Schizophrenia Resources For Managing Symptoms And Improving Your Quality Of Life

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that can cause symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and behavior changes. These symptoms can be challenging, but there are resources that may make them easier to manage. Let's explore some of these, from community support to medication, therapy, and more.

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Understanding schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is thought to affect less than 1% of the population. It's a mental illness that can alter people’s perceptions of reality, ways of thinking, and mental abilities. Scientists haven’t yet determined exactly what causes it, although it’s likely that genes, life experiences, and environmental factors are all involved. 

Schizophrenia can cause psychosis, a state during which an individual loses touch with reality. People with schizophrenia may have multiple psychotic episodes during their lives, but the warning signs often start earlier. Up to 75% of people with schizophrenia may experience mood shifts, unusual beliefs, and changes in behavior before their first psychotic episode. These signs and symptoms tend to emerge during young adulthood. In men, this usually happens during the late teens to mid-20s. In women, it tends to happen during the late 20s to early 30s.

Symptoms of schizophrenia may include the following:

• Hallucinations: “Hallucinating” generally means seeing, hearing, or feeling something that isn’t there. Some common examples can include hearing voices or seeing phantom images. 
• Delusions: Delusions can be thought of as false beliefs that people refuse to dismiss, no matter how impossible they are. For example, someone might insist they can read minds or are on a mission from the government. 
• Changes in thought, speech, and movement: People with schizophrenia may have trouble talking and speaking clearly. They may jump to conclusions, go off on tangents, or mix up words and phrases. They may also move around in unusual ways, such as pacing back and forth or being unusually still. 
• Lack of motivation: Schizophrenia can make people lose motivation to do daily tasks. As a result, they may stop going to work, taking care of their hygiene, or paying bills. 
• Changes in emotion: It can be common for people with schizophrenia to stop experiencing physical and mental pleasure. They may also stop showing emotions with their voices, facial expressions, and hand gestures. 
• Social withdrawal: Schizophrenia can cause noticeable changes in people’s social activity. For example, they may stop going out, talking to family members, and participating in group activities. 

These symptoms can disrupt people’s daily lives and make it harder to function. People with schizophrenia may also have a greater risk of developing other mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. 

There is currently no known cure for schizophrenia. However, while its effects can be distressing, they are often treatable. With medication and ongoing support, many people with schizophrenia can reduce their symptoms or even eliminate them completely. According to the World Health Organization, at least one in three people with schizophrenia may make a full recovery from their symptoms. 

Schizophrenia resources: Medication, counseling, and more

Many resources are available for managing schizophrenia, but if you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed, making sense of them can be challenging. This section provides an overview of treatment options, management strategies, and mental health resources, which may be useful if you’re not sure where to start.

Medical treatments

Medical treatment is often the first step in managing schizophrenia. Your doctor may prescribe one or more medications based on your needs.

• Antipsychotics: These are generally medications that treat symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. They may come in pill, liquid, or injection form. They generally fall into two categories: typical and atypical. Typical antipsychotics are usually older medications that tend to be less expensive but may have more side effects. Atypical antipsychotics tend to be prescribed more often and may have less severe side effects. 
• Antidepressants: Antidepressants may be useful for reducing symptoms like lack of pleasure or motivation. Your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant to supplement antipsychotic medications. 
• Mood stabilizers: Mood stabilizers may be prescribed to balance your emotions if you experience mood swings due to schizophrenia. 
• ECT: Short for electroconvulsive therapy, ECT normally works by sending an electrical current to certain areas of the brain. This isn’t usually a first-line treatment, but it may be effective for people whose symptoms don’t respond to medication. 

Please note that the information in this article is not a replacement for medical advice. Always consult your doctor or psychiatrist before starting, stopping, or changing the way you take medication.

Lifestyle changes

While they may not be a replacement for professional treatment, certain daily habits can support your well-being and mental health if you’re living with schizophrenia. 

• Avoiding substances: To keep your symptoms from getting worse, you may want to avoid substances that can affect your mind. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, substances like marijuana and meth may increase the risk of psychosis. 
• Exercising: Exercise can reduce stress and boost mood. It may also be helpful for people with schizophrenia. In a 2015 study, a group of people with schizophrenia underwent an endurance training program for three months. They generally saw significant improvements in their symptoms, daily function, memory, and cognitive abilities. 
• Maintaining nutritious eating habits: Eating nutrient-rich foods can support brain health and may reduce the risk of mental illness. Consider eating plenty of healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables, and try to reduce consumption of processed foods. 

Community resources

Community support, education, and advocacy can be helpful for managing the effects of schizophrenia in daily life. 

• Support groups: Support groups for people with schizophrenia can be a way to connect with others, discuss common experiences, and share coping strategies. Being in a support group may also provide a sense of community, which may improve mental health. 
• Community mental health centers: These nonprofit organizations may offer work placement programs, job training, and crisis assistance to people with schizophrenia. They may also be able to diagnose and prescribe medication for schizophrenia in some cases. The U.S. government agency SAMHSA has a directory you can use to find a treatment center in your area. 
• Government resources: Federal and state programs can be useful for finding housing, getting healthcare, and, if needed, receiving disability benefits. Your state health agency may be able to provide more information about resources in your area. 

Therapy

Alongside medication, therapy is often considered a cornerstone of schizophrenia treatment. Working with a counselor may help people with schizophrenia better manage their symptoms and improve their daily function. Types of therapy that may be helpful for schizophrenia include the following:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy: Also known as CBT, this type of therapy typically focuses on noticing and changing unhelpful thought patterns. CBT may help people with schizophrenia better cope with the effects of the disorder. 
• Social skills training: This form of therapy usually focuses on helping people improve their communication skills and social interactions. For people with schizophrenia, this may be useful for improving relationships and work performance.
• Family therapy: Family therapy primarily focuses on improving relationships and family dynamics. It may be helpful for reducing stress and improving coping skills among families affected by schizophrenia. 
• Cognitive remediation: This is a type of therapy that generally focuses on sharpening people’s mental abilities. For people with schizophrenia, it may be useful for improving memory, attention, and planning skills. 

If schizophrenia is affecting your mood or motivation, you might find it hard to leave the house to go to a therapist’s office. If this is the case for you, online therapy may be helpful. Platforms like BetterHelp usually enable you to see a therapist from wherever is most convenient. This may make online therapy easier to stick with than in-person therapy if you have schizophrenia. However, please note that if you’re currently experiencing symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, it may be best to seek care in-person.

Depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns can be common in people with schizophrenia. Studies have found that online therapy may be an effective treatment for these comorbidities. In a review of 373 studies from 2017, researchers found that online therapy could effectively treat depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and more.

Takeaway

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that can affect the ways people think and act. People with schizophrenia may hallucinate, develop false beliefs, or experience other changes in their thoughts and behaviors. Although there is currently no cure for schizophrenia, various resources can make it easier to manage. Through medication, therapy, community support, and lifestyle changes, it’s often possible for people with schizophrenia to improve their symptoms, and some may recover from them completely.