Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects the lives of patients diagnosed with the condition on multiple levels, as evident from the individual in question. The 37-year-old male I encountered in the clinical setting was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his late 20s, yet he did not proceed to receive treatment until years later. It was inevitable that his symptoms were negatively affecting his social, economic, and romantic life, and the patient himself realized the challenges that were a result of his condition.
The person in question lives a relatively isolated life and maintains little contact with a few family members. Schizophrenia presented itself in both negative and positive symptoms. The positive ones included hallucinations and delusions. Specifically, the patient was experiencing auditory hallucinations that he described as hearing voices. I have also encountered a patient with auditory hallucinations prior, yet they were not as frequent and did not impact the individual’s actions or behavior. Moreover, the delusions presented themselves as the person’s belief that he is being spied on. The negative symptoms included a lack of motivation and interest in pursuing goals, a relatively common symptom in patients with this diagnosis (Correll & Schooler, 2020). The patient has been on medication and frequently attends therapy sessions, which helps him control the positive symptoms. Certain medications did not give the desired effect, yet the current plan appears to be adequate.
If I were that person, I would like my nurse to understand that schizophrenia does not only affect how I view the world but also how I interact with it. Thus, I would let them know that I can be communicative and interactive in the right approach is applied. My fear would be being considered a lesser person because of my condition, which is why I would like to be more independent and taken into consideration when medical decisions are made.
References
Correll, C. U., & Schooler, N. R. (2020). Negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A review and clinical guide for recognition, assessment, and treatment. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Volume 16, 519–534. Web.