Schizophrenia And Its Hold Over Us Today

The human’s ability to take down challenges emotionally and mentally has weakened so much that depression has become one of the most common diseases of the world. The stress that humans take because of minor or major things gradually tends to destroy the brain cells which in turn bring the mental strength to a relatively lower level of acceptance and tolerance.

Sometimes, increased depression, weakening of the brain cells or some inherited problem can lead to a chronic mental disorder which is known as schizophrenia.

What is schizophrenia? It is a severe mental disorder that has an effect on the thinking pattern of a person. It might seem that a person who is suffering from schizophrenia has lost touch with reality.

In this condition, the person cannot control his thoughts, emotions, and behavior which leads to his false perception of things and events that do not even exist in the real world. Fantasy and false delusions take over his reality and he believes them to be so real that gradually starts deviating from the real world.

In addition to traditional medical care, it is beneficial to combine clinical hypnotherapy along with cognitive behavioral therapy to complement existing treatment for schizophrenia. This way the brain of the person is conditioned to think in a way that it sways from false illusions without depending or getting addicted to the medicines.

These are some schizophrenia cases which have overcome the condition and improved drastically because of cognitive behavioral therapy:

Advice For Getting Treatment For Schizophrenia

It has been forty-five years since the sixty-four-year old Tina has been hearing voices. She had been hospitalized 4 times during this time following some major events like her mother’s death and her brother’s alcoholism which resulted in violence towards her.

Her major problems are that she thinks that these voices have an external source (the central heating system), lack of confidence in herself, and resorting in solitude. She not only refuses to accept the fact that there might be something wrong with her, but also deny taking any medication to get rid of this problem, but she did agree to meet a therapist who will listen to the things that are bothering her.

She has been working as a caregiver in a rest home and used to be a very cheerful person with a likable sense of humor.

Treatment:

The therapist used the ABC model of cognitive behavioral therapy to treat Tina. In this method, the subject is introduced to an unfavorable situation. When the subject reacted to the situation in an unfavorable manner, the therapist used CBT to condition her to think in a positive manner.

He held a book in front of her and read what was written on the back of its cover whereas made her read the front cover. Subsequently, she realized that there are many angles of seeing a particular thing. Rational beliefs and a positive approach can help in reshaping the thought process and emotions in a positive way which, in turn, will help in overcoming the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Results:

After twenty-two sessions, Tina was stopped receiving the therapy and there was a significant improvement in her personality. She had gained some self-confidence and also started going out with her friends.

Her general functioning and mood had become positive, but she continued to hear the voices and was adamant that they came from the central heating system. The voices had become benign and were seen as a conversation between two partners. Generally, these voices would remind her of her duties like vacuuming and writing cards to family.

Understanding The Inner Workings Of A Schizophrenia Patients Mind

Case History:

Carol is a twenty-six-year-old female who belongs to a Christian family and was the third of five children. Her family gave a lot of importance to academics and career and she was very good at it as well. She passed her first year of college with passing grades and later had to leave because of her psychological issues. She experienced auditory hallucinations and delusions which made her believe that she was good for nothing and incapable of doing any task.

In seven years, she was hospitalized multiple times with the very last being for twelve months. When she was discharged, her psychiatrist referred her for psychotherapy.

Treatment:

The focus of her treatment was the conditions that lead her to the voices and hallucinations. The therapist asked her to record the events of daily life from morning to night and see which of them make her feel better and which ignite anxiety.

The recorded reactions helped Carol in understanding her likes, dislikes, and interests. It was inferred that she significantly overestimated or underestimated her ability to control her behavior and emotions, the situations and other people around her.

Results:

Her behavioral treatment lasted for three years with a one-year follow in which she was not hospitalized even for a single time. Carol’s impaired self-esteem was improved significantly by identifying positive events from her life, no matter how minute they were.

She also showed major improvements in her professional life and in her relationships with her friends and family.

Cognitive behavioral therapy emphasizes on eliminating all the negative factors that hinder the performance of any person and leads him to become a victim of schizophrenia. The ABC model is designed to ignite positive feelings, emotions, and thought processes of a person which will lead him to improve his relationship with himself, his family, his friends, and his society.