Schizophrenia Essay -- Schizophrenia Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the 1950s, mentally disordered people who were harmful to society and themselves could be treated with medications and were able to return safely to their communities. During the 1980s, the cost of health care increased more than any other cost in our national economy. As a result, strategic planning has been made to reduce costs. â€Å"The political decision made to deinstitutionalize chronic mental patients started with the appearance of phenothiazine medications. Dramatically reducing the instability influenced by psychosis, these medications were of great significance to many individuals with serious mental disorders. At both the state and federal levels, legislators looked at the high cost of long-term psychiatric hospitalization. Social scientists guaranteed them that community-based care would be in the best interests of all concerned: the mentally ill and the general, tax-paying public (Barry 13).† It was believed that a social breakdown syndrome would develop in chronically mentally ill persons who were institutionalized. The characteristics of this syndrome were submission to authority, withdrawal, lack of initiative, and excessive dependence on the institution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While deinstitutionalization was kindhearted in its primary logic, the actual execution of the concept has been greatly undermined by the lack of good community alternatives. At this time a large amount of the individuals using community mental health treatment services are the homeless. Nearly half of the homeless are chronically mental ill. These individuals are often separated from their families and all alone on the dangerous street. These homeless schizophrenics stay away from social structures such as community health treatment centers. Since they start a new life of independence they often stop taking their medications, become psychotic and out of place, and begin to live on the street. Since the schizophrenics are deinstitutionalized they are thrown into a whole new world of independence. Since their brain functions different than the usual human being they can't cope with the problems of life. The schizophrenics drive themselves crazy wanting to kill themselves and others in order to escape from this perplexing world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schizophrenia is the most common psychoses i... ...around because states are closing their mental institutes for financial reasons. Even though the cost of mental institutes are high, the schizophrenics are better off being kept in them because they could cause a huge uproar on the streets. Without the mental institutes the schizophrenics will get worse because they are unable to live independently. Many schizophrenics might even be harmful to society because their brain is out of control. The paranoid schizophrenics could go on a rampage and try to kill everyone in sight because they think that everyone is out to hurt them. This could be the future of our world if we don't take time to treat these schizophrenics who desperately need it no matter what the cost. Works Cited Barry, Patricia D. Mental Health and Mental Illness. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1994. Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology. New York: West Publishing Company, 1995 McCuen, Gary E. Treating the Mentally Disabled. Hudson, Wisconsin: Gary E.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McCuen, 1988. Varcarolis, Elizabeth M. Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. Philadelphia: W. B.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Saunders, 1990.