The Effects of Schizophrenia on the Family Life Cycle
Families respond to issues affecting them in different ways. One way to examine how a family reacts to situations occurring throughout their lifetimes is through the context of the family life cycle. Family life cycle theory divides the life course of a family into a series of stages that define individuals within a family system (Berge et al., 2012). The family life cycle model, described by Carter and McGoldrick in 2005, focuses on transitions that take place over different stages of the life course. This paper will examine how having a child diagnosed with schizophrenia affects the family life cycle stages and will examine possible methodologies for treating the family in a therapeutic context.
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects about one percent of the population (Marley, 2014). It affects both males and females and the average onset of the disease is in the late teens and early adulthood (Miller & Mason, 2010). Symptoms that characterize this disease include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and impaired cognitive ability (Patel et al., 2014). These symptoms can occur in combination and can be chronic and severe for many patients (Marley, 2014. The exact cause
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Their theory focuses on key concepts and changes across the life span of the family and its members. Schizophrenia can have a significant impact on the life cycle of the family. Family members provide much of the care for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. These caregivers can be left trying to come to terms with the difficult task of understanding the effects of the illness. Using the framework defined by McGoldrick and Carter, it is possible to examine the effects of schizophrenia on the life cycle of the family (Marley, 2014).
Leaving Home: The Single Young
Without the right amalgam of medication, therapy, and care from friends and family, a schizophrenic’s condition would worsen to, possibly, the end of their life (Pies 1). Naomi Haskell aided her 19-year old son and his struggle with schizophrenia by driving him everywhere, buying him his own apartment, and helping to make sure he was fine. She did this in hopes of giving him the normal life he deserved (McCrummen). “Naomi starts to cry. If he is feeling better, she knows it might be the start of a manic phase.
The book Room for J: A Family Struggles with Schizophrenia, written by Daniel Hanson, depicts the difficulties of dealing with mental illness from the perspective of a father with a schizophrenic son. Daniel Hanson’s son, Joel Hanson, exhibits many of the debilitating symptoms associated with schizophrenia, such as grandiose beliefs, religious delusion, agitation, paranoia, and excitability. Joel, who is often referred to as J throughout the book, developed these severe symptoms as a young adult and although he did show signs of grandiosity and lack of emotional response during his childhood, J was not diagnosed until his early twenties. J’s parents first noticed abnormal behavior and thoughts when J became convinced that he was destined to be a professional basketball player and would not accept that his belief might not be possible.
Schizophrenia is an ominous word often associated with psychosis, delusions, as well as paranoia. Society supposedly understands how horrible symptoms like these make schizophrenia one of the worst mental diseases that one could live with, and the story of Elyn Saks is definitely no exception. In the memoir The Center Cannot Hold, Elyn R. Saks brings her readers through the harsh realities of living with schizophrenia, while also dealing with the stresses associated with high school, getting a college degree, while still maintaining relationships with family and friends. Saks had inadequate care as a child when her symptoms first began appearing, and being transferred through countries following school, and being passed from doctor to doctor
Lori Schiller described her journey of experience from living with a mental disorder, Schizophrenia, from her early adulthood until her current age when she wrote her story. Lori Schiller grew up in relatively “normal” middle class family with her father, mother, and two brothers. Her family and she are very close and she has almost daily contact with them as her disorder became to be unmanageable. This is important to note because throughout the novel, there are several chapters from the members of family and their own perspective of what was going on with Lori as well as their own feelings about it.
Supporting the DSM-5 checklist for a diagnosis of schizophrenia is the fact that the symptoms first began when Randy was in college and these have increased over time. The information provided on Randy’s family history, his school/social history, plus the description of his current lifestyle and the symptoms he now displays, could be used by the biological theorist
Introduction Authors Sands and Gellis (2012) state, the initial biopsychosocial assessment gathers information, summarizes and analyzes the findings related to the initial interview with a client. Other sources of data such as significant others, medical results. In addition, other data sources can be utilized such as neighbors, coworker’s friends, and medical results (Sands & Gellis, 2012). The biopsychosocial-spiritual, and spiritual components of an individual. It is imperative that when completing an assessment the mental health care provider focuses on treating the client like an individual and a diagnostic category (Sands & Gellis, 2012).
