Summary Of Family Therapy And Schizophrenia

The documentary series True Life aired their fourteenth episode on season … “I have schizophrenia.” In this episode three young adults, Joshua, Ben, and Amber, are followed through their daily routines recording how this illness affect their lives and how they manage to handle their mental illness. Each one of them experiences this illness different and that influences their decisions on medical care and the way they interactions others and the outside world. Society often sees people that suffer from schizophrenia as weird and crazy. It is common for society to want to separate them out from the rest of society by putting them in mental hospitals.

The labeling theory explains how a community or culture defines deviant behavior, and the proper diagnosis to treating the individual. This can be seen in An Cloch'an, where psychiatric problems are “rarely made by the villager himself”(Scheper-Hughes 161). Although initial hospitalization is rarely in acted by the individual, the patient eventually internalizes his behavior as deviant and will identify himself as insane once institutionalized. However, the labeling theory can only be used within the definitions of the culture, since different cultures will define abnormal behavior differently. In the context of some Non-Western cultures, symptoms of schizophrenia are praised, and those who may hear voices or hallucinate are deemed as spiritual, and given the role of prophet or shaman within the culture. Although schizophrenic symptoms are revered in some cultures, within Ireland there is not only a stigma to the patient,but to the family as well (Scheper-Hughes 283).Scheper-Hughes explains that schizophrenia is a family condition; to the extent where there is a pathology for the “schizophrenic mothers”. Defining the mothers of schizophrenic patients as obsessive, sexually and emotionally immature, repressed, guilt ridden and ignoring the needs and demands of their children (Scheper-Hughes 257). This clinical diagnoses for mothers of schizophrenics only deepens the social stigmas, and created more resentment among the family members toward the patient.

Most families opt not to involve themselves because of the negative stigma of having a family member with schizophrenia. In addition to this there are many factors that affects attending family intervention due to work hours, lack of time, and transportation considerations and other outside factors (Bleecher, 2009 p 264). Although attending intervention can be very lengthy and time consuming family psychoeducation reduces a great percentage of hospitalizations. Overall, families who involve themselves have an overall better outcome for both the family and the ill member because they are helping the child’s social and emotional health (Bleecher, 2009). The effectiveness of family involvement of individuals with schizophrenia in both individual and family outcomes has been established is as an evidence based practice in the mental health field. There is a need for greater understanding of the barriers to involving families in order to move toward the eventual goal of increased practitioner and family collaboration. Although, there is no sufficient data that can prove this aside from a number of case studies further research must be done.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that affects one out of 100 people and presents with both positive and negative symptoms. Misconceptions of people with schizophrenia may include a belief that they are violent however they are more likely to be the victims of violence as of result of their abnormal behaviors. Positive symptoms may include the presence of symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and abnormal behavior whereas negative symptoms indicate a lack of a particular behavior. A positive symptom of schizophrenia may include hallucinations which are typically auditory hallucinations although may also be visual hallucinations in which clients experience some event despite a lack of stimuli. A negative symptom

Family routines are changed greatly do the fact that person that affect by schizophrenia now need some type of structure now more than ever. Making a simple and stress less routine allows the person time to relax and have time alone each day. Family might have to have more low-key regular daily activities and less "big events" routines, the less the person has to stress over the better the person will be.(2)

These interventions are also beneficial to relatives, and are effective in improving the quality of the family environment (Penn & Mueser 1996). Psychosocial interventions are aimed at empowering patients, and, as Slade & Haddock (1996) have pointed out, 'since the 1980s, the task of the therapist was no longer to "change the behaviour of the patient" but rather to "help the client to change their own behaviour, if they wish to do so"'. This chapter provides an overview of family interventions and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for psychotic symptoms. There has been a lot of research and clinical interest in the effectiveness of CBT for patients with psychosis.

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that affects more than one percent of the population. When schizophrenia is active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, trouble with thinking and concentration, and lack of motivation. However, when these symptoms are treated properly, a large portion of those diagnosed will greatly improve over time.

The purpose of this paper is to prepare an annotated bibliography on family therapy with emphasis on ethnicity and sociocultural influences on the problems of communication. This research includes twelve resources on authors with the following annotations: Delineation of the main focus or purpose of each author 's work; Background and credibility of each author; Intended audience for the work; Any unique feature of the work; Theoretical understandings; Family therapy strategies or techniques; and a Conclusion or observations presented in the work.

Therapy for psychosis often works best when combined with medication, although this is not always

Schizophrenia is a life-long disorder that affects about one percent of the population (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). The cause of this mental illness is still unclear. Studies have suggested that Schizophrenia does not arise from one factor but from a combination of genetic, environmental, and social factors (Liddle, 1987). People diagnosed with Schizophrenia struggle to deal with a multitude of symptoms that make it difficult to function (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). Antipsychotic medications are a popular treatment of the symptoms of Schizophrenia (Mueser & McGurk, 2004). Research is constantly being done to develop these medications to enhance the quality of life of those diagnosed with Schizophrenia.

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 “one of the most challenging disorders to treat effectively.” (Passer and Smith, 2004, 534)

Other interventions and treatments that may be introduced once the individual is stable enough on medication to be receptive and benefit from these treatments include: individual therapy, group counseling, family counseling, vocational rehabilitation/training, social skills training, and daily living skills training. It is also important to provide the family with support, education, and the proper intervention skills, to assist them with coping with the difficulties that come with having a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia (Preston, O'Neal & Talaga, 2010).

           The patient M. is a 26 year old married female who was brought to the ER by her husband after increased anxiety and depression worsened after a “spiritual attack” that lasted for over four days.  While in the ER the patient admitted to hearing multiple distant male and female voices all around her head and outside of her head.  She states not being able to make out the message but interprets them to be negative in nature. She told the ER Doc she felt people were trying to harm her and that “people in her life have used things against her.”  She felt her extended family may have used witchcraft and “chakra dolls” to cast spells on her.  She is cognizant of the strangeness of her claims but believes them to be real

More specifically, Freud traces the roots of all adult behaviors back to childhood impulses and showed how conflicts related to the development of sexuality in childhood subsequently results in psychopathology or neuroses. (Good & Beitman)

Humanistic theory that focuses on the individual in client- centered therapy. The therapist is able to perceive the client as they see themselves and are able to feel empathy towards the client. As far as schizophrenia, the humanistic approach would be to help the client though the stress, thoughts, and feelings that they feel. Although, it is uncertain what exactly causes schizophrenia, scientists generally believe that it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors (Health R. B., 2017). There are two interventions that I will use in Johns case one will be family intervention. Family intervention involves a series of therapy sessions with the individual with schizophrenia and the family and friends involved in the life of the client. Studies have shown that positive benefits of a strong support network are particularly beneficial to help people to cope with symptoms of schizophrenia (Chow, 2015). This invention will be beneficial in John’s case because he and his family and friends have been distant and family is said to be the most vital part of recover. Another would have to be psychotherapy. This intervention is usually recommended in addition to medication. Psychotherapy not can help the client maintain medications but can help them regain social learning and occupational skills. In John’s case this would help him regain the skills necessary for him to gain employment back in to the university (Chow,