Schizophrenia, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder

Schizophrenia, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder

Investigate 3 Illnesses

Schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder are mental disorders usually diagnosed within patients that have problems with group dynamics. For the most part, all three disorders seem to indicate rather similar treatments, though there are, of course, specific medical treatments for the more extreme cases of each respective disorder. Yet when it all comes down to it, the three differ through a number of symptoms, causes, and severity.

Schizophrenia is a problem within the individual, one who mostly exhibits "unusual behaviors" (Bengston, 2001) that may disrupt the day-to-day activities of said individual or those around the individual's environment. Along with hallucinations and delusions, a person with schizophrenia could exhibit other symptoms, such as: disorganized speech, extreme negativity, and disorganized and catatonic behavior (Bengston, 2001). Research has indicated at as much as 30% of those with schizophrenia cases attempt suicide -- with around 10% after a period of time (Abdel-Baki, 2011). The disorder can be a huge problem if not quickly treated, and while there are the options of hospitalization and various medical treatments to rectify the onslaughts of extreme schizophrenia, group therapy is also another alternative. Prior to admittance to hospital, subjecting an individual diagnosed with schizophrenia to doing group activities might help prevent worsening of the disorder.

Antisocial personality disorder can often be referred to as "sociopathy" or "psychopathy" (APA, 1994). These individuals tend to be most known for their lack of empathy and failure to adhere to social conventions. The symptoms for this disorder usually run along the lines of dissociation (Bowins, 2010), with the individual's lack of regard for others (APA, 1994). A person with APD tends to pull away from society and usually becomes enough of a loner that there is no feeling of empathy towards harming others. Other symptoms include deceitfulness, consistent irresponsibility, and impulsivity (APA, 1994). While psychiatric evaluation and psychological therapy are suggested treatments, group activities are also recommended in order to immerse a person with APD into society. Furthermore, research also suggests that the use of moral reasoning and cognitive behavioral approach (Hesse, 2010) can help develop empathy within a person with APD.

Borderline personality disorder is also another disorder that dissociates a person from the rest of the community. However, unlike APD, BPD mostly deals not with empathy, but with an individual's self-image and interpersonal relationships (Grohol, 1994). A person with BPD is usually impulsive and has a tendency toward self-mutilation, whereas a person with APD tends to lean toward harm to others without empathy. Some known symptoms include abandonment issues, identity crises, unstable interpersonal relationships (Presniak, 2010), suicidal behavior, and emotional instability (Grohol, 1994). Like schizophrenia and APD, individuals with BPD can usually be helped by the same group activity treatment. If there is an increase in the behavior and the depressant and suicidal tendencies for BPD patients, then medical and therapeutic treatment is suggested.

The three mental illnesses are all examples of disorders that affect individuals in such a way that they are isolated from society. However, schizophrenia has the added symptoms of hallucinations and delusions, which separate it from APD and BPD. Additionally, APD can be further differentiated from BPD due to the individual's lack of empathy, whereas BPD focuses more on the individual's over-critical self-image.

Resources

Abdel-Baki, A., Lesage, A., Nicole, L., Cossette, M., Salvat, E., & Lalonde, P. (2011). Schizophrenia, An Illness With Bad Outcome: Myth or Reality?. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(2), 92-101. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.