Catherine Le Kristy Flores Period 6

Vignette A 22-year-old unmarried white man presents to the clinic with his mother. He states that he messed up on his taxes. Then he says that he came to realization that there was a flaw in the tax system and was convinced from then on that government agents were out to get him. He says that assassins dressed up as bikers are tracing his “mental activity.” He says he hears voices outside his house of people talking about how they’re going to kill him.

Definition Schizophrenia – a psychotic disorder involving distortions in thoughts, perceptions, and/or emotions Literally, “split or broken mind”

Major Types of Schizophrenia Disorganized Type Their speech make no sense (word salad) Hallucinations, delusions, bizarre behavior Catatonic Type Catatonic stupor Still for long periods of time emotionless Catatonic excitement Agitated and hyperactive

Major Types of Schizophrenia Paranoid Type Think people are out to get you illogical and delusional Undifferentiated Type Do not completely fit with any of the previous types Have some symptoms of each Residual Type Experienced schizophrenia before but now have no major symptoms

Categories of Symptoms Positive symptoms Active processes, such as hallucinations and delusions Negative symptoms Passive processes, such as social withdrawal and thought deficiency

Treatment Successful treatment depends upon both drug and psychosocial therapies Often need life-long treatment Antipsychotic medication Chlozapine, thorazine, haloperidol Usually prevents suicide, minimizes rehospitalization, and improves social functioning Therapy Behavioral techniques, such as social skills training It can improve social and working functioning.

Facts More than 2.7 million Americans now have schizophrenia More mental health hospital beds are occupied by persons with schizophrenia than any other illness Thought disorder is the most profound change seen in a person with schizophrenia There is a higher risk of developing schizophrenia if there is a close family member who has already been diagnosed with the condition, but you don’t have to have it in the family to develop it The movie Beautiful Mind has the story of a math genius who was suffering from schizophrenia

More Facts Those with schizophrenia: Mary Todd Lincoln (wife of Abraham Lincoln) Eduard Einstein (son of Albert Einstein) John Nash (mathematician/Nobel Peace Prize winner) Tom Harrell (jazz musician)

20 th century English artist Louis Wain painted these pictures over the period of time in which he developed schizophrenia

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