The medication given to people with schizophrenia often comes with difficult side effects. Is it wrong to treat someone who does not understand what is best for them? How can one determine what is best for a patient? People with schizophrenia are troubled by complicated medical treatments, which leads to a decision making process that affects more people than just the patient. Requiring schizophrenic patients to be medicated may improve their quality of life and reduce the risk of a potential threat to society. It is not uncommon to come across someone diagnosed with schizophrenia that is off of their prescribed medication. This action causes the patient to relapse into their undiagnosed state. These patients require extreme medical care in order to …show more content…
The disorder often goes undiagnosed, however SAMHSA describes schizophrenia as: Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that impacts the way a person thinks (often described as a “thought disorder”), and is characterized by a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional experiences that can include: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized or abnormal motor behavior. These symptoms are chronic and severe, significantly impairing occupational and social functioning. (“Mental Disorders”) Unfortunately, medical professionals are unsure of how one becomes schizophrenic. There are incidences in which it runs in the family, yet no certain pattern has been identified. As of October 2017, there are 2.4 million American adults living with schizophrenia (“About Schizophrenia”). Over time symptoms of schizophrenia have become more defined, which has led to an increase in diagnosis. Medication provided to ease the symptoms of schizophrenia need to be taken consistently to ensure that the symptoms are managable. Dr. Charles Raison, a psychiatrist from Emory University Medical School, states in response to a CNN Q&A, “More importantly, over the last several years studies have shown that taking anti-psychotic medications