointless agitation, symptoms that are common in victims with catatonia (Payne, 2002). The paper discusses the assessments of schizophrenia on Jack to ascertain that his condition was not caused by a medical problem (Enns, 2006). Biological causes of schizophrenia, its prevalence, current theories of its development and management strategies are also discussed in the following sections of the paper. Assessing for Schizophrenia Jack has symptoms of an underlying problem of acute psychosis. However, without a proper assessment of his condition, it would be irrational to rule out medical causes (Mackenzie and Poltera, 2010). The task of carrying out an assessment of Jack would be difficult because he is agitated and restless, has lost social cognitive skills, and hence does not want to be touched by anybody. Nevertheless, it would be important to screen for an underlying cause of the problem such as his history of medical therapy, as it can also result in acute psychosis. Drugs such as anticonvulsants, dopamine agonists, high-dose corticosteroids, or opioids may easily cause acute psychosis (Enns, 2006). These drugs may trigger restlessness and agitation, which can be mistakenly consumed as symptoms of schizophrenia. I would also carry out comprehensive evaluation of his psychotic symptoms: this would be an assessment of his hallucinations and delusions (Richard and Brahm, 2012). Questions about whether Jack has ever heard noises or sounds when there is nobody around would be imperative in assessing whether his condition is as a result of hallucinations (Sullivan et al., 2007). On his delusions, it would be prudent to interrogate his delusions of reference, insertion and removal of thoughts from his mind; his perception of thought broadcasting, in which case the victim would think that people know what he has in his mind; delusions of being controlled by an external force; delusions of bullying and thought disorders (Mackenzie and Poltera, 2010). Although these questions are the key to assessing Jack’s psychotic condition, getting a reply from him, especially during the episodes, may not be easy because his condition is compounded by incoherent thoughts and speech and he seems to be too restless to listen. Causes of Schizophrenia Biological Causes The current theory links several genetic components with the development of schizophrenia (Farris, 2005). Additionally, risk factors related to prenatal and vague stressors are linked with creating a susceptibility to develop the mental condition. Neurotransmitters or the chemical factors allowing the passing of message across nerve cells have also been attributed to the development of the condition (Enns, 2006). Whereas the number of neurotransmitters linked with the condition is big, special focus has been given to dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin (Mouaffak et al., 2011). According to Richard and Brahm (2012), recent studies have recognized slight alterations in brain formation and function as probable precursors to the condition. Billow et al. (1997) indicate that schizophrenia could be caused by impaired brain development. Other environmental risk factors such as a history of smoking bhang have been associated with the prevalence of schizophrenia (Mouaffak et al., 2011). Bloch and Singh (2001) noted that physicians should carry out an assessment of all plausible medical conditions for any sharp change in an individual’s mental behaviour and health. Sometimes, a mental condition that might be easily screened for and managed is to blame for symptoms that appear similar to those of schizophrenia. Social Adversity Researches link the developing schizophrenia with one’s exposure of children to unpleasant social factors such as socioeconomic problems and social exclusion (Sullivan et al., 2007). Traumatic life events often are a precursor to schizophrenic episodes. An individual or current family history of movement is a significant risk factor for the condition. Such changes often result in psychosocial difficulty, social perception of being a newcomer, racial prejudice, family dysfunction, joblessness, and poor shelter (Enns, 2006). Unemployment and separation of new couples are some important factors which can be attributed to the prevalence of schizophrenia in society, especially among children when they grow up (Johnston, 2004). Maltreatment of children is also a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia in adulthood. According Richard and Brahm (2012), recent studies indicate that the link between child abuse and schizophrenia is a plausible one. According to Sullivan et al. (2007), adversities may affect dopamine neurotransmission and lead to the development of schizophrenia. Particular social experiences are associated with certain psychological developments and psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia (Johnston, 2004). Moreover, studies on structural neuroimaging processes in victims of sexual violence and other distresses have sometimes established the presence of psychotic pointers to the schizophrenia (Farris, 2005). Pointers such as the slimming of the corpus collosum and the reduction in the hoppocampal volume are basically associated with brain impairment and schizophrenia. Link between Autism and Schizophrenia People with a family history of schizophrenia are also at a higher risk of having a child with autism (Skott-Myhre