From a Friends for Mental Health article titled “Children living with a mentally ill parent,” by Jaimie Byrne, the prospect of living with a mentally ill parent is said to be “chaotic, disorganized, and filled with tension,” if the proper steps towards understanding the mental illness are not made naturally. The article encourages children to fully acknowledge the fact that their parent(s) are “sick,” -- as physical illness is a common ground for young people, a concept which they can grasp -- and that they are in need of support and acceptance in order to live a fulfilling and healthy home life. They must also educate themselves on the mental illness and what to say when a parent’s mental illness is at its worst. Living with a mentally ill parent is completely possible, and should not be used as an excuse for neglect. There are simply more things to take note of and to do in order to maintain a strong parent-child relationship.
In recent years, the general trend has progressed towards the biogenetic endorsement of Schizophrenia. The biogenetic model focuses on combining two previous models, genetic and biological, into one coherent framework (Angermeyer et al 152). By doing this, the hope that the negatives of one model would be balanced out with the positives of the other model. For example, a consequence of endorsing the genetic model was a phenomena called genetic essentialism. In a case study by Nicolas Rusch, he defines genetic essentialism as a mindset that “…implies that genes are the unchangeable basis of a person’s identity…” which subsequently increased the prejudice against the diagnosed (Rusch pg 328).
There is a growing complexity and diversity in families. Family systems theory provides a foundation for analysis of such complex and diversified families, making it easy to understand for effective therapy (Zastrow &
Could Mccandless’ Psychological Disorders Lead him Into the WIld The novel Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a story about Christopher Mccandless, a 24 year old who was found dead in the Alaskan wilderness in September of 1992. Mccandless could be described as ambitious, non-conforming, and idealistic for changing his life around and living his dream. But he was different in that he was an oddball and his behavior confused people.
In mapping this communication, the eight principles measured by Brown may become apparent not only to the therapist, but for the first time, the family may be able to see just how their functions are impeding the balance of their family and condoning strong exhibitions of universal traits within particular family members. The Bowen family therapy approach is invested in the intergenerational processes that are prevalent between generations (Bohlinger, 2010). By increasing differentiation between family members and between the generations, if possible, giving each triangle meaning rather than repetitive opportunities at increasing anxiety (Bohlinger, 2010). Focusing on this historical perspective, the origin of the family and environmental factors that surround the progress of this family, the genogram focuses itself on growth and self-actualization as the ultimate goal for the intervention (Nichols,
Negative symptoms are highly prevalent amongst schizophrenia patients and therefore, may help predict poorer social outcomes, such as social stagnation (Dlabac-de Lange, Knegtering & Aleman,
Modern Family is a hilarious sitcom that depicts the diversity of today’s American family and is one of the highest rated comedy shows on TV. The show, which is produced by ABC was a success from the first season with over seven million viewers and grew to more than fourteen million views by season three. The shows underlying message, that there is more than just one kind of family and that we are all crazy is done with a kind humor that is a refreshing change from the modern reality TV we now see on most nights. The comedy combined with diversity and great acting makes this show attracting to a broad range of viewers and proves that everyone loves a good laugh. One reason Modern Family has been a continued success over the years is their dedication to what the show was made to be, a comedy.
How can we define “schizophrenia”? Introduction: “The schizophrenia has its own paradise, in the same way as it´s hell and purgatory” The Perception´s Doors (1954) Schizophrenia: A severe psychotic disorder characterized by a loss of contact with reality and the disintegration of the personality.
I believe that every family has their own roots, essence, uniqueness, beliefs and thoughts, some families have both parents, some just the mother, just the father, two mothers or two fathers, they might have an only child or two, or maybe 5 or even 10, therefore, those children start learning all these things from their family and surroundings, they ask questions, they imitate each other’s actions and are constantly learning and trying to catch as much information and experiences as possible. Children are growing fast, their parents are their role models, they learn mostly from them; parents have the tremendous job of forming good citizens that provide to society, healthy and happy beings that keep growing as humans in every stage of their