Schizophrenia is undeniably one of the most profound, and adverse psychological disorders known to date. The methodological approach to treating schizophrenia is complex and multi-variant. Much contention arises around the specific treatments and medication models used today in order to lessen the global and individual effects of the disorder. For this reason, I had a rather difficult time finding a method of treatment that seemed to display universal efficacy. Although it is seemingly negligible to find a universal method for treatment (due to the existential reality of science, and the disorder itself), there nonetheless should be an emphasis placed on the treatments that yield the most statistical and clinical significance. Simply put, I …show more content…
This entailed little to no emphasis on psychotic or affective symptoms in any way, although the subjects still were exposed to their therapists with the same frequency and duration as those in the other group. “Therapists were expected to empathic and nondirective”(Sensky, et al). BF showed substantial gains in lowering the effects of comorbidity among individuals. This is likely a positive consequence of unconditional positive regard, as Carl Rogers would have put it. It would seem to me that the humanistic nuance of acceptance and openness used in BR resulted in an overall reduction in the anxiety and depression that results as a byproduct of the stigma and social isolation that so frequently occurs with the disorder. Of course, this doesn’t mean that unconditional positive regard was not a facet of the CBT treatment, although it was certainly designed to be more lenient and prosocial. When all is said and done, though, BT did not show any significant reduction in psychotic symptoms in these …show more content…
Auditory hallucinations were the initial focus. The patient and therapists collaboratively attempted to analyze the nature and origin of the hallucinations. Subjects were expected to use voice diaries, and in tandem, the subject and therapist attempted to develop alternative coping strategies. Delusions were clarified by giving the subjects guided discovery and graded homework tasks (Sensky, et al). Following the assignment, Socratic style questioning was used to elucidate underlying beliefs which may influence grandiose or paranoid delusions. In an attempt to reduce the symptoms of thought disorder and alogia, interventions focused on specific themes and the way in which thoughts were linked together. Therapists would persistently ask the subjects to explain the jump between topics. Finally, therapists aided the subjects to work on negative symptoms by using paced activity scheduling and diary recording (Sensky, et
Tsuang, M. T., Faraone, S. V., & Glatt, S. J. (2011). Schizophrenia. New York: Oxford University Press.
Classical antipsychotic treatments are commonly used to treat schizophrenic patients with major positive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as Thorazine, Haldol, and Stelazine (Gleitman et al., 2011). Antipsychotic treatments are usually administered with a variety of psychosocial treatments including social skills training, vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, family therapy, or individual therapy (Barlow & Durand, 2014). This is to reduce relapse and help the patient improve their skills in deficits and comply in consuming the
Delusion and hallucination in their different forms are the major symptom of psychotic disorders. There is a growing evidence however that these symptoms are not exclusively pathological in nature. The evidences show that both delusion and hallucination occur in a variety of forms in the general population. This paper presents and analyzes the relationship between the above major psychotic symptoms with normal anomalous experiences that resembles these symptoms in the normal population.
-Lieberman JA, Stroup TS, McEvoy JP, Swartz MS, Rosenheck RA, Perkins DO, Keefe RS, Davis SM, Davis CE, Lebowitz BD, Severe J, Hsiao JK. Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. N Engl J Med. 2005. Web.
One of the primary reasons I prefer to utilize CBT is due to its compatibility with my personality. I am an organized, logical, and direct individual, all of which CBT encompasses well. CBT is a highly structured therapy. Even though there isn’t a particular order to procedures while utilizing CBT, there does tend to be a natural progression of certain steps. This aspect allows me to feel as though I am leading client’s to their goals in a logical manner. Not only that, CBT has a great deal of research backing that has proven it to be effective in treating several diagnoses such as depression and anxiety (Corey, 2013). Perhaps the best quality of CBT is the fact that it is known for having an openness to incorporating techniques from other approaches. According to Corey (2013), most forms of CBT can be integrated into other mainstream therapies (p.
