Pathophysiology Research Paper

The scientific study of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorder is known as psychopathology. Psychopathology refers to mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or depression, and to behavioral patterns that make people unhappy and impair their personal growth. It’s very common for people who have psychological disorders to “retreat from reality”. Psychotic disorders are severely disabling, typically patients cannot control their thoughts or actions, leading to hospitalization. Routinely suffering from hallucinations and delusions as well as being socially withdrawn. Psychosis may be related to medical problems, drug abuse, and other conditions. Symptoms in psychotic disorders occur in schizophrenia, delusional disorders, and some mood disorders.

There are so many different kinds of medications used to treat patients, but the most common ones that psychiatric assistants prescribe exist as antipsychotic and antidepressants. Antidepressants usually relate to a substance that treats mood disorders. Antipsychotic medications usually are taken daily in pills or liquid form. However, some may get injected, which means their only given once or twice a month. The biggest mental disorder that antipsychotic are prescribed for has occurred in patients with schizophrenia. “Schizophrenia is a psychosis characterized by delusions, hallucinations, apathy, and a “split” between thought and emotion.” (Coon & Mitterer 487) “Patients with this disorder tend to have withdrawal from contact with other, a loss of interest in external activities, a breakdown of personal habits, and an inability to deal with daily events.” (486) “Also, it is hard for patients with schizophrenia to focus on one item of information at a time.” (486) Four major types of schizophrenia consist of catatonic, disorganized, paranoid, and undifferentiated. The first type, catatonic, involves disturbances in a person’s movement. Patients with this disorder type tend to just sit there and they do not talk or move. They show no emotion. “The second type, disorganized, or known as “hebephrenic schizophrenia”, patients experience bizarre thinking and flat or grossly inappropriate emotions.” (487) “Typically, this type of schizophrenia develops in adolescence or young adulthood.” (487) “The third type, paranoid, is marked by a preoccupation with delusions or by frequent auditory hallucinations related to a single theme, especially grandeur or persecution.” (488) “Patients think that God, the government, or “cosmic rays from space” are controlling their minds or trying to poison them.” (488) “According to the largest study ever

“New test and machines also enabled researchers to study the structure of schizophrenic brains.” There were studies done to compare those of a normal brains and ones affected by Schizophrenia, it showed several structural differences. “The most common finding was the enlargement of the lateral ventricles, which are

Patients with Schizophrenia can have symptoms that vary from hallucinations, to bad hygiene. They can experience delusions and disorganized thoughts. They are normally depressed and can cause self-harm. The treatments for Schizophrenia includes medications, Electroconvulsive Therapy and therapy. Therapy for these patients can be individual or group. The therapy sessions can help teach these patients how to be social and it can show them how to deal with the voices or hallucinations. Medications for schizophrenia are called antipsychotics. The medications help curb the symptoms of schizophrenia. The down fall to the medications is most people stop taking them. It is not uncommon for the “voices” to talk the patient out of taking them. Electroconvulsive

Antipsychotic medication, block dopamine and serotonin transmission in the brain. Clozaril, resperdal, zyprera, and seroquel are four newer antipsychotic medications. The symptom is alleviated with older antipsychotic medication. These are divided into groups depending on their potency. If a drug has a low potency, more of it is needed to relieve the symptom. Medium potency is only affective if medium dose is taken. High potency drug can be taken with smaller amount to be effective. Note that the antipsychotic drug, only reduces the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia and usually allow the patient to function more effectively and appropriately. Most patients don’t need the drug. Even though the drug can’t elminate the disease. It can help the patient determine the difference between psychotic episodes from the real world. With continued drug treatment, about forty percent of recovered patient will suffer relapses within two years.

“Schizophrenia” is a relatively new label of an illness that has been identified throughout history since ancient Egyptian times. Prior to being named in 1911 by Eugen Bleuler, reports of illness with similar symptoms were being referred to as “dementia praecox”, meaning dementia in early life (The Internet Mental Health Initiative, 2015). Bleuler questioned the claim that this illness was a result of mental deterioration and instead believed “schizophrenia led to a heightened consciousness of memories and experiences” (Sussex Publishers, LLC., 2015). Bleuler combined Greek words “schizo” (split) and “phrene” (mind) to more accurately describe what he had observed in patients. He did not believe that the mind split into parts or personalities, but more so that the mind would split away from reality and existence into an altered state (Sussex Publishers, LLC., 2015).

