Treating Psychotic Disorders
In the case of Ralph who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia, he began to gain a lot of weight and what he thought was a tick (Tardive Dyskinesia, 2017). Taking antipsychotic medication for long periods of time can cause tardive dyskinesia (Tardive Dyskinesia, 2017). Tardive dyskinesia will cause random movements of muscles in different parts of the body (Tardive Dyskinesia, 2017). Some treated with antipsychotic medications will see the sign of Tardive Dyskinesia when taking Merrill for long periods of time (Tardive Dyskinesia, 2017). The current psychiatrist can test for this with “The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale” first they can decrease the medication they are currently taken (Tardive Dyskinesia, 2017). If that does not work then try and switch the medication to a milder medication such as Abilify (What Is Abilify ?, 2017).
Potential negative side effects with any of the antipsychotic medication are side effects and may not be right for the person. Most of the medication can cause side effects finding the right medication that will work for the person. Outweigh the person symptoms and the side effects to find the right treatment for them. Identify symptoms that may not be relieved by this treatment because Ralph continued to get the side effects and symptoms when off the medication. It seems as he should be on a medication if the symptoms are increasing worse but he needs to weigh the developing side effects of the Tardive Dyskinesia. Clinically with medication along with psychotherapy have shown to be more effective (Preston, O’Neal, Talaga, 2017).
One potential ethical concern related to Ralph’s treatment the Centers for Disease Control (2012) and Prevention research shows too often a client was inappropriate prescribed (Smith, 2012 ). Ralph could have given a test to see if the medication was given him negative effects related to the medication long before he started showing signs. Not to over prescribe or use lesss alternative medications for mental health (Smith, 2012). The role of a mental health professional when the patient is stabilized on their medication is to monitor and give the “The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale” on a yearly basis. Also to ask questions and ensure the patient is taking the medication as prescribed. Also to monitor if there is anything else going on and they are not inappropriate prescribed medication.