Psychological Aspect of Schizophrenia - Research Paper Example

Schizophrenia Introduction Schizophrenia is a severe, enduring and incapacitating brain disorder that has made a huge impact on the individuals in the historical as well as present contexts. People suffering from this disease may have a problem of hearing voices which cannot be heard by other people. With this disease a person might have a feeling that someone is reading their thoughts, controlling it and manoeuvring to harm them. This disease might terrify a person and make them extremely distressed. People suffering from this particular disease might look like they are perfectly well and fit when they do not speak but once they start speaking their behaviour can be bizarre. This disease also has an adverse effect on the respective families, societies and personal life of a person particularly in case of retaining their job and taking care of themselves due to which they depend on other people for support. In relation to the disease of Schizophrenia, the paper intends to describe particularly the psychological problem associated with Schizophrenia along with evaluation and analysis of the disease in a precise manner (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Discussion Schizophrenia is a serious illness that hampers a person mental well-being which results in reducing the capability of an individual to clearly think, control their emotions and make certain decisions. It has been viewed that its illness changes the entire structure of brain along with the psychological perception of an individual. Schizophrenia is quite composite and a long term disease that affects the afflicted as well as their family and society. Moreover, Schizophrenia is a type of illness that is actually different for each person suffering from it. People suffering from this disease will have to undergo through illusions and hallucinations which means that the things they hear or view does not actually exist and they trust certain things that cannot be trusted (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011). Diagnosing Schizophrenia National Alliance on Mental Illness considered that there is no sole research laboratory or brain testing centre for Schizophrenia. Thus, it is essential to identify the symptoms of this disease that would help in diagnosing the prowler of this disease. People undergoing treatment might face difficulty in communicating their problem due to certain level of distress that makes the diagnosing process more complex. However, if the symptoms are evaluated by the healthcare service provider for more than six months during the illness phase there is a possibility that the Schizophrenia might be correctly diagnosed. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a health care book used by experts to diagnose mental disorders that helps these experts in following a general standard in the process of diagnosis. From the research undertaken by the experts it has been derived that it is very important to identify this disease as soon as possible. It is believed that if the disease is identified in the earlier phase of illness than there is a greater possibility that this illness might be managed or controlled. Besides, it is perceived that early identification would reduce the chances of psychotic incidents being faced by an individual (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011). Schizophrenia Symptoms According to the DSM health care handbook, a single symptom cannot actually identify and understand the problem of Schizophrenia. Therefore, the symptom of Schizophrenia has been categorised into three types that include positive symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms are also referred to as the psychotic symptoms wherein the mental pressure is added up to the personal experience of the sufferer. These symptoms includes hallucinations which causes an individual to listen voices and view things that actually are unreal and delusions causes an individual to believe that someone have been reading and controlling their mind externally with the intention to harm them. On the other hand, negative symptoms indicate an individual suffering from flatness in emotions along with absence of inexpressiveness. These symptoms also includes inability of a person to initiate or follow a set of activities to be undertaken and lack of interest and happiness in the life of an individual. These negative symptoms provide a significant challenge to the process of rehabilitation efforts being made at work place or schools as it requires motivation along with social integration of the sufferer in the society. Conversely, Cognitive symptoms transpire in the thoughtful process of an individual wherein these individuals face certain difficulties in prioritising their responsibilities along with organising their point of view. An individual having cognitive symptom of Schizophrenia might not be actually able to realise the mental illness due to absence of insight. This insight is completely dependent on the brain and it cannot be considered as a choice being made by the individual or denial of its mental illness. Therefore, it can be asserted that appropriate steps must be taken to control these symptoms. In this regard, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is considered as a useful tool to control and manage these symptoms (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011). Causes In reality there are no causes been derived for Schizophrenia but these problems are actually related to the chemistry and structure of brain which is similar to other kind of mental disorders. Combination of environmental and genetic factors contributes as a major cause for this illness wherein some factors are actually inherited and the others are attained in the lifespan of the person. According to the experts it is considered that this illness is prompted through a viral infection in the brain or due to certain damage inflicted in the time of birth. Moreover, excessive usage of drugs can also result in outbreak of this disease. Additionally, it would be too early to consider this disease either as neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorder as both the disorder may occur simultaneously at the time of illness. This disease