The Lack of Insight in Schizophrenia - 1653 Words

The Lack of Insight in Schizophrenia In my lifetime, I have spent months with my Grandmother, Florence Ernstead, who is a diagnosed paranoid delusional schizophrenic. During this time I have realized that schizophrenics have difficulty realizing the seriousness of their disorders. This inability to acknowledge a problem is known by psychiatrists as lack of insight. Many psychotic patients, especially schizophrenics, display a lack of insight into their disorder (Keefe 9). Lack of insight refers to an unawareness of having a disorder, unawareness of having psychotic symptoms, and a refusal of treatment. Some scientists include other more specific aspects such as patients views on cause of their disorder and/or symptoms,†¦show more content†¦Lack of insight is definitely correlated with frontal lobe abnormalities as shown by studies of anosognosia and Alzheimers disease. There is a possibility, then, that anosognosia and schizophrenia have a common cause for lack of insight (Ghaemi 786). There are other neurological impairments in schizophrenics. According to Husted, studies have shown that many patients with schizophrenia have small hippocampi, enlarged ventricles, and possibly communication damage between the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Unfortunately, there is not enough evidence to for any of these abnormalities including fr ontal lobe dysfunction to be necessary or sufficient for the diagnosis of schizophrenia (37). Many scientists have found some association between frontal lobe dysfunction and schizophrenia, but just as many have also found no association. Dickerson, Boronow, Ringel, and Parente did comprehensive neuropsychological testing including the Vocabulary, Arithmetic, Digit Span, Block Design, and Digit Span subtests of the patient, the Logical Memory test of the Wechsler Memory Scale, the Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Trail Making Test, the Halstead-Wepman Aphasia Screening Test, and theShow MoreRelatedAddressing Metacognitive Capacity For With Schizophreni A Conceptual Model Of The Key Tasks And Processes757 Words   |  4 PagesAddressing Metacognitive Capacity for Self-reflection in the Psychotherapy for Schizophrenia: A conceptual model of the key tasks and processes. †¢ Summarize the following key points from the Concept Analysis: o The Lysaker, Buck Carcione, Procacci, Salvatore, Nicolo, and Dimaggio (2010) purposely conducted the analysis to recognize that psychotherapy can play a bigger role in recovery in patients with schizophrenia in order to help them cope with their dysfunction and live a more meaningful lifeRead MoreSchizophrenia And Its Treatment : Welfare And Institutions Code Section 5008 ( L )1635 Words   |  7 PagesLori Mc Allen English 120 Professor Iwamoto 23 September 2015 Schizophrenia and its Treatment Welfare and Institutions code section 5008 (h)(1) (A) defines the term â€Å"gravely disabled† as a condition in which a person, as a result of a mental disorder, is unable to provide for his or her basic personal needs for food, clothing, or shelter. One of the most difficult of these mental illnesses to treat is Schizophrenia. There are many reasons for this medical dilemma, not the least of these, the diseaseRead MoreThe Quiet Room : A Journey Out Of The Torment Of Madness1464 Words   |  6 PagesBook Summary The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness is an insightful book which revolves around Lori Schiller, who at age 17 started her downward spiral into psychosis induced by schizophrenia, and subsequently recovering enough by her early thirties to regain control over her life. The book is a culmination of Lori’s experiences and those close to her during her treatment. In her note to the reader, Lori explains that the variation of ‘voices’ in the book is to give an accurateRead MorePeople Have An Affinity Connection With The Land And Spirits1161 Words   |  5 Pages(Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2012-13 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health survey: first results, table 19). In this discussion, I will be addressing the key points and factors in â€Å"topic 7 Voices and Visions† focusing on schizophrenia, psychosis and the minimal available help for Indigenous people. Key Points Loss of a loved one triggers hurt and grief. It could be argued when experiencing â€Å"The seven stages of grieving† you could encounter a psychosis attack. AccordingRead MoreStigma, Perception, And Behavior1484 Words   |  6 PagesStigma of Schizophrenia in Different Cultures 45 University of Florida Schizophrenia, an often misunderstood brain disorder, faces unjust judgment in the United States due to inaccurate depictions prevalent in our media, and sensationalizing articles using mental illness to elicit a high consumer response to maximise profit. These factors have served to paint schizophrenics in an unfavorable light, generalizing them as uncontrollable dangers to society. It’s no surprise that the amountRead MoreThe Major Types and Possible Causes of Schizophrenia1082 Words   |  4 PagesSchizophrenia is a severe, debilitating disabling disease. There are more than two million Americans who suffer with schizophrenia in any given year. Some of the symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations, delusions, apathy, lack of emotion, disorganized thoughts, difficulty concentrating or following instructions and memory problems. There are no lab tests to diagnose schizophrenia and most times the patient is misdiagnosed with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or major depr ession (Daily schizophreniaRead MoreIs Schizophrenia A Serious Mental Illness?934 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to others. It is a complex, long-term medical illness Affects about 1% of Americans. The average age of onset tends to be in the late teens to the early 20s for men, and the late 20s to early 30s for women. Patho We do not completely understand the patho of the disease however, Neuroimaging studies show differences between the brainsRead MoreSchizophrenia The Challenging Mental Illness Essay961 Words   |  4 PagesSchizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by the breakdown of the thought processes, of emotional responsiveness and of contact with reality. The term schizophrenia itself means â€Å"fragmented mind.† A person with this disorder has trouble with deciphering between what is â€Å"real† and what is â€Å"unreal†. (Gur Johnson, 2006) Symptoms of schizophrenia can be divided into five categories: psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive impairment, mood problems, and behavioralRead MorePrimary Neurological Brain Abnormalities And Individuals With Schizophrenia960 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction There are primary neurological brain abnormalities in individuals with schizophrenia. According to Fusar-Poli (2009), schizophrenia is delineated by prefrontal activity and elevated striatal dopaminergic functions. These elevations in striatal dopamine activity and prefrontal cortical dysfunctions (Fusar-Poli, 2009). Along with other abnormalities in white matter as well as, having been observed in the right superior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, bilateral parahippocampalRead MoreAn Examination Of Attitudes, Beliefs, And Understanding Of Mental Illness1449 Words   |  6 PagesWest African descent. Relevant literature specifically focussed at the British West African demographic is extremely scarce, with primary focus in this area being on African American individuals, hence the benefit of the proposed study, providing insight into beliefs and attitudes towards mental illness from the perspective of British West Africans. Ward, E. C., Wiltshire, J. C., Detry, M. A., Brown, R. L. (2013) ‘African American men and women’s attitudes towards mental illness perceptions of