Kathy+Lee+Schizo

//Schizophrenia// Kathy Lee Psychology A
 * __A Beautiful Mind__ **

Insulin shock therapy is a treatment John Nash receives in A beautiful Mind in order to treat Schizophrenia. In an insulin shock therapy, the patient is injected with insulin. John additionally took antipsychotic medicine which stopped his hallucinations. However, his hallucinations came back when he stopped taking the medicine. The therapy did help John's Schizophrenia, but was not the perfect treatment to cure his disorder. In the movie, John himself, overcomes his disorder. He was able to build trust in himself, and succeeded in dominating his mental illness. Insulin shock is a valiable clinical treatment. However, in my opinion, although overcoming one's own mental illness may be difficult, it is the healthiest way to cure a disorder.
 * 1. Was insulin shock therapy a viable clinical treatment?**

A Beautiful Mind was not exactly based on the real story of Schizophrenics. John Nash, in real life, did not have visual hallucinations. And most Schizophrenics depend mainly on their therapist to help their disorder, however John overcame his condition without medication. A Beautiful Mind just provides us with a glimpse of how it must feel like being a Schizophrenic. The movie may act as a light of hope for patients with Schizophrenia, but it is not realistic. Schizophrenic people have a difficult time living in the society just like normal people do. John's story may be referred as an extraordinary case.
 * 2. Was John Nash an unusual case, or do you think that many schizophrenic patients can be taught to function in society with without medication?**

Patients going through insulin shock therapy are injected with large amounts of hormone insulin. Insulin is used to regulate the body's use of glucose for energy. This makes the patient calm and eased, which is beneficial for people with Schizophrenia. However, sometimes the body develops problems while reacting to insulin--blood sugar levels may rise above normal. Also, another outcome may be the hypoglycemia which makes patients extremely restless, sweaty, and liable to further convulsions.
 * 3. What are the dangers and/or advantages of this type of treatment (re: insulin shock therapy)?**

In the 1960s and 1970s insulin shock therapy (ICT) and synthetic chemical chlorpromazine (CPZ) was used as treatment for schizophrenia. Today, most of the schizophrenic patients choose antipsychotics and ICT, regardless of the fact that CPZs may be safer. However, we cannot yet say that there is a definite cure for Schizophrenia. It's just the matter of what treatment the patients choose more.
 * 4. What is the difference between the treatment of schizophrenia in 1960-1970 and today?**

There exists paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual schizophrenia. Nash, in this case, has paranoid schizophrenia, which is characterized by delusions and auditory hallucinations, but normal intellectual functioning. The worst case of schizophrenia is considered to be the 'disorganized schizophrenia' because people with this type of disorder are not able to live a normal life. They make speeches and behaviors that are difficult to understand for normal people. It would be considered a big hindrance to have difficulties living a normal life. The schizophrenic would not have the ability to live independently at all. The least worst would be undifferentiated-type schizophrenia. Although undifferentiated-type patients would have a mixture of some symptoms shown in most of the other types of schizophrenic disorders, it is very mild, thus, not enough to define it as a particular type of schizophrenia. It wouldn't give much difficulty living individually in the society.
 * 5. What are the various types of schizophrenia? Which would you consider the worst case to have? The least worst? Explain why for each.**

Today there are many types of treatments used to help schizophrenics. Medication treatment, antipsychotic medication, and psychosocial treatments are all types of treatments being pioneered for schizophrenia. However, I believe prescription of antipsychotic drugs is the most popular treatment. Antipsychotics reduce the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia and allow the patient to function more effectively and appropriately. They are considered the best treatment now available.
 * 6. What treatments are being pioneered today for schizophrenia?**