Schizophrenia???, M.D., Phd.

Patient Information

• Name: Cindy Lou Hou

• Age: 19

• Occupation: College Student

Session One (With Parents)• Why did you come to me today?• Our daughter, Cindy, is a bright wonderful woman. She

was at the top of her class, always had a smile on her face, and always even out with her friends. But lately something has changed her.

• What kind of changes have you noticed?• In the last six months we have been noticing her lack of

personal hygiene. She has been coming home smelling and her hair all greasy. I understand that it is college but she would never let it get to her. Also, she doesn’t go out anymore. She comes home every weekend and sits in her god awful smelling room. Its like I have to force her to shower and get out of there!

• Is that the only this things you have been noticing?• No, I am just getting started!

Session One Continued.• Okay, go on.• Besides the fact of not going out anymore, she says

someone tells her she doesn’t need friends! I asked who said that? Her reply was “Toby did mom. He said I didn’t need anyone but him”. This is when I knew I should I come to you. She also has this weird new fetish with séances and little creepy dolls. I walk into bring her fresh towels and she is there just drawing stars on her walls. Not the nice stars, the ones they use to sacrifice things! I just want my daughter back.

• Is your family religious?• Yes, Cindy has participated in missionary trips and helped

with bible school since she was able too. I don’t know what's gotten into her. I just want “Toby” gone.

Session Two (With Cindy)• Hello Cindy, I am Dr. Katz. How are you today?• Good.

• Your mother has been telling me you’ve been acting differently lately. Can you tell me why?• My MOTHER doesn’t know what she’s talking about. If she

would just leave me alone, toby wouldn’t get so mad at me.

• Yes, she mentioned him too. Who is this Toby?• No one.

• Why are you lying to me Cindy?• I’m not suppose to talk about it.

Session two continued• Is Toby telling you that?• Yes..

• Is Toby here with us now?• Yes..

• Where is he?• He’s right next to me.

• Okay, well Cindy can you do something for me? I want you to tell Toby he isn’t allowed in here. That I said he can’t be.• He isn’t going to listen to me.

• He will if you try. If you believe he can’t be in here• (We sit in silence for a couple Minutes)

Session two Continued• Cindy, is he still here?• No.. No he left!

• How come I couldn’t hear you telling him to leave?• I told him. Just inside my head though.. That’s the only

way I can talk to him.

• Now that he is gone, lets talk. Is Toby your friend?• I used to think he was..

• What do you mean by that?• He makes me do things I don’t like. He won’t let me go

out with my friends anymore and he puts things into my head that I don’t like.

Session Two Continued

• Like what?• He said my parents didn’t want me. That I was a mistake.. (She began to cry)

• It’s okay Cindy, we are almost done for the day. I just need you to remember a couple things. The only way you can talk to Toby is inside your head right? And the only person that can send him away is you right?• I guess so.

Ending of Session Two• Okay, you need to remember that when you’re

scared Cindy. That you have the power to take him away.• Okay, I will try.

• Don’t try Cindy. Do it. You can do it as along as you know you can. Our hour is up so I will see you and you parents soon, okay?• Okay.

Session Three (Cindy and her parents)• Welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Lou Hou. I’m glad to

see you again Cindy. How have things been?• Mrs. Lou Hou: Better, but she still isn’t the same.• Cindy: I try and send him away.. But he just comes back

angrier now.

• Okay, I think I might have a solution to your problem. I believe what you have Cindy is a disorder called Schizophrenia.• Mrs. Lou Hou: Schizophrenia? What the heck it that?!

• Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that often begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. It is an illness of the brain that affects how a person percieves the world, how they think and how they behave.

Session Three Continued• (Everyone starts to become uneasy and crying)• Mr. Lou Hou: How do you know my daughter has this?

• Signs of this disorder are social withdrawal, odd behaviors, lack of attention to personal hygiene, hallucinations, and delusions. As you know, Cindy has shown some of these signs. Toby is just a hallucination that he mind believe is real.• (Cindy begins to scream)

• I know this sound scary Cindy, but a lot of people live a normal life. There is therapy, support groups, antipsychotic medication, and social skills training. It might be scary now but with all this help you can be back to yourself in no time!

Session Three Continued• Mrs. Lou Hou: Is there anything the we can help her with this?

• Yes, there are a lot of things! You can get educated on the disease and its treatment. She is going to need all the love and support she can get. Also, her treatment needs to start ASAP so make sure you stay active with her and ask her questions like “Are you having problems thinking again?” “Is toby still bothering you?” You need to talk these out with her. The treatment therapist will give you some more suggestions also!• Cindy: I’m not crazy am I?

• No, of course not. Your mind just wants you to believe you are. This disorder is common in a lot of men and women. Women are just the ones usually with hallucinations!

Session Three Continued• Mr. Lou Hou: Cindy come with me while your mother

figures some things out. We can go get your appointment set up at the treatment place and we get you all better!• Cindy: Okay, thank you Dr. Katz. I’m glad someone

understands.

• Everyone in this room understands now what your going through. The treatment center will feel just like home. You’ll do great!

• (Cindy and Mr. Lou Hou exit)

• Mrs. Lou Hou: I’m so happy we came to you, but the one question that ponders me is how did she get this horrible disorder?

• I thought you may have wanted to ask that. Schizophrenia is commonly cause by a genetic component. Does your or your husbands family have a history of this?

Session Three Continued• Mrs. Lou Hou: I don’t believe so.. Neither of us have even

heard of this disease before now.

• There is another option it could be. Birth Trauma and fetal damage cause a major increase for the risk of schizophrenia. Did any troubles go wrong with the birth?• Mrs Lou Hou: I did this too her..

• What do you mean?• Mrs Lou Hou: I wasn’t suppose to be able to have kids. We

tried for about 6 months and then finally went in and got it checked on and they told me my eggs weren't fertile.. And they never would be. How we had Cindy still amazes me today. The doctors said it was practically impossible. She was our little miracle.

Session Three Continued• It is not your fault. She is a miracle and by what

you told me before this disease took over she was a bright, beautiful young woman. This is just a bump in the log and you’ll get through it.• Mrs. Lou Hou: Something else happened. She was born

three months premature. Spent the first year of her life in the hospital. I should have known.

• No you shouldn’t have. There's no way you could have known. Just be there for her. You're here mother and she needs you now more than anything. • Mrs. Lou Hou: Okay, you're right. I will do it.

• I know you will.

Ending of Session Three• Take her to treatment on Monday at the Texas

Teen Treament Center and they will most likely prescribe some antipsychotics. If Toby keeps reappearing she might be prescribed to medical marijuana. Don’t judge before you read up on it because it had help millions of people with this disease. It will keep her in her right mind! She will have to be there for a month so make sure you drop in every couple days to see how she is feeling.• Mrs. Lou Hou: Thank you so much for your help dr. you

saved her life.

• I didn’t do anything. You saved hers by bringing her here.

Works Cited

• Mackay, A. (2009, June 5). Schizophrenia. Retrieved from Teen Mental Health website: http://teenmentalhealth.org/for-families-and-teens/schizophrenia/

• Jacobs, J. (2010, Nov. & Dec. 7). Schizophriena. Retrieved from National Institute Mental Health website: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/citationbuilder/cite.php?source=website

• Wright, H. (2012, August 25). Schiz help guide. Retrieved from Help Guide.org website: http://www.helpguide.org/topics/schizophrenia.htm