Shawn began hearing voices when he was 20 years old. He was living…

Question Answered step-by-step Shawn began hearing voices when he was 20 years old. He was living… Shawn began hearing voices when he was 20 years old. He was living with a roommate in college when the noise became overwhelming and he was not able to distinguish what was real from what was imaginary. Unable to focus in class or sleep, he had to drop out and move home with his parents. When living at home, his parents noticed that he was talking to himself and insisted that he see a psychiatrist. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and put on medication. After his diagnosis, his parent and friends started to treat him as if he were a child. They would constantly ask him if he was okay and if he needed anything. They stopped bugging him about getting a job or about what he was going to do in the future. That was nice at first, but then Shawn started to feel they were patronizing him. The medication that he was prescribed was working; it quieted the voices and took the edge off the anxiety, but he did not feel like himself. It dulled his emotions and took away his sense of humor; he was not able to banter with his friends because everything seemed to be slowing down. During their meetings, his psychiatrist rushed him through a series of questions, nodded, and then wrote another prescription for the same medication. His parents attended these meeting with him and frequently spoke for him when the doctor asked the questions. Shawn became very frustrated and decided that at the next meeting he was going to talk for himself and ask for a different medication. The meeting started out the way it usually did, with Shawn’s parents and the doctor talking about him as if he were not in the room. Halfway through the appointment, Shawn said, “I don’t like the medication that I am on, and I would like to be prescribed something else.” Shocked, the doctor and his parents turned and looked at him as if they were surprised to find him sitting there. They did not respond to him and simply continued talking. A couple of seconds later, Shawn said again, “I don’t like the medication I am on, and I would like to try something different.” This time the doctor respond asking him what he did not like about the medication. He explained how the medication made him feel. The thought of changing the medication made his parents feel very uncomfortable. What if the voices come back? They chimed in and said, “But you are so much better. We don’t want to go back to how things were.” Shawn was not deterred. He was tired of being treated like a sick child. He said, “Look I am a grown man with a mental illness. I am the only one who knows how it feels to be me, and I am capable of making my own decisions. I don’t like what I am on, and I want to try something else. Yes, the voices are gone, but I don’t feel happy because I am not able to be myself. I need something that will quiet my voices and my anxiety but not the rest of me.” Finally heard, the doctor nodded his head, waited a minute, and then said, “I understand. I will prescribe you something else. Also, while I want to continue to include your parents in your treatment plan, I think you and I should start meeting without them every other week.” Pleased that the doctor recognized his need for independence and control over his treatment, Shawn agreed.  Identify the identities of intersectionality (gender, social class, sexual orientation, age, disability status, migration status, and religion) of the client(s).Next, explain how the related social and cultural determinants of health may impact this client(s). How might these social and cultural determinants of health related to their identities of intersectionality? What are some risks and protective factors?Last, as the social worker, how would you approach working with this(these) client(s)? How would you address the inequalities to improve outcomes?   Psychology Social Science Social Psychology SW 650 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)