talking to Joan she started to hear new “voices.” These “voices” were more violent in nature. They told her to hurt herself and others. Many times these commands were followed through. Joan tried to suffocate her little brother with pillows and plastic bags. She also attacked a girl walking down the street in front of Joan’s house. Another time Joan wrapped an extension cord around her neck and started pulling on the cord in an attempt to kill herself. At this time it was recommended that Joan be put into a facility that could give her 24-hour supervision. At their wits end, Joan’s parents did it. At age thirteen Joan had a fifth grade education and was admitted into a mental hospital. She was in the hospital for three months when her final diagnosis, schizophrenia, was made. Intervention StrategiesJoan was in and out of hospitals for the rest of her teenage years. She was resistant to counseling and was often violent towards her doctors. At age nineteen, Joan made a huge breakthrough. She stated that she was tired of fighting the voices and wanted to get better. After this she became active in her treatment and made an effort to get better. Although this was a wonderful event in Joan’s life, it was still an uphill battle to get well. Joan was surrounded by people who loved her and wanted her to get well. She was put on a medication called sertindole or Serlect. This medication seemed to be working very well. A few weeks after Joan started this medication she developed an arrhythmia. Her doctor’s were concerned because her father had a heart condition. Immediately Joan was taken off this medication. After many failed attempts to find a medication regime that worked as well as Serlect, Joan’s doctors almost gave up. Then they came across a drug that became Joan’s “wonder drug.” This medication was olanzapine or Zyprexa. There are a few side ...
