schizophrenia

Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a disease that is mostly ignored by most people terming it as a disease brought about by oneself. The reason as to choosing the case was to identify its major causes, the symptoms, and the causes leading to the disease. It is stated that 1% of the population develops the condition though only half gets treatment and the most affected people are the homeless. The wellbeing of a nation is of great necessity since the people contribute to building the nation. For a nation to be built, the people must be of great health. The research was aimed at learning to improve the sanity of the people who are suffering the condition.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder where one splits thought processes and emotional reception. It is translated by auditory hallucinations, delusions and unsystematic speech and thinking. It is a psychotic disorder characterized by symptoms of thought, behavior and social problems. A mental disorder makes one unable to accurately operate in a social and work related setting. Clearly, the disorder blocks the lines between what is real and what is not real. To the patients diagnosed with the condition, the images, voices and delusions seem real because of the chemical imbalance present in their brains (Birchwood, 2007). The delusions are false beliefs that cause a dramatic denial of reality, transforming the beliefs as true. Nowadays, they are assumed to be as a cause of destruction of sensory data and the method in which emotions and thoughts are perceived deep in the brain.

The types of the conditions are classified into five categories. The first is paranoid where the individual is highly fearful and suspicious of others because they have hallucinations of suffering persecutions. Second is disorganized where an individual has disorganized thought patterns leading to a disturbed speech. Third condition is catatonic where a person withdraws or isolates their selves from other people. Fourthly, residual is typically comprised of remaining chronic symptoms that are negative. Finally, undifferentiated where an individual has the symptoms but they cannot be classified in any specific groups of conditions (Veague, 2007). Treatment strategies are set; these are conducted through social skills training, activity therapy, cognitive rehabilitation and goal setting.

Linda’s five occupational performances were identified namely: maintaining a job, not enough money, unable to attend swimming, transportation and socializing. Maintaining a job, she scored 2 since she was on sick leave. Linda scored a five out of not enough money; her satisfaction with this problem was five while her weakness was running out of money before payday. Unable to go swimming rated three out of ten with her scale satisfaction at one. She described the cause as lack of time due to much work. The problem with transportation was that she had to be driven to work since she had been denied riding a bicycle by the doctor in order to avoid injury. For being unhappy about the issue, she rated one with a satisfaction level one. In socializing, she scored four with satisfaction level of six. The reason was that she enjoyed talking to people at work and the teachers. The patient’s strengths were she could socialize with fellow workers with ease and enjoyed the aerobics classes. However, her key weaknesses were getting bored at most times. Secondly, not appreciating the mode of transport she used to her workplace.

Neuromotor behavior includes ideas such as biochemistry of medication and neurodevelopment treatment. They focus on the biological balance that is the basis of mental dysfunction. She accomplished most of the tasks assigned but missed on few details. When given a dress to stitch, she did it appropriately but missed on removing the label. When combing her hair she left portions of her hair uncombed. She forgot the time scheduled for bathing and needed three reminders to remind her. When the goals were implemented, the patient drastically improved.

Goals were developed for the patient to follow daily. The first was to initiate conversation during mealtime; this would be done by initiating a round in which questions would be asked and one would respond to all. The second was budget her two-week salary; the patient was given play money that she would divide it amongst her costs. Thirdly, increase her participation in aerobic classes, which was accomplished by joining her into the low impact aerobic where she learned and later joined the regular class. Fourthly, complete one meal in a week. To make the patient eat, she was assigned to participate in cooking. Lastly, decrease the number of reminders to one. Linda and her roommate were assigned to be personal reminders of each other.

The patient in the case study was from a loving well-educated family. She belonged to the white ethnicity. She is assumed religious because when she got seizure she was rushed to a religious hospital. Her mother was a healthcare professional and her father was a community college teacher. Linda was social despite her condition this is shown by how she enjoyed conversations with people around her. The patient engaged in physical activity such as bicycle riding to school. At the hospital, she joined aerobics classes to substitute swimming lessons.

After the second week the patient was discovered as having improved, the medication had decreased her hallucinations and she had become less argumentative. The process was termed as having improved her condition and was able to return to her home but not work until she improved further. Her overall performance and satisfaction levels rose in all other aspects role except in the transport issue. However, the patient would have used an unconventional approach that is the use of omega three fatty acids. The dietary supplement has been found useful (Dobson, 1995) Trials have been found successful towards improving the positive and negative symptoms of patients with Schizophrenia. The supplements do not have any side effects as compared to the medications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Abramovitz, M. (2002). Schizophrenia. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books

Birchwood, M. J. (2001). Schizorenia. San Diego, CA: Psychological Press

Breuer, R. (1980). Irony, Literature and Schizophrenia. New Literary History, 12, 1, p. 1-12

Dobson, D. J. (1995). Effects of social skills training and social milieu treatment on symptoms of schizophrenia. Psychiatric services, 46, 376-380.

Hyman, S. (2001). The Science of Mental Health: Schizophrenia. New York: NY: Routledge Publishers

Palahniuk, C. (2005). Fight Club. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.

Read, R. J. (2003). Literature as Philosophy of Psychopathology: William Faulkner as Wittgenstein. Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 10, 2, p. 115-124

Veague, B. H. (2007). Schizophrenia. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers