1. Essay
TREATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
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(25th, January, 2011)

2. Essay
Treatment of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by disintegration of emotional responses
as well as thought processes and often manifested by auditory hallucinations, bizarre delusions,
paranoid or disorganized speech and thinking accompanied by significant occupational or social
dysfunction (leff, & sturgeon, 1985).
The disorder is diagnosed based on the patients reported experiences and on the observed
behaviour. Treatment of schizophrenia depends on the severity of the symptoms that patients
show hence some of them may be treated as outpatients or even be hospitalized. Currently the
disease can be treated using various approaches like the biological, psychodynamic, learning-
based, psychosocial-rehabilitation and family intervention (Leff, & Sturgeon, 1985).
The psychological intervention plays a crucial role in the comprehensive program for
healing of the disorder and in involves the use of family area interventions which have been
proofed to yield positive effects especially on the course of illness when the family program is
included. it includes programs that help people to and achieve goals in their lives and a variety of
approaches used include: case management, centre or clubhouse based programs, counseling as
well as housing programs that has a built-in support or even outside support.
The family approach of treating the disease includes conducting of family counseling
which helps the patients and their family members to understand about the disease and how to
ménage it. the counseling involve teaching them about the treatments being offered and gain an
understanding of the pros and cons of each type of treatment and to make them be in position to
discuss them with the physician making everyone to be a partner in the care provided for the
patient. The family treatment can either be applied or supportive. The family intervention
includes focusing on both the family and individual sessions on issues with education, problem

3. Essay
solving, crisis prevention and behavioral training and all serve to reduce the relapse (Leff, &
Sturgeon, 1985).
The biological treatment of schizophrenia primarily consists of use of neuropletics which
are drugs that are prescribed in a relatively standard manner (chlorpromazine equivalent). The
neuroleptics administered often become less effective especially for the type of schizophrenia
that shows negative symptoms. The biological treatment of schizophrenia can also be performed
by using the bipolarity of drugs and it’s through this method that the resistant schizophrenia can
be mobilized. Other biological methods of treatments and new prospects in the chemotherapy are
also put into consideration. Most of the treatments are given in tablet form and should be taken
long enough to be able to control the symptoms as well as prevent the relapse. Some patients fail
to respond to traditional antipsychotic medications but usually get good results especially when
administered with recently developed mediations.
Features of the various sexual dysfunctions
Sexual dysfunction is the inability of an individual to enjoy sex resulting to reduction of
normal psychological changes that are often brought by sexual arousal. These sexual
dysfunctions are classified according to their phase of occurrence in the sexual cycle. They are
normally caused by temporary factors such as fatigue, alcohol, drugs or sickness.
First, sexual dysfunction is the hypoactive desire which is a disinterest in sexual activity
and it often results from participation in the sexual intercourse just as a simple marital duty.
Another disorder is the aversion to sex and in this case a sexual activity repulses an individual or
even makes them become unusually apprehensive (Segraves, & Balon, 2009).
Erectile dysfunction is the inability of males to attain an erection or sustain it long
enough for coitus and in females the inability to be sexually aroused is called sexual arousal

4. Essay
disorder. Premature ejaculation is the inability of men to control ejaculation process hence
making it occur before any sexual satisfaction relations take place in their partners. The lack of
or delay in attaining orgasm in female is called inhibited orgasm while in males is ejaculatory
incompetence. Others are the usual pain disorders which are the dyspareunia which involve pain
occurring during a sexual, intercourse and the vaginismus which is a female disorder in which
there is an involuntary spasmodic muscle contractions at the entrance of the vagina hence
attempt to have an intercourse result to a painful sexual experience (Segraves, & Balon, 2009).

5. Essay
References
Leff, J., K. & Sturgeon, D. (1985). A Controlled Trial of Social Intervention in the Families of
Schizophrenic Patients. British journal of psychiatry, 146, 584-601.
Segraves, R, T & Balon, R. (2009). Clinical Manual of Sexual Disorders. New York: American
Psychiatric Pub.