Many people with schizophrenia are able to live independently. However, this is not the case for all people with schizophrenia. There are several things that people with schizophrenia should know to overcome the difficulties of their illness and live on their own: Early diagnosis and treatment leads to better outcomes.
Schizophrenia treatment includes medication, therapy, social and family support, and the use of social services. Treatment must be ongoing, as this is a chronic illness without a cure. When schizophrenia is treated and managed over the long-term, most people can live normal, productive, and fulfilling lives.
While many people with schizophrenia are able to lead full, independent lives, for others it can be completely disabling. The symptoms of the disorder can be perplexing and unsettling for friends and even family members, which can leave patients feeling isolated and alone.
Nevertheless, research has shown that with proper treatment, many people with schizophrenia can experience significant, albeit rarely complete, recovery from their illness. Many can, for example, live relatively normal lives outside a hospital, holding down a job and socializing periodically with family and friends.
People with schizophrenia generally live about 15 to 20 years less than those without the condition. Schizophrenia is a complex disease. There are many ways it can result in serious complications.
When Is It Time to Walk Away? In some cases, the decision to leave is obvious. If physical abuse is present to any degree, and especially if the individual fears for their own life or well-being or that of their children, it's important to leave as soon as possible. Safety is the number one priority.
The king of leafy greens, spinach is high in folate. (It's called folic acid when it's used in supplements or to fortify foods.) Folate can help ease symptoms of schizophrenia. Along with spinach, you can find it in black-eyed peas, asparagus, and beef liver.
Research suggests that social isolation (i.e. limited social interaction with other children) and poor or disrupted interpersonal relations during childhood, teen and early adult years appears to increase an individuals risk for future development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
People who have schizophrenia may get help in a live-in treatment facility if they're not ready to live on their own. This is a place you stay where you can focus on your mental health through regular, structured care, often for a set amount of time.
A person with schizophrenia may need help with basic daily life tasks, and as the caregiver, it is part of your role to help with the organization of these tasks.
People with schizophrenia often die at a considerably younger age than the rest of the population. Reasons for this include: late diagnosis and poor treatment of physical illnesses, metabolic side effects of antipsychotic medication, unhealthy lifestyle and high risk of suicide (reviewed by Laursen et al, 2014).
The individual will spend a large amount of time worrying about what others are thinking and doing to them. Thought and movement disorders: An individual with schizophrenia may have a hard time organizing thoughts into anything meaningful. They may stop speaking abruptly or speak in a garbled way.
Schizophrenia usually involves delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that don't exist), unusual physical behavior, and disorganized thinking and speech. It is common for people with schizophrenia to have paranoid thoughts or hear voices.
Certain drugs, particularly cannabis, cocaine, LSD or amphetamines, may trigger symptoms of schizophrenia in people who are susceptible. Using amphetamines or cocaine can lead to psychosis, and can cause a relapse in people recovering from an earlier episode.
Patients with schizophrenia have a poor diet, mainly characterized by a high intake of saturated fat and a low consumption of fibre and fruit. Such diet is more likely to increase the risk to develop metabolic abnormalities.
Taken together, these findings indicate that low estrogen levels may leave the brain vulnerable to insult or age-related changes, leading to development of schizophrenia or increased symptom severity, and could explain the observed differences in disease onset and severity between males and females.
Haloperidol, fluphenazine, and chlorpromazine are known as conventional, or typical, antipsychotics and have been used to treat schizophrenia for years.
Responses suggest that about 37 percent of schizophrenia patients were happy most or all of the time, compared with about 83 percent for those in the comparison group. Approximately 15 percent of schizophrenia patients reported being never or rarely happy.
Both partners must communicate.
Open and clear communication can help people who have schizophrenia find the support they need as well as understand what's expected of them in the relationship.
You can be treated against your will for 3 months. After 3 months, staff can only treat you without your consent if a 'second opinion approved doctor' (SOAD) approves the treatment. If you are unhappy about your treatment, you should talk to your responsible clinician.
Mental illness alone is no excuse to break up with someone. Loads of people with mental health conditions are able to enjoy long lasting, fulfilling, happy relationships. Just because someone is depressed, has anxiety, or [insert mental illness here], doesn't mean you should write them off.
Clear, honest communication is crucial for all family members. For example, don't be afraid to ask both your ill and healthy children how they feel about the changes to the family. Keeping a line of communication open will help things go more smoothly—both at the time of a new diagnosis, and well into the future.