Psychological disorders and treament - Essay Example

With this, the schizophrenic patient will be expected to display two or more of the characteristics: Delusions Hallucinations Disorganized speech Grossly disorganized behavior Negative symptoms 3. The duration of the experience for diagnosis is generally: 1 month of characteristic symptoms With 6 months of social/occupational dysfunction 4. The exclusion criteria are: Schizoaffective mood disorders Direct consequence of substance use or general medical condition Pervasive developmental disorders These diagnostic guidelines published in "Schizophrenia" by Steven R.

Hirsch & Daniel Roy Weinberger (2003, Pages 10-11) can help in determining whether or not a patient has the symptoms of Schizophrenia, but they do not point to a clear cause for the disease. Research in Schizophrenia has developed around the Dopamine hypothesis, due to the effectiveness of Dopamine receptor blocking medications in the treatment of the disease historically. These are classified into typical anti-psychotics (Thorazine, Haldol) and atypical anti-psychotics (Aripiprazole/Abilify, Olanzapine/Zyprexa, Seroquel/Quetiapine, etc.). Atypical anti-psychotics may be more effective and have a significantly reduced occurrence of side effects like Tardive Dyskinesia, but may still lead to substantial weight gain in patients.

There is some controversy over the ethicality of the medications as administrated, but findings of effectiveness in typical anti-psychotic medications in the treatment of Schizophrenia led to the belief that Dopamine receptor blocking medications did assist in the alleviation of symptoms in patients and general improvement. (Lieberman, 2005) From this the latest atypical anti-psychotics seek to build upon Dopamine receptor blocking to extend to other neuro-chemical receptors in the brain, such as 5-HT2, Glutamate, or Serotonin.

A receptor blocking medication of an atypical anti-psychotic may be prescribed to be taken at night, and a Serotonin receptor blocking agent like Prozac or Zoloft taken in the morning. This may be considered the most viable treatment for chronic patients suffering schizophrenic symptoms. Nevertheless, not all researchers are convinced that the Dopamine hypothesis illustrates the cause of schizophrenia, and there is a historical debate between the psychogenic origin of the disease, as advocated by Jung and others, and the genetic or neuro-chemical hypotheses.

Some have suggested, like Bateson, that a “double bind” situation in the family or society could be the cause of the disease as an outgrowth of neurosis. (Guillaume, 2011) The social defeat hypothesis analyzes the prevalence of Schizophrenia among the poor, suggesting that there may be socio-economic issues relating to stress, diet, and learned patterns of defeat that cause Schizophrenia. (Selten & Cantor-Graae, 2005) However, it is also generally supposed that the schizophrenic patients have a genetic propensity to the disease that is heightened when stress, traumatic events, abuse, or social problems overwhelm the individual and lead to an onset of the disease.

The orthomolecular approach has targeted vitamin therapies as a “cure” to Schizophrenia popularly, but these are largely not replicable in scientific clinical studies. Vitamins