Differentiating Between Schizophrenia Dissociative Identity and Bipolar Disorder

Differences between The Mental Illnesses
The challenge of near-similar presentation of symptoms between schizophrenia, dissociative identity, and bipolar disorder has led to many cases of misdiagnosis. This warrants the need to differentiate the three illnesses as a way of limiting the recurrence of misdiagnosis challenge. Bipolar disorder is a common mental infirmity characterized by alternating mood depressions and mania for several months or even weeks. Maniacs exhibit high levels of energy and hyperactivity associated with restlessness (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Such individuals have an irrational belief of accomplishing huge workloads in a short time. Moreover, the commit themselves to different projects although none can be accomplished. Those around the patients will notice that they are always on the move and have many things to say. Lastly, they do not sleep much because of the depressive and manic mood that leaves them feeling sad.
Contrastingly, schizophrenia is a mental illness where individuals hallucinate and act against logic and reason because they are delusional. When performing normal life activities, schizophrenic people encounter difficulty because their interaction abilities with other members of the society are impaired. The patients hear voices (in their heads), and this has made it difficult for them to function well in a normal social setting (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In such instances, schizophrenic people will not keep their jobs, and a high level of depression is experienced.
The dissociative disorder is also commonly known as the dissociative identity disorder (DID) where individuals also hear voices. The voices in question come from having a set of one or more distinct identities. The disorder makes the patients believe that all the identities exist within them and they relate to them through conversations. With such identities, the victims are looking at ways of coping with different parts of their fragmented life. Therefore, they depict unique personalities, which are distinct from what many people know as originally theirs. The difference between DID and schizophrenia relates to the identities that the patients show. However, they both hear voices, but the one for schizophrenia disorder is their own while that of DID is part of them. DID individuals also do not experience any hallucinations or delusions, unlike the individuals who have schizophrenia (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Educating the Client
Counselors play the prerogative role of educating the clients on their mental health state as the society dictates although the possibility of resistance cannot be ignored. Nonetheless, the patients should be educated about their status as a way of initiating a treatment plan that will improve their mental health. Moreover, the counselor can offer other medical options to necessitate a strong partnership whilst ensuring that the path to recovery is guaranteed. Counselors can reduce the stigma on mental health by identifying the possible side effects of giving clients prescriptions. Moreover, the client can discuss with the counselor the nature of their disorder as a way of giving them a better understanding of what is happening in their lives. Through the discussion, counselors have an excellent platform to show them success stories of individuals who had mental difficulties but are now well due to the medications and treatment they obtained from various health facilities. Having such conversations will help the client to normalize the issue of mental illness and embrace their treatment.
Educating the Family
Counselors can educate the family concerning the nature of the symptom of their loved ones and help them understand their role besides the medications administered. With such an introduction, the family members will be able to dispel the different myths from the community and relieve them of the helplessness that the patients experience. Counselors can also discuss with family members about the frequent barriers present within the family associated with treating people with mental illness. The discussion will educate the family members on the importance of according their loved ones another chance through medication options and treatment. In this discussion, it is also essential for counselors to mention on how the process can take a long time and thus, they will need to make adjustments in different areas for positive results to be achieved. Furthermore, treating mental illness can also affect family members negatively, and it is the work of counselors to mention this because support groups are present to help during such moments.
Reducing Stigma
Reducing stigma of mental illness can be advocated by understanding that people with mental illness still face difficulty in the society even with increased awareness of the issue. The stigma has left many excluded from their social spheres, which continues to affect their emotional well-being and stability. Therefore, counselors should understand that the patients need their help in understanding what is going on in their life. With the strategy, we will be addressing our beliefs and biases of mental illness, shows that counselors are empathic, and reduces the supposed shame that the clients face. The contact displayed by the counselor is also a right way of reducing the stigma in the society. The stigma of mental illness can also be reduced through the use of mental health publications and working on recovery and strategies of social inclusion (Corbiere et al., 2012).

References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
Corbiere, M., Samson, E., Villotti, P., & Pelletier, J. F. (2012). Strategies to fight stigma toward people with mental disorders: perspectives from different stakeholders. The Scientific World Journal, 2012. From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3475300/