How to Live with Schizophrenia
Start early., Learn about the risk factors., Meet with your doctor regarding treatment., Ask your doctor about your medication options., Try psychotherapy., Think about engaging in a community approach.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start early.
Do not wait to get treatment for schizophrenia.
If you have not been properly diagnosed, see a medical professional as soon as you notice symptoms in yourself so that you may begin treatment.
The earlier treatment is started the better the outcome tends to be.
Symptoms tend to begin in men in their early or mid-20s whereas symptoms are more likely to first occur in women in their late 20s.
Signs of schizophrenia can include:
A sense of suspiciousness.
Unusual or strange thoughts, such as believing someone close to you wishes you harm.
Hallucinations, or changes in your sensory experiences; for example, seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing, or feeling things that others don’t experience in situations where they should if you are experiencing them.Disorganized thinking or speech. 'Negative' symptoms (i.e., reductions of typical behavior or functioning) such as a lack of emotion, a lack of eye contact, a lack of facial expression, neglect of hygiene, and/or social withdrawal.
Disorganized or abnormal motor behavior, such as putting one's body into weird postures, or engaging in pointless or excessive movements. -
Step 2: Learn about the risk factors.
There are several factors that put individuals at an increased risk for developing schizophrenia:
Having a family history of schizophrenia.
Taking mind-altering drugs as a young adult or teenager.
Certain types of experiences in the womb, such as exposure to viruses or toxins.
Increased immune system activation from things like inflammation. , Unfortunately, schizophrenia is not a condition that can simply go away.
Treatment will be a necessary part of your life, and creating a treatment plan will help to turn your treatment into another normal part of your daily activities.
To create a treatment plan, talk with your doctor about the medications and therapies that will best fit your specific condition.
Remember that everyone is different—not all medications or therapies will work for everyone, but you must keep trying to find the treatment that works best for you. , Do not try to figure out what the right medications are for you by using the Internet—there is a lot of information online, and not all of it is accurate.
Instead, talk to your doctor, who will be able to determine what medications will work best for you.
Your symptoms, age, and previous medical history will all play a factor in finding the right medication.If the medications you are taking are making you feel uncomfortable, tell your doctor.
She may opt to adjust the dosage or recommend a different medication for you to try.
Common medications used to treat schizophrenia include antipsychotics that act on the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.Atypical antipsychotics tend to have fewer side effects and so are generally preferred, they include :
Aripiprazole (Abilify) Asenapine (Saphris) Clozapine (Clozaril) Iloperidone (Fanapt) Lurasidone (Latuda) Olanzapine (Zyprexa) Paliperidone (Invega) Quetiapine (Seroquel) Risperidone (Risperdal) Ziprasidone (Geodon) First generation antipsychotics tend to have more side effects (some of which may be permanent.
They tend to be cheaper.
First generation antipsychotics include:
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) Fluphenazine (Prolixin, Modecate) Haloperidol (Haldol) Perphenazine (Trilafon) , Psychotherapy can help you stick to your treatment plan as well as aid you in understanding yourself and your condition better.
Talk to your doctor about the kind of psychotherapy that they think is right for you.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that psychotherapy alone cannot cure schizophrenia.
Some of the more common forms of psychotherapy include:
Individual psychotherapy:
This therapy involves you meeting with a therapist one-on-one to discuss how you are feeling, problems you may be facing, and the relationships you have, among other topics.
The therapist will attempt to teach you how to face your day to day issues and understand your condition better.
Family education:
This is where you and your immediate family members go to therapy together so that you can all learn about your condition and work towards effectively communicating and interacting with each other.
Cognitive therapy is helpful for people with schizophrenia.
Importantly, however, psychotherapy in combination with medication is the most effective way to treat schizophrenia., If you have been in a hospital because of your condition, you may want to consider the community approach, such as assertive community treatment or ACT.
This approach will help you to re-establish yourself in a community and get the support you need while developing your daily habits and social interactions.Assertive community treatment involves the use of an interdisciplinary team who is involved in assessment and intervention in various forms.
These forms may include substance abuse specialists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and nurses.To find assertive community treatment opportunities near you, search the internet for “assertive community treatment + your city or state”, or ask your doctor for a recommendation. -
Step 3: Meet with your doctor regarding treatment.