and Taylor, 2011). The studies expose a common factor in the two conditions which can be attributed to particular alterations in gene patterns (Richard and Brahm, 2012). The gene with the defect is usually passed from schizophrenic parents to their young ones. One of the issues in the autism research carried out recently has been the level of genetic factors involved in those who experience the condition, on the one hand, and the prenatal or the environment in which the child grows, on the other hand (Mouaffak et al., 2011). According to Johnston (2004), autism was previously considered the version of schizophrenia affecting children; however, recent studies have annulled the notion regarding the two mental illnesses (Richard and Brahm, 2012). And some studies have continued to indicate that the two conditions have certain common genetic alterations (Skott-Myhre and Taylor, 2011). Antipsychotic Medications According to Mackenzie and Poltera (2010), the main medical intervention for schizophrenia is antipsychotic medications, often used as adjunct measures to emotional and social support. Antipsychotic medications usually alter the proportions of chemical substances in the brain and can work to alleviate the symptoms. These medical interventions are usually useful but have side effects on the patients (Bloch and Singh, 2001). Nonetheless, many side effects are manageable and, hence, should not be an impediment in the search for treatment for schizophrenia. In most cases side effects from the use of the medication may encompass vertigo, feelings of agitation, sleepiness, slowed motor activity and movements, trembling, and weight gain (Enns, 2006). The use of antipsychotic treatments may make the victim more vulnerable to a movement disorder referred to as tardive dyskinesia (Bloch and Singh, 2001). An individual with the condition experiences uncontrollable and repeated movements of the body parts, especially the mouth. When schizophrenia does not respond to several antipsychotics, another medical intervention in clozapine can be prescribed (Enns, 2006). Though the latter medication is more effective in alleviating conditions of schizophrenia, it tends to trigger more side effects than antipsychotic medications. Management Victims of chronic episodes may require hospitalization, either voluntarily or involuntarily, but in accordance with laws guiding the management of such mental health complications (Bloch and Singh, 2001). Longer hospitalization is rare, although it still takes place (Enns, 2006). Community support facilities handling mild cases. Visits by regional mental health teams, employment programs and support agencies are common ways of managing the condition (Richard and Brahm, 2012). Enns (2006) indicates that frequent exercise may contribute to reducing the effects of schizophrenia on the victims. Conclusion Schizophrenia is a permanent mental illness that causes hallucinations and delusions in victims. Most victims of this health problem need to use antipsychotic medication at any given time in their life. Supportive treatments may be imperative for many patients suffering from the condition. Behavioural approaches such as training the victims on social skills, can serve to enhance social interaction and work execution. Job preparation programs and relationship-building lessons are important. Close relatives of an individual with schizophrenia should be trained and given the necessary support on how to go about the various symptoms of the disorder. Programs that provide outreach and community support interventions can contribute immensely toward people who are left to their own device. Relatives and caregivers should be at the forefront in helping individuals with schizophrenia in using their medications as prescribed to avoid a relapse. References Billow, R. et al., 1997. Observing expressive and deviant language in schizophrenia. Metaphor & Symbol, 12(3), p. 205. Bloch, B. S. and Singh, B. S. 2001. Foundations of clinical psychiatry. New York: Melbourne University Publishers. Enns, A., 2006. Media, drugs, and schizophrenia in the works of Philip K. Dick. Science Fiction Studies, 33(1), pp. 68–88. Farris, D., 2005. Room for J: a family struggles with schizophrenia/coping with schizophrenia: a guide for patients, families, and caregivers. Library Journal, 130(1), pp.132. Johnston, K., 2004. Staging schizophrenia: The Workman Theatre Project and Terry Watada's Vincent. Modern Drama, 47(1), pp. 114–132. Mackenzie, C. and Poltera, J., 2010. Narrative integration, fragmented selves, and autonomy. Hypatia, 25(1), pp. 31–54. Mouaffak, F. et al., 2011. Association of disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) missense variants with ultra-resistant schizophrenia. Pharmacogenomics Journal, 11(4), pp. 267–273. Payne, K., 2002. The killers inside them: the schizophrenic protagonist in John Franklin Bardin's Devil Take the Blue –Tail Fly and Jim Thompson's The Killer inside Me. Journal of Popular Culture, 36(2), pp. 250–263. Richard, M. D. and Brahm, N. C., 2012. Schizophrenia and the immune system: pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 69(9), pp. 757–766. Skott-Myhre, H. A. and Taylor, C., 2011. Autism: schizo of postmodern capital. Deleuze Studies, 5(1), pp. 35–48. Sullivan, R. J. et al. 2007. Schizophrenia in Palau: a biocultural analysis. Current Anthropology, 48(2), pp.189–213. Read More