¶ … Treatment for a Person Who Is Suffering From Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is commonly considered to be one of the most severe of all mental illnesses, with a relatively poor treatment prognosis. Although understanding of the disorder has expanded considerably in recent decades, there is no 'foolproof' treatment or cure for schizophrenia, nor is there a conclusive diagnostic instrument like a blood test for any mental disorder to suggest that the patient is manifesting a particular disease.
Diagnosis
Schizophrenia has a strong heritable component: close family members with the disorder will dramatically increase the subject's own tendency to manifest the abnormality. Identical twins, for example, are more likely to be schizophrenic than non-identical twins (Durand & Barlow 2012: 36). However, diagnosis of the illness can be challenging, given the diffuse types of the disorder and the many different symptoms sufferers can manifest. For example, there are so-called 'negative' signs of schizophrenia such as a lack of affect in emotional situations that would normally provoke emotional responses in other people and 'positive' signs such as the more florid hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia that the public tends to think of as the most obvious signs of this mental illness (Durand & Barlow 2012: 456-459).
He or she may be misdiagnosed as being high on drugs (particularly common at first glance in an emergency room). Also, the lack of affect may cause major depression to be diagnosed or bipolarity if the sufferer is in the thick of a delusional episode.
Barriers to treatment: Personal
Once the patient has received a diagnosis, however, barriers to treatment may continue. Seeking out the right blend of counseling and drug treatment may be a challenge. There is no conclusive 'one-size-fits-all' treatment for schizophrenia, although most effective treatments consist of a combination of both drugs and counseling (particularly in life skills such as relating to others, which is a major challenge for persons with schizophrenia). Also, the drugs which are used to treat schizophrenia often have severe side effects which can make treatment compliance particularly challenging for the sufferer on a personal level. Both the patient and the family may resist being labeled as possessing such a severe mental illness, which can further complicate treatment (Durand & Barlow 2012: 493).
Barriers to treatment: Social
It should be noted that not…
