Schizophrenia

Schizophrenic

Thomas Rials

PSY270

9-14-2013

Richelle Whittaker

Schizophrenic

Tim exhibited many symptoms. His sleep patterns were skewed (sleeping during the day and awake at night). He talked to himself at night, shouted from the window and beat on things in the room. He was incoherent (had difficulty making sensible sentences). Tim was diagnosed with: (a) Axis I: schizophrenia, paranoid type, and (b) Axis II deferred.

The methods used to make a diagnosis were initially visits to a mental health agency in the United States for about 6 months. He then attended the same agency in the beginning of the 21st Century. At that time he was diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder. Years later he was a patient in a psychiatric hospital, where he was diagnosed with atypical depression and mixed personality disorders. Finally the following tests were administered (a) the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised: full scale IQ = 73, verbal scale IQ = 75, and performance scale IQ = 73, (b) the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory: invalid, (c) the House-tree-person Test had suggested that he had been suspicious and frightened, and (d) the Rorschach Test and the Thematic Apperception Test had suggested that he had had a great deal of difficulty in constructing stories and identifying recognizable images. I think a medical checkup would have been helpful as well as some pre treatment counseling and assessment by a native speaking therapist.

I think the sociocultural view can be attributed to this client without too much argument. Tim was brought to a country where he knew very few if any people, his parents (although not specified in the material), probably knew just as few. I think the adjustment to a new culture, language and behaviors may have aggravated his symptoms or even created them.

I like the treatment plan that the counselors came up with in the end. I don’t know that I would do too much differently. I think it would be important to evaluate...