Supporting the DSM-5 checklist for a diagnosis of schizophrenia is the fact that the symptoms first began when Randy was in college and these have increased over time. The information provided on Randy’s family history, his school/social history, plus the description of his current lifestyle and the symptoms he now displays, could be used by the biological theorist
Thus, medication is an extremely influential environmental factor that directly impacts the lives of people with schizophrenia
Prescription drugs pose many health risks including both short term and long term side effects. Every prescription information sheet from any local pharmacy lists a plethora of warnings, cautions, and possible side effects. In many cases, the patient is forced to wonder if the prescription drug will help their illness, or cause further medical issues. Side effects that are considered “mild” are still troubling. Side effects such as drowsiness, sleeplessness, muscle pain, dizziness, nausea and bouts of depression may not appear to be harmful but can cause serious consequences.
A countless number of symptoms come with schizophrenia, since it is a mental disorder, it mainly affects the brain. Even though, it generally deals with the brain, there are physical symptoms that come along with it. The way that schizophrenia affects you as a person depends on the degree of the disease and your own mental capabilities. One man, very well known by the world, John Nash, suffered from schizophrenia. John Nash not only had mental side effects but he also had physical side effects.
The dopamine hypothesis refers to an excess amount of activity in dopamine synapse in the brain to be the cause of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. This theory explains why typical antipsychotics only treat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia because the D2 receptors are blocked, leading to less activity in the dopamine synapses. Atypical antipsychotics, also block D2 receptors but also blocks as specific subtype of a serotonin receptor called the 5HT2A receptor. Studies show that the combined blockage at the D2 and 5HT2A receptors treats both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Since both the D2 and 5HT2A receptors are blocked, atypical antipsychotics treat both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Both nonpharmacological therapy and pharmacological medications must be used to boost the long term outcomes. Nonpharmacological treatments help with pharmacological medicines by guaranteeing that the patient stays on track with their medications. According to the American Psychiatric Association, second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics (SGAs) are the first-line treatment for schizophrenia except for Clozapine. SGAs are the best-liked over typical antipsychotics (FGAs). FGAs are connected with high extrapyramidal symptoms, which are drug-induced movement disorders such as tremors, jerky movements, and the slowness of movements.
Those professionals who oppose MDMA use for psychotherapy argue that stimulants may cause many health problems that can bring patients into the hospital or complicate existing psychiatric conditions. For example, schizophrenia is more susceptible to recidivism, and panic attacks may increase in intensity and frequency. Chronic use of MDMA can lead to paranoid psychosis, but it usually disappears after a continuous period of abstinence. Some researchers suggest that MDMA use can lead to decline of cognitive ability in healthy young people. In general, they conclude that the described side effects are too dangerous for health and it is too irresponsible to include MDMA in Schedule III.
The main objectives of treatment when an individual with schizophrenia is experiencing an acute psychotic episode are prevention of harm, controlling troubled behavior, and decreasing the severity of psychosis (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). In addition, the occupational therapist should be aware of the related symptoms displayed such as agitation, aggression, negative symptoms, and affective symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). Discovering the specific factor that led to the incidence of the acute psychotic episode in order to increase the likelihood of the client returning to the best level of functioning is also considered (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). Persons with schizophrenia are at an increased risk for suicide. It is imperative to monitor the client for the potential of suicidal tendencies, suicidal intent, suicidal ideation, history of suicide attempts, and command hallucinations (American
As with many drugs and medications, there is always a potential present for abuse or tolerance as well. Individuals taking these medications may feel side effects that are both physiological and mental in nature. Patients who have not taken their prescribed medication of have grown a tolerance may also show an increased risk for suicide, which is already a high risk for individuals suffering from
According to Mental Health America (n.d), in its article regarding Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia is a serious disorder which affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary may be unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal emotions in social situations. Schizophrenia is considered as a severe mental illness as it can lead to serious injury to the patient or people around them. Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that affects about one percent of the population. When schizophrenia is active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, trouble with thinking and concentration, and lack of motivation.
Schizophrenia is one of the most recognizable mental illnesses that the world knows, this comes with benefits as it does with consequences. The benefit being that many people have heard of the term, but a minute group truly know about it. This has led to a society where it is commonplace to ostracize those with the illness, which subsequently leads to negative effects on those diagnosed. It is as if society still has not developed a sufficient system in which Schizophrenia fits in. People with heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, all receive sympathy and yet people will Schizophrenia seldom receive the same.
The treatment team also may include a psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse and possibly a case manager to coordinate care. The full-team approach may be available in clinics with expertise in schizophrenia treatment. Medications Medications are the cornerstone of schizophrenia treatment, and antipsychotic medications are the most commonly prescribed drugs. They 're thought to control symptoms by affecting the brain neurotransmitter dopamine.
“Most brain activity involves communication between cells called neurons. Messages are sent by chemicals called neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. In people with schizophrenia, these chemicals are often found in abnormal levels” (Schizophrenia:
A percentage of the population doesn’t consider prescription drugs very dangerous because they are prescribed by doctors. Unfortunately, that's true and it is very concerning to other people who are aware of the problem. We as a community must help each other and inform each other about the effects prescription drugs have. These types of drugs develop addicts which can be treated effectively depending the type of drug they took. There are two main treatments behavioral treatment and medications.
The cognitive symptoms might be hard to perceive as a feature of this disorder. the cognitive deformities of schizophrenia are predictable with a far-reaching disturbance in cerebral capacity and discernment. Variations from the norm of a cerebral blood stream appropriation in patients with unending schizophrenia. Also, the researchers surmise that an unevenness in the unpredictable, interrelated synthetic responses of the cerebrum including the neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate, and potentially others, assumes a part in schizophrenia. The brain structures of a few people with schizophrenia are marginally not the same as those of healthy individuals.