can inflict a person at any phase of life and as per the statistics almost 1% of the entire population in the world are suffering from this illness. This means that out of 100 people born in the present day at least one person is inflicted from this illness after they get to an age of 55 years. Moreover, it has been revealed that almost 75% of the people suffering from this illness fall between the ages of 16 to 40 years and in rare cases children might also suffer from this illness (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2011). Treatment and Recovery Schizophrenia can be treated but it actually requires an all-inclusive approach of medication, psychosocial rehabilitation and therapy. Good medication is a significant factor for managing the symptoms of Schizophrenia. In some situations Antipsychotic medication can be quite productive in relieving the effect of hallucination and delusions to a certain extent. It is perceived that this medication can help in reducing the problems relating to the thought that has been experienced by an individual. Similarly, psychosocial rehabilitation acts as a very important factor that helps an individual suffering from the disease in attaining the goals of life that involves relationship, livelihood and work in a society. This rehabilitation services is generally provided by the health care providers in a particular community with a motive to help these individuals in living their life successfully and independently. Moreover, these communities also work with the initiative of educating the individuals suffering from these diseases along with searching jobs for them that would support these individuals to enhance their social interaction in the society and get involved with other people. On the other hand, appropriate therapy is also regarded as an effective process of treating these individuals. This therapy includes the CBT which engrosses these individuals suffering from Schizophrenia in evolving pre-emptive coping strategies for insistent symptoms of this disease. Clearly, it is considered that this therapy is quite effective in developing the thought of these people. In addition, this therapy has significant contribution for developing the cognition and perception of these individuals (The National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2013). Evaluation, Analysis, Opinion and Critique of Schizophrenia The evaluation of Schizophrenia revealed that it is a mental disorder that hampers the thoughtfulness, emotions and decision making capability of the individual suffering from the disease. This disease persists for a longer period of time and it is relatively complex in nature. On the other hand, after analysing the disease it could be ascertained that if the provider for health care service examines the symptoms of the disease for 6 months than there is a likelihood that the disease could be effectively diagnosed but it is quite essential to recognise these symptoms as quickly as possible. From the analysis, it can be revealed that almost 1% of the total population have been suffering through Schizophrenia which provides an idea that out of 100 individuals born at-least 1 individual undergoes through this disorder after attaining the age of 55 years. In addition 75% of the individuals suffering from Schizophrenia fall within the age range of 16-40 years. Accordingly, it can be stated that if the disease is identified in the earlier phase wherein the person has been facing the symptoms than it is very essential for the individual to consult the community that provides health care service so that the effect can be reduced before it’s too late. Furthermore, if the sufferer is not comfortable or willing to express his problems to the community than it is considered that the family members must take the initiative of motivating and comforting these individuals for consulting the service providers who would ensure that the disease is effectively managed and kept under control. Moreover, it can be criticized that genetic studies of the disease were not done appropriately wherein the researchers made the diagnoses quite thoughtlessly based on beliefs rather than scientific evidences. The diagnoses of this disease could not be relied upon as it is often based upon the belief that the longer Schizophrenia patient stayed in the hospital and took medication the better there is a possibility that the patient would get diagnosed. The treatment procedure for Schizophrenia in certain severe cases involves the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) along with antipsychotic therapy which is accompanied with serious risk to sufferer. Such treatment on rest on coercion and thus can be criticized (Joseph, 2004). Conclusion Schizophrenia is a disease of mental disorder that has had an adverse effect on an individual. This disease results in person hearing voices that is not possible to be heard by any other individual. Moreover, Schizophrenia can cause huge problems to the families and their respective societies. Schizophrenia is different for each person as the illness that surrounds is actually distinctive. There is a possibility that due to this disease a person will have to go through hallucinations and delusions. In relation to the disease there are three types of symptoms that involve positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Accordingly, the actual cause for this mental disorder is the integration of genetic and environmental aspects; viral infection to a portion of brain as well as extreme use of drugs can also be identified as the causers of Schizophrenia. In fact, it takes a large span of time for curing this disease but it can be cured through medication, psychosocial rehabilitation and therapy. References Joseph, J. (2004).The gene illusion: genetic research in psychiatry and psychology under the microscope. United States: Algora Publishing. The National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2013). What is schizophrenia? Schizophrenia fact sheet, 1-2. The National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2011). Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia defined, 1-21. The National Institute of Mental Health. (2014). Schizophrenia. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml#part1 Read More