-
Step 4: Ask your doctor about your medication options.
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Step 5: Try psychotherapy.
-
Step 6: Think about engaging in a community approach.
Detailed Guide
Do not wait to get treatment for schizophrenia.
If you have not been properly diagnosed, see a medical professional as soon as you notice symptoms in yourself so that you may begin treatment.
The earlier treatment is started the better the outcome tends to be.
Symptoms tend to begin in men in their early or mid-20s whereas symptoms are more likely to first occur in women in their late 20s.
Signs of schizophrenia can include:
A sense of suspiciousness.
Unusual or strange thoughts, such as believing someone close to you wishes you harm.
Hallucinations, or changes in your sensory experiences; for example, seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing, or feeling things that others don’t experience in situations where they should if you are experiencing them.Disorganized thinking or speech. 'Negative' symptoms (i.e., reductions of typical behavior or functioning) such as a lack of emotion, a lack of eye contact, a lack of facial expression, neglect of hygiene, and/or social withdrawal.
Disorganized or abnormal motor behavior, such as putting one's body into weird postures, or engaging in pointless or excessive movements.
There are several factors that put individuals at an increased risk for developing schizophrenia:
Having a family history of schizophrenia.
Taking mind-altering drugs as a young adult or teenager.
Certain types of experiences in the womb, such as exposure to viruses or toxins.
Increased immune system activation from things like inflammation. , Unfortunately, schizophrenia is not a condition that can simply go away.
Treatment will be a necessary part of your life, and creating a treatment plan will help to turn your treatment into another normal part of your daily activities.
To create a treatment plan, talk with your doctor about the medications and therapies that will best fit your specific condition.
Remember that everyone is different—not all medications or therapies will work for everyone, but you must keep trying to find the treatment that works best for you. , Do not try to figure out what the right medications are for you by using the Internet—there is a lot of information online, and not all of it is accurate.
Instead, talk to your doctor, who will be able to determine what medications will work best for you.
Your symptoms, age, and previous medical history will all play a factor in finding the right medication.If the medications you are taking are making you feel uncomfortable, tell your doctor.
She may opt to adjust the dosage or recommend a different medication for you to try.
Common medications used to treat schizophrenia include antipsychotics that act on the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.Atypical antipsychotics tend to have fewer side effects and so are generally preferred, they include :
Aripiprazole (Abilify) Asenapine (Saphris) Clozapine (Clozaril) Iloperidone (Fanapt) Lurasidone (Latuda) Olanzapine (Zyprexa) Paliperidone (Invega) Quetiapine (Seroquel) Risperidone (Risperdal) Ziprasidone (Geodon) First generation antipsychotics tend to have more side effects (some of which may be permanent.
They tend to be cheaper.
First generation antipsychotics include:
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) Fluphenazine (Prolixin, Modecate) Haloperidol (Haldol) Perphenazine (Trilafon) , Psychotherapy can help you stick to your treatment plan as well as aid you in understanding yourself and your condition better.
Talk to your doctor about the kind of psychotherapy that they think is right for you.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that psychotherapy alone cannot cure schizophrenia.
Some of the more common forms of psychotherapy include:
Individual psychotherapy:
This therapy involves you meeting with a therapist one-on-one to discuss how you are feeling, problems you may be facing, and the relationships you have, among other topics.
The therapist will attempt to teach you how to face your day to day issues and understand your condition better.
Family education:
This is where you and your immediate family members go to therapy together so that you can all learn about your condition and work towards effectively communicating and interacting with each other.
Cognitive therapy is helpful for people with schizophrenia.
Importantly, however, psychotherapy in combination with medication is the most effective way to treat schizophrenia., If you have been in a hospital because of your condition, you may want to consider the community approach, such as assertive community treatment or ACT.
This approach will help you to re-establish yourself in a community and get the support you need while developing your daily habits and social interactions.Assertive community treatment involves the use of an interdisciplinary team who is involved in assessment and intervention in various forms.
These forms may include substance abuse specialists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and nurses.To find assertive community treatment opportunities near you, search the internet for “assertive community treatment + your city or state”, or ask your doctor for a recommendation.
About the Author
Cynthia Stokes
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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