Essay on Treating Schizophrenia - 1889 Words

Introduction Approximately 22% of the American population suffers from some kind of mental disorder at any given time. (Passer and Smith, 2004) Schizophrenia is one of the most serious of these mental disorders, and there are many different kinds of treatment. While all mental disorders offer diagnosis and treatment challenges, few are more challenging than schizophrenia. It is both bizarre and puzzling, and has been described as â€Å"one of the most challenging disorders to treat effectively.† (Passer and Smith, 2004, 534) Schizophrenia is not yet fully understood, but it is known that it is characterized by extreme disturbances in many vital areas, including behavior, emotions, speech, perception and thinking. The term schizophrenia means†¦show more content†¦There are four kinds of schizophrenia, including paranoid schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia, and undifferentiated schizophrenia. Causes are not clear, and biological, psychological and environment factors are being investigated. It is certain that there is a genetic component. (Passer and Smith, 2004) Clearly, this is a very serious disorder, which is often utterly incapacitating. Therefore, individuals urgently require efficacious treatment, both for survival and for quality of life, and many different kinds of treatment and therapy are used. This paper will examine the use of two of these, cognitive behavioral therapy and drug therapy, and evaluate which one is better. It will take the position that drug therapy is a more effective therapy for treating schizophrenia than is cognitive behavioral therapy. Justification of Position Treatment of schizophrenia may vary according to what clinicians believe to be its causes. For example, some believe (and this is backed by evidence) that the condition is caused by over activity of the dopamine system, so that the person experiences too much stimulation. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, so that in effect too much activity is occurring in the brain. Clinicians who believe this is the case are likely to use drug therapies to correct this over activity, and will use antipsychotic drugs.Show MoreRelatedWhat is Involved in Treating Schizophrenia?615 Words   |  2 Pagesdetermined the cause or cure for Schizophrenia. Therefore, treating Schizophrenia is a hunt-and-peck effort, dictated by previous experience and ongoing clinical research. Obviously, the focus of mainstream medical practitioners is on reducing severity of symptoms and decreasing risks of further episodes. This does not indicate that if you or a Dear One has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia there is no hope. The best asset for a successful outcome in treating Schizophrenia is a knowledgeable doctor, whoRead MoreHow The Patient With Schizophrenia Essay946 Words   |  4 PagesHow to Treat the Patient with Schizophrenia The National Institute of Mental Health finds that approximately 1.2% of the United States population suffer from schizophrenia. What exactly is schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is defined as a complex disorder with an extremely varied presentation of symptoms that affects cognitive, emotional, and behavioral areas of functioning (Kneisl, 2013). It is considered a psychotic disorder and often includes psychotic experiences, such as hearing voices or delusionsRead MoreIs Schizophrenia A Unique Mental Disorder?1335 Words   |  6 Pagesmental health disorder every year. According to the Health Reference Series, schizophrenia affects 1.1% of the US population and the majority of those who suffer with schizophrenia go untreated or are unaware that they even have the disorder. Approximately 2,200,000 people in the United States suffer from schizophrenia, and they have a lifespan 20% shorter than those who do not have schizophrenia (Fentress, Moller 1). Schizophrenia is a unique mental disord er that is made up of distinctive characteristicsRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Schizophrenia1060 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Schizophrenia is a well-known emotional and mental disorder that causes hallucinations, and paranoid and delusional behaviour (Hoffer, 2004). In contrast to many other diseases, schizophrenia is mostly due to genetics and influenced by the environment. People who suffer from this disorder usually cannot differentiate from the imaginative world from the real one. Schizophrenia is often a result of stress and develops gradually (DeLisi, 2011). It is therefore, essential to start earlyRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Schizophrenia1132 Words   |  5 Pagescase study in which the individual is suffering from delusional disorder. Because delusional disorder and schizophrenia share many of the same characteristics, it is easy to mistake one for the other; therefore, the psychology professional must look at all the present symptoms as well as the history of the individual to make a clear diagnosis. When using the pharmacological approach in treating delusional disorders, the psychology professional must consider the ways in which the medication will alterRead More Schizophrenia Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesSchizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that causes severe mental disturbances which disrupt ones thoughts, speech, and behavior. According to Paul Thompson, Associate Professor of Neurology, one percent of the world’s population suffers from this disorder. There is no one specific cause of schizophrenia, because it is caused by a combination of problems during development. It is a disorder which not only affects the patient, but their family and society as well. Schizophrenia can be a debilitatingRead MoreTreatment Options For Schizophreni Symptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia1479 Words   |  6 PagesTreatment Through time, scientists and doctors have created various treatment options for schizophrenia based off scientific theories in their time. At one point physicians would perform brain surgery to remove a portion of brain from an individual suffering with schizophrenia that was responsible for the hallucinations and delusions the individual would experience. Although the surgery might have decreased the amount of hallucinations and delusions experienced by the individual, it led to cognitiveRead MoreTreatment Of Schizophrenia With Antipsychotic Drugs Essay1715 Words   |  7 PagesAs we have seen, treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic drugs can have impressive results in terms of decreasing active symptoms, although it does nothing to alleviate negative symptoms or to improve cognitive functioning. Unfortunately, this kind of treatment has the drawback of extremely serious and even fatal side-effects. Newer generation atypical antipsychotics offer more hope, as they can trea t both active and negative symptoms, and also improve cognitive functioning. Moreover, theyRead MoreSymptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment Of Schizophrenia1337 Words   |  6 Pages Schizophrenia Research Taylor Shepherd Remington College Author’s Note: Over the course of this paper, I will be going through the three main categories related to Schizophrenia; Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Schizophrenia Defined Schizophrenia is defined as a psychotic disorder characterized by loss of contact with the environment, by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life, and by disintegration of personality expressed as disorder of feeling, thoughtRead MoreTaking a Look at Schizophrenia793 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Æ' Schizophrenia is a disorder that has an effect on about 25 million people around the world (Myers, 2010). Schizophrenia is a brain damage, naturally created by the human body, that is caused by the genetically determined vulnerability of the blood-brain barrier (Voronov, 2013). This psychiatric disorder, like most others, is characterized by changes in behavior, thinking, reduced ability to feel normal emotions, and mood (Abad et al., 2011). The unique thing about schizophrenia is that the symptoms