...were fewer in individuals who received DBT compared to those in the control group. Additionally, individuals who received DBT retained individual therapy and had an attrition rate of 16.7 percent compared to the control group, who had an attrition rate of 50 percent. DBT varies from CBT because it seeks a balance between changing and accepting behaviors and beliefs (NIMH, n.d, para 23).
CBT has been known to cure a variety of disorders both in clinical environments and non-clinical environments. This type of therapy technique has been tested for efficacy and has proven to be highly effective. Furthermore, the future for CBT looks very positive as well. Researchers and theorist are now working on making this type of therapy available for suicide prevention, schizophrenia, and other psychopathologies.
According to Gamble and Brennan (2000), the effectiveness of medication for schizophrenia to relieve patients from psychotic symptoms is limited. Although patients have adequate medication, some received little or no benefit from it and almost half of them still experience psychotic symptoms. They are also more likely to suffer relapse (Gamble and Brennan, 2000). Furthermore, Valmaggia, et al. (2005) found that 50% of patients who fully adhere to anti-psychotic medication regimes still have ongoing positi...
Addington, J., Piskulic, D., & Marshall, C. (n.d). Psychosocial Treatments for Schizophrenia. Current Directions In Psychological Science, 19(4), 260-263.
Coined by Eugen Bleuler in 1950, the term ‘Schizophrenia’ refers to a group of mental disorders with heterogeneous outcomes. The most prevalent subtype of schizophrenia is the paranoid subtype. Typically, this disorder is characterized by psychosis, in which the patient suffers from altered perceptions of reality. According to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM – V), the typical subtypes – paranoid, catatonic and disorganized, among others have been eliminated, although the general definition of the disorder remains unchanged. These changes were made due to the clinically diverse prognosis, pathophysiology and etiology of the disorder, which add to its heterogeneity1, 2. In addition, sex of the patient and age of onset of the disorder also contribute to schizophrenia’s diverse effects. The age of onset and sex of the patient heavily influence the demographics and course of paranoid schizophrenia, and in turn are also affected by the patients ethnicity and any premorbid conditions the patient may have suffered1, 3...
National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health. Schizophrenia. 31 Jan 2013. Web. 15 May 2014
...ients that suffer severe symptoms. The most common treatment is a combination of medicine and therapy. Where the patient engages in individual psychotherapy with a therapist, rehabilitation, family education, or self help groups. These therapies usually help people cope with schizophrenia and its effects. At this time there is no cure for schizophrenia, there are very effective treatments and medications. Research is being conducted to help scientists understand the disorder better and is being used to try to treat schizophrenia permanently. The only way this is possible is with the use of new treatments, such as new experimental drugs and electrotherapy. No treatments today are preventative nor do they permanently “cure” schizophrenia, but we can look to the bright future for the development of a new treatment option that could potentially fully cure schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a devastating and costly mental disorder that affects 1% of population worldwide. Patients manifest clusters of positive, negative and cognitive symptoms in early twenties and are often left with life-long severe mental disability and social stigma. Cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia are considered core symptoms of this disorder, and can manifest at the initial stage (Elvevåg and Goldberg, 2000). Atypical antipsychotics ameliorate positive symptoms but may only modestly improve cognitive symptoms (Richelson, 2010). In addition to this, some of the typical antipsychotics are even have deteriorative effects on cognitive symptoms (Heaton and Crowley 1981). To find the appropriate treatments for cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, it is important to know the underlying pathophysiology.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors (NAMI, 2012). It is designed to modify the individual’s normative dysfunctional thoughts. The basic cognitive technique consists of delineating the individual's specific misconceptions, distortions, and maladaptive assumptions, and of testing their validity and reasonableness (Beck, 1970). By exploring thought patterns that lead to maladaptive behaviors and actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, people with mental illness can alter their thought process to improve coping. CBT is different from oth...
Stahl, S. M., & Mignon, L. (2010). Antipsychotics: Treating psychosis, mania and depression (2nd ed.).