Initial theories thought that mental disorders were caused by demonic possession of the body, and the appropriate treatment was then exorcising these demons. Because the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, treatments focus on getting rid of the symptoms. Treatments include antipsychotic medications and various psychological treatments, which have been used since the mid-1950’s and in the 90’s, new antipsychotic medications were developed. Other treatments include psychosocial treatments, illness management skills, and integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse, rehabilitation, family education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and self-help

Medication is the foundation on which treatment of schizophrenia is based. Oftentimes, medication is combined with one or several types of psychotherapy to help the patient deal with their illness the best that they can. Antipsychotics are the most common and most effective type of medication used to treat schizophrenic patients. They are “effective in suppressing specific positive symptoms of psychosis such as hallucinations, delusions, and thought disturbance” which is why they are the most popular type of medication for schizophrenic patients (Shean, p.140). The main goal of antipsychotics is to effectively control symptoms at the lowest dosage possible. This type of medication

Cognitive behavioral therapy starts while the patient is recovering in the hospital, primary strategies while recovering consist of setting goals, affirming self, and eliminating barriers creating healing (Moran, 2014). CBT is considered an effective way to apply these principles and teach the patient how to practice them on their own. A combination of CBT and medication in the UK, so far have produced positive results, and has become a second most trusted treatment by the UK National Health Service (Schizophrenia.com,

Schizophrenia has long been a devastating mental illness and only recently have we begun to see an improvement in our capabilities to treat this disorder. The development of neuroleptics such as, Haldol, Risperidal, and Zyprexa have given psychiatrists, psychologists and their patients great hope in the battle against this mental disease. However, during the 1960s, drugs were not available and psychologists relied upon psychotherapy in order to treat patients.

Psychosis is a symptom of many serious mental disorders characterized by a loss of touch with reality. The perception of reality is a major component of self-awareness. The pathology of psychosis is key to understanding the neurological agents responsible for aspects of consciousness. Several neurotransmitter systems are associated with the pharmacological

In the science of psychology scientist discuss Psychosis. Psychosis is a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions. In psychology there is a number of psychological disorders like anxiety, OCD, PTSD, Mood (Major Depressive, Bipolar), Personality, Schizophrenia, Dissociative, and Eating disorders. Although all these disorders are psychological disorders Schizophrenia is the best example of Psychosis. Schizophrenia is a group of severe disorders characterized by disturbed perceptions and inappropriate emotions disorganized and delusional thinking and behaviors. When a person has Schizophrenia they tend to live in their own little world filled with unforgettable images and abnormal images. The word itself means split mind (schizo=split, phrenia= mind), in the sense that the mind has separated from the real world (not a multiple-personality split). Like all disorders Schizophrenia has symptoms, biological and environmental causes and as well treatment methods to treat the disorder. At the end of this paper one will have more knowledge of the psychological disorder Schizophrenia.

Human behavior has been analyzed over time, along with conditions that have been put into perspective, about mental, physical and body aspects. These aspects of a human being are very important for normal functioning of a person in society. When one’s mental thought process is affected, proper reasoning is not possible, and in turn the behavior becomes erratic. One such condition that is directly connected to this mental situation is psychosis. Apart from affecting the mental condition, it also affects the sensory and cognitive abilities.

CBT for Schizophrenia: treating schizophrenia with CBT is challenging. The disorder usually requires medication first. But study has shown that CBT, as an addition to medication, can assist a patient manage with schizophrenia. CBT helps patients learn more adaptive and realistic understandings of events. Patients are also taught numerous coping methods for dealing with "voices" or other visions. They learn how to identify what triggers episodes of the illness, which can stop or decrease the chances of relapse.

Treatment is available for patients with schizophrenia. Plenty of antipsychotic medications have been discovered for this mental disorder. The mechanism of how the medication works is that the psychotic medications suppress the neurotransmitters’ like dopamine’s and serotonin’s activities. Examples of medications are: Molidone which blocks the effects of dopamine in the brain, leading to diminish psychoses. This medication shows quick