Lesson 13 Chapter 13 Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
1) Define schizophrenia and describe the different symptoms included in this diagnosis.
2) What are the differences among positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms of schizophrenia?
3) What are the clinical characteristic and major subtypes of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders?
4) Describe the biological and psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia.
5) What are the general goals of therapy for schizophrenia?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Understanding Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders
1) Definition and Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by distorted thinking, emotions, perceptions, and behaviors. The symptoms of schizophrenia can be categorized into positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms.
– Positive symptoms: Include hallucinations (perceiving things that are not present), delusions (false beliefs), disorganized speech, and grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior.
– Negative symptoms: Involve deficits in emotional expression, motivation, social interaction, and self-care.
– Cognitive symptoms: Impact attention, memory, executive functions, and processing speed.
2) Differences among Positive, Negative, and Disorganized Symptoms
– Positive symptoms: Represent an excess or distortion of normal functions, such as hallucinations and delusions.
– Negative symptoms: Reflect a diminution or loss of normal functions, like social withdrawal and emotional flatness.
– Disorganized symptoms: Involve disruptions in thought processes, speech, and behavior coherence, leading to confusion and erratic actions.
3) Clinical Characteristics and Major Subtypes
Clinical characteristics of schizophrenia include onset in late adolescence or early adulthood, chronic course, impaired social and occupational functioning, and the presence of psychotic symptoms. Major subtypes include paranoid schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia, residual schizophrenia, and undifferentiated schizophrenia.
4) Biological and Psychosocial Treatments for Schizophrenia
Biological treatments for schizophrenia typically involve antipsychotic medications that help manage psychotic symptoms. Psychosocial interventions play a crucial role in improving functioning and quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia. These may include cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, supported employment programs, and social skills training.
5) General Goals of Therapy for Schizophrenia
The general goals of therapy for schizophrenia focus on symptom management, improving quality of life, enhancing functional abilities, promoting recovery and independence, reducing relapse rates, and fostering social integration. Therapy aims to empower individuals with schizophrenia to effectively manage their symptoms, build coping skills, strengthen social support networks, and engage in meaningful activities that enhance their well-being.
In conclusion, understanding the complexities of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders requires a comprehensive approach that addresses a range of symptoms, subtypes, treatment modalities, and therapeutic goals. By integrating biological and psychosocial interventions tailored to individual needs, individuals with schizophrenia can receive holistic care that supports their recovery journey and enhances their overall quality of life.
This overview provides insights into the definition of schizophrenia, its symptoms, subtypes, treatment options, and therapeutic goals aimed at supporting individuals living with this challenging mental health condition.
