Schizophrenia: Psychiatry and New York
Schizophrenia and the Benefits of Music Therapy
Casey Drum
Molloy College
“To an observer, the bizarre behaviors and speech of a schizophrenic are disturbing. For the schizophrenic, the world is a confusing maze of nightmares from which one cannot wake up.” (Abramovitz, 2002, p.8) Schizophrenia is a disease that is not curable. Even though there are many therapies and medicines to help people who have schizophrenia there is no cure.
“Schizophrenia is a serious mental disease that affects a person’s thoughts, behavior, moods, and ability to work and relate to others. (Ambramovitz, 2002, p.8) People with schizophrenia usually have a hard time differentiating what is real from what is imagined putting the disease under the term psychosis. When a person is diagnosed as having a psychotic disorder they usually have a hard time comprehending that they are mentally ill because the hallucinations and delusions are so real to the person.
There are several types of symptoms for Schizophrenia. Some of the most known are the positive symptoms, which are hallucinations, delusions and inappropriate behavior. There are also negative symptoms, which are lack of emotions and behaviors otherwise known as blunted emotions. Finally there is a third group of symptoms called disorganized. This group includes disorganized speech, behavior and thinking. For example: “A person with schizophrenia, when asked if he wants a cup of coffee, might reply that there are no cows in New York” (Ambramovitz, 2002, p.14). “Schizophrenia and the symptoms that characterize it are understandable exaggerations of normal function and not exotic symptoms superimposed on the personality” (Strauss, 1969, p.585).
There have been problems with diagnosing schizophrenia because people can have schizophrenic symptoms in normal experiences. If a person is going through withdrawal one of the side effects are delusions. And because withdrawal can cause symptoms similar to schizophrenia it takes
Casey Drum
Molloy College
“To an observer, the bizarre behaviors and speech of a schizophrenic are disturbing. For the schizophrenic, the world is a confusing maze of nightmares from which one cannot wake up.” (Abramovitz, 2002, p.8) Schizophrenia is a disease that is not curable. Even though there are many therapies and medicines to help people who have schizophrenia there is no cure.
“Schizophrenia is a serious mental disease that affects a person’s thoughts, behavior, moods, and ability to work and relate to others. (Ambramovitz, 2002, p.8) People with schizophrenia usually have a hard time differentiating what is real from what is imagined putting the disease under the term psychosis. When a person is diagnosed as having a psychotic disorder they usually have a hard time comprehending that they are mentally ill because the hallucinations and delusions are so real to the person.
There are several types of symptoms for Schizophrenia. Some of the most known are the positive symptoms, which are hallucinations, delusions and inappropriate behavior. There are also negative symptoms, which are lack of emotions and behaviors otherwise known as blunted emotions. Finally there is a third group of symptoms called disorganized. This group includes disorganized speech, behavior and thinking. For example: “A person with schizophrenia, when asked if he wants a cup of coffee, might reply that there are no cows in New York” (Ambramovitz, 2002, p.14). “Schizophrenia and the symptoms that characterize it are understandable exaggerations of normal function and not exotic symptoms superimposed on the personality” (Strauss, 1969, p.585).
There have been problems with diagnosing schizophrenia because people can have schizophrenic symptoms in normal experiences. If a person is going through withdrawal one of the side effects are delusions. And because withdrawal can cause symptoms similar to schizophrenia it takes
References: Abramovitz, M. (2002). Schizophrenia. San Diego, Calif: Lucent Books Arieti, S. (1974). Interpretation of schizophrenia. New York: Basic Books. Bruscia, K. E. (1991). Case studies in music therapy. Phoenixville, PA: Barcelona Publishers Cox, D., & Cowling P. (1989) Are you normal? London: Tower Press. Kingdon, D. G., & Turkington, D. (1994). Cognitive-behavioral therapy of schizophrenia. New York: Guiford Press. Skelly, C. G., & Haslerud, G. M. (1952). Music and the general activity of apathetic schizophrenics. University of New Hampshire. Strauss, J. S. (1969). Hallucinations and delusions as points on continua function. Archives of General Psychiatry, 21, 581-586.