NSG 4055 Week 2 Project The Impact of Chronic Illness Acceptance of the Diagnosis

NSG 4055 Week 2 Project The Impact of Chronic Illness Acceptance of the Diagnosis

Being diagnosed with a mental illness such as schizoaffective disorder can be particularly difficult to deal with for patients and their families. Many patients diagnosed with mental disorders live in denial of the diagnosis, which significantly affects their recovery.  Acceptance is usually the first step towards recovery since it drives individuals to take the steps needed to better their mental health. K.H has accepted his diagnosis to a greater degree after being in denial for about three years, which resulted in the diagnosis worsening. K.H’s acceptance of his diagnosis is demonstrated by his interest in understanding the schizoaffective diagnosis, including the symptoms. During the interview, he explained what schizoaffective disorder is and the features associated with it.  Besides, he has taken the initiative to understand the causes of schizoaffective disorder and is determined to addressing the root cause through medication and psychotherapy. He has also taken the initiative to learn the management of schizoaffective disorder and is complying with treatment.

H.K’s family has accepted his condition and is greatly helping him with his treatment. His family helped him move from the denial to the acceptance stage and has been his biggest support system. The family and friends accepted the diagnosis by first learning schizoaffective disorder, its symptoms, identifying warning signs and suicidal risk, and treatment interventions. Besides, the family went for therapy to understand how to support a person diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. The family members encouraged H.K to accept treatment and attend psychotherapy sessions, which immensely helped to increase his medication compliance. Besides, H.K’s family and friends helped him to get rid of negative attitudes and beliefs about mental disorders treatment, which prevented him from accepting his diagnosis and treatment.

Coping Skills

Schizoaffective disorder is a life-changing condition for patients and their families. H.K has been coping with the schizoaffective disorder by making lifestyle choices that support personal growth and long-term health. One of the lifestyle choices that H.K reports have helped him in his recovery journey is exercising regularly and following a healthy diet plan. He states that he follows a nutritious, well-balanced diet limiting excess sugar and fat, tobacco, and alcohol. A healthy diet helps regulate mood and keep one focused on preserving their health (Miller & Black, 2019). Alcohol worsens depressive symptoms, and alcohol may adversely interact with antidepressants (Miller & Black, 2019). In addition, the patient has a sleep schedule, which enables him to have adequate rest and has helped him develop effective sleeping habits.  H.K finds writing therapeutic since he relieves his stress by writing about his thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Writing has been an effective stress management strategy that has helped him cope with his diagnosis.

Treatment

The treatment of schizoaffective disorder comprises both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. H.K’s mainstay of pharmacotherapy includes antipsychotics to target psychotic symptoms and antidepressants, which target depressive symptoms (Assion et al., 2019). The patient is on Invega Sustenna 9mg orally once daily to treat delusion and hallucination (Assion et al., 2019). He is also on Prozac 40 mg orally once daily dose, which targets the depressive symptoms.

In addition, to medication treatment, H.K’s treatment plan has incorporated psychotherapy, including individual and family psychotherapy.  Individual therapy for schizoaffective disorder aims to control thought processes, help the patient understand the disorder, and alleviate symptoms (Lopez-Fernandez et al., 2018). Psychotherapy focuses on the client’s daily goals, social interactions, and conflict, including social skills training and vocational training. Family therapy has helped to promote compliance with treatment and appointments (Lopez-Fernandez et al., 2018). It also aids in providing a structure throughout the patient’s life. Supportive family therapy helps if the patient has been in social isolation, which offers a sense of shared experiences among the family members.

Support Aspects of the Illness

Persons diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder often require assistance and support with daily functioning.  Support from family and friends plays a vital role in helping the patient recover from schizoaffective disorder and decreasing the possibility of having future episodes (Lopez-Fernandez et al., 2018). H.K’s family and friends have provided him immense support by giving him positive reinforcement since he often judges himself harshly and finds fault with everything he does. The