Treating Schizoaffective Disorder

How is schizophrenia treated? What symptoms would we see with someone who is schizophrenic? What nursing interventions would we put in place? Treatment would include antipsychotic medications such clozapine a second-generation antipsychotic, it may take at least 6 weeks for full effect. Psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy and assertive community treatment and supportive therapy may be provided. Symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and catatonia may be noted. Interventions would include keeping environment quiet and as free of stimuli as possible, use simple words and keep direction simple, introducing tactics that can lower anxiety and minimize voiced and worrying

Drug therapy is the most common treatment, using antipsychotic drugs. Antipsychotic drugs aims to help patient function as well as possible and increasing patient’s feelings of well being.

For most individuals with schizophrenia, a thorough treatment plan is vital to assist with medication adherence, reduce hospitalization and to provide improvement in quality of life. Typically a prescription for antipsychotics is necessary not only to reduce positive

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

There are treatments for this mental illness in today’s society. Y.W. Francis Lam, Phar.D. says, “A thirty-two year old Hispanic male with paranoid schizophrenia was given aripiprazole (30mg/day) and low-dose clozapine (75mg/day). This patient showed clinical improvement, with significant reduction in paranoia, auditory hallucinations and aggression.” (Y.W. Francis Lam, Phar.D. “Aripiprazole and low-dose clozapine”) With today’s technology advancements there are many medicated treatments that could cure schizophrenic patients. Treatments for paranoid schizophrenia may require more than just taking the right

The introduction of Clozapine, marked a turning point in the treatment of schizophrenia, as the first "atypical" antipsychotic drug lacking the propensity to produce ‘extra-pyramidal symptoms’ (associated with the older antipsychotic agents) (Kane et al. 1988). Even though, Clozapine has not conclusively demonstrated its significantly superior record or efficacy for psychosis (Gardner et al. 2005), it has proven exceptional effectiveness, compared to other more traditional antipsychotics (Claghorn et al. 1987). However, Kane et al. (1988) and others have concluded, 30–60% of all schizophrenic patients who fail to respond to typical antipsychotics may respond therapeutically/effectively to Clozapine (Breier et al. (1994) & Iqbal et al. (2003)). This is especially apparent for refractory schizophrenia (Kane et al. 1988), treatment-resistant schizoaffective disorders (Zarate et al. 1995) and aggression (Cohen & Underwood, 1994).

There are numerous different types of medications that you can take with schizophrenia. There was “a 4-week of placebo-controlled trial in hospitalized patients with acute Schizophrenia.” “Risperidone was used as an active control in this study.” There are physiological treatments that include cognitive behavior therapy, family therapy and one-on-one therapy that contribute to help manage the schizophrenia. Anti-psychotic medicines are called “atypical”, it helps to contribute to improve and maintain symptoms. You can get them as injections, liquid form and also pills. You have to participate in a maintenance plan that helps to manage and prevent acute episodes from coming back

A treatment plan must be developed for each individual, which may consist of anti-schizophrenia medication, a strong support system (family, friends, groups) and appropriate therapy.

“Treatment has been revealed to be effective in minimizing the symptoms and in helping the person better cope with the disorder and improve social functioning” (Yogewary, 2014). Treatment for schizoaffective disorder can be categorized as pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic. It is shown that 87 percent of those treated for schizoaffective disorder use a combination of pharmacologic agents. Such agents include antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers. In fact, 93 percent of those diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder receive antipsychotics (Buckley, Cascade, Kalali, 2009). “Antipsychotic medications are an effective treatment for schizoaffective disorder for most, but not all, persons with this disorder. These drugs are not a “cure” for the disorder, but they can reduce symptoms and prevent relapses among the majority of people with the disorder” (“Facts About Schizoaffective”, n.d.). Lithium, a major mood stabilizer, is an important treatment. It can not only treat mania, but also prevent manic and depressive

Treatment of schizophrenia may vary according to what clinicians believe to be its causes. For example, some believe (and this is backed by evidence) that the condition is caused by over activity of the dopamine system, so that the person experiences too much stimulation. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, so that in effect too much activity is occurring in the brain. Clinicians who believe this is the case are likely to use drug therapies to correct this over activity, and will use antipsychotic drugs.

Antipsychotic medications are major tranquilizers that are used in people with psychological disorders referred to as psychosis. Patients suffering from these conditions hear voices, see things that are not there, and have a difficult time being in touch with reality. Diseases such as schizophrenia, severe bipolar disorder, and psychotic depression are most frequently

Antipsychotics are classified as major tranquilizers that are used to treat mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses. They can also treat severe depression and severe anxiety. These antipsychotics drugs reduce or increase the effect of neurotransmitters in the brain to regulate levels that help transfer information throughout the brain. The neurotransmitters that are affected are the serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline.

The Food and Drug Administration approves no medications for the treatment of schizotypal personality disorder. However, some medicines may be prescribed to help reduce certain symptoms i.e. psychotic episodes, or related conditions, such as depression or

Other medications are also used to assist with treating other symptoms of the disorder or side effects of the prescribed medication. Medications may be given to help alleviate or reduce anxiety, aggression, agitation, and other positive or negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Medications will not cure the disorder, but will assist the person with functioning better on a day to day basis. Once the symptoms begin to reduce or subside, the individual may become more open to other treatment options as well as increase the effectiveness of the other treatments (Preston, O'Neal & Talaga, 2010).

Some of the medications given to treat schizophrenics are thorazine, haldol, prolixin, etrafon, or trilafon. These medications are some of the original medications used. They are considered the conventional or “typical” antipsychotic medications used to treat the illness. Drugs like risperdal, geodon, zyprexa, abilify, invega and seroquel are all newer medications used to treat the illness. These medications are