Schizophrenia Synthesis Essay, Research Paper

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, than in women, who are generally affected in the twenties to early thirties. Available treatments can relieve many symptoms, but most people with schizophrenia continue to suffer some symptoms throughout their lives; it has been estimated that no more than one in five individuals recovers completely. There are different ways of treatment, which were discussed in May and Palo Alto’s article and in Mark Vonnegut’s article. May and Alto suggested the old way of schizophrenia’s treatment and they were not effective. In Mark’s article, he suggested the latest way of treatment and ended his article by saying that there is no cure for schizophrenia and that much effort has gone into treating its symptoms.

After five years of investigatng schizophrenia mental disorder, May assessed five methods of treatment: Pharmacotherapy, Psychotherapy, Pharmacotherapy with Psychotherapy, electric shocks and milieu therapy (May Et Al, pg 56). The compensation does not from the patient, but from the satisfaction of the work done and to have defeated fears and prejudices. On the other hand, Palo Alto studied a considerable number of chronic patients. In the area of rehabilitation, some authors think that it should be a place in the shelter and others think that the mentally ill should do the same to avoid stigmatism and discrimination.

May suggestions were ineffective in which her way of treatments were not experimented to be able to observe the efficiency of these methods. I believe she thought that for every psychological problem they have to be treated by the electric shocks. On the other hand, her suggestions helped Alto in his studies on the schizophrenic people through his studies. I disagree on the way he thought it would be the way of treating, which is the rehabilitation. I think that changing the place will not affect the patients since the place does not matter but the problem is a psychological problem. I think he should have studied the reasons that make them suffer from this disease. I believe that the reasons might be the stimulating point for such a study rather than suggesting treatments without any observation, and using these treatments in another study.

In Mark’s Vonnegut’s article about schizophrenia, he suggested the latest schizophrenic treatments and diagnosis. He said that to meet the criteria for the diagnosis, the patient’s symptoms must have been evidenced for at least six months. The symptoms also must have been accompanied by a marked disturbance in either the patient’s social or occupational functioning and not caused by the direct physiological effects of a drug or medical condition. He wrote, “the timelines in the schizophrenia are important”(Vonnegut, Mark pg 74). If the active schizophrenic symptoms have persisted for less than a month, a diagnosis of brief psychotic disorder would be made. If the disorder persists in evidence for more than a month but less than six months, a diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder would be appropriate. He suggested that patients suffering from schizophrenia will go under three treatments: Antipsychotic ( neuroleptic drugs ), social treatment, and psychological treatment. The social treatment involves attention being paid to the patient’s environment and social functioning. In their psychological treatment, this consists of reassurance, support, and a good therapist relationship. In his article, he added that “there is no cure for schizophrenia and that much effort has gone into treating its symptoms”(Vonnegut, Mark,1972, pg76).

In Vonnegut’s article, he had his studies on his observations and suggested the effective treatments in treating the symptoms since there is no cure for the schizophrenia. He clearly stated the treatments he came up with after his observations, and they were so effective in treating the symptoms. I believe that his way of studying the schizophrenia cases were helpful especially that he observed them for a long time for about six months. Vonnegut’s studied all the different ways of treating from social treatment to psychological treatment showing what he observed and how he got to his observations.

May and Alto’s results were both suggested without experimenting and observing them. I believe that her suggestions were based on her believes that the schizophrenia is not a mental disease but like the other psychological disease that can be treated easily and cured with any come up suggestions. On the other hand, Alto based his studies and his rehabilitation suggestion on May’s suggestions. In which, his observations was in a way to prove that May’s suggestions were right. In addition, Alto did not even try to look for the real reasons for any the psychological schizophrenia problem. Both May and Alto’s suggestions were in effective. On the contrary, Vonnegut’s article clearly stated his studies through observations on different cases he studied for a long time so that he will be certain of his observations. He did not depend on any of the previous suggestions, which turned out to be ineffective. After comparing the three articles I believe that the Mark’s way of treatment was much effective especially that he wrote in his article that there is no cure for schizophrenia but it is a treatment for the symptoms trying to keep the patient stable at the most of his independent level possible.

In conclusion, schizophrenia is the chronic brain disease that is caused by many reasons and has many symptoms, which drove many researchers to work on it seeking the best treatment for it. Vonnegut said:”Schizophrenia is not a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Schizophrenia is an abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation too”. Both May and Alto’s studies did not provide good reasoning and observations. While Mark Vonnegut’s article provided good reasoning and suggestions based on studies and a long time observations.References:

1.Clipson, Clark R., 1998, Schizophrenia Case Study, Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology, page 67-78, Boston.2. Dalby, J. Thomas, 1997, The treatment of the chronic patient, Mental Disease in History, page 49-69, New York.