What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is relatively common as opposed to what most people think and how the media portrays it. The main difference is the severity of the illness, as this is where symptoms change drastically. Most people experiencing schizophrenia usually have feelings of paranoia, hallucinations, and delusional beliefs.
Someone with schizophrenia has distorted interpretations of what’s happening around them in their current reality. They may hear things or see events differently and often have beliefs that are far removed from reality. This leads them to act in unusual behaviours that may otherwise seem logical in their perspective.
Because of this, it’s very hard for most people to concentrate and be on tasks as their thoughts disrupt their day-to-day activities. The earlier schizophrenia is diagnosed the better chances of treating it or drastically reducing its symptoms.
If you think you or a loved one is showing symptoms of schizophrenia, you can reach out to us so we can direct you to resources and get an initial assessment so you can access mental health treatment from one our specialists in the UK.
What Triggers Schizophrenia in People?
Research shows that the most common triggers for schizophrenia are stress and drug abuse. When it comes to stress, a person may be more susceptible to schizophrenia when traumatizing or impactful events happen, like the grief of losing a loved one, losing a job, relationship breakups, divorce, domestic abuse, etc. Couple it with drug abuse; there’s a higher chance that schizophrenia will develop for the individual.
How is Schizophenia Treated?
While every person with schizophrenia doesn’t necessarily have the same kinds of treatment due to multiple factors, there are still common elements that are used throughout. This ranges from medication, counselling, and other types of treatment and therapy models.
The goal of treating schizophrenia is to help people reclaim their agency from the illness and improve their quality of life. Through treatment, they can build their own mental health toolkit to help them manage their schizophrenia without falling into the pitfalls of the condition.
Below are just some of the elements in treating schizophrenia that will vary based on the severity and other factors unique to the person’s circumstances.
Counselling for schizophrenia
For most people, schizophrenia has numbed them or robbed them of core life skills that improve the quality of their lives. In counselling, they are allowed to make sense of their experiences and learn about coping strategies to help them navigate their schizophrenia. Through counselling, people suffering from schizophrenia can unload their worries and find relief in understanding themselves.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT is a well-known therapy model because of its efficacy. Also known as “talk therapy,” CBT helps the individual learn about their thinking patterns and rewire their brain through a more proactive approach. It equips a person with cognitive skills to manage their symptoms and divert from thinking patterns that only exacerbate their mental disorder.
- Family therapy
Like many mental health disorders, schizophrenia affects not only the person struggling with it but also the people around them. Through family therapy, their loved ones can learn, understand, and support them in better ways that do not undermine their treatment. The goal of family therapy is to shed light on the realities of schizophrenia to your loved ones and also develop new ways to support you in your home environment. The active participation and support of loved ones can drastically improve your quality of life and create a more supportive environment.
- Physical health
Aside from medication, counselling, and therapy that targets the mental health aspect of the treatment, focusing on physical health is also key to having a more holistic treatment. Research suggests that people with schizophrenia often have poorer physical health compared to other people.
Managing physical health means bespoke fitness and nutritional plans and fostering healthy habits to reinforce the practices. Some antipsychotic medications may affect physical functions like metabolism, so focusing on physical health in conjunction with other medical treatments is really helpful for the individual’s overall well-being.
Medication for schizophrenia
The common medication prescribed for people with acute schizophrenia is antipsychotic medication that helps reduce the impact of the symptoms. The medication is also carefully monitored during the treatment and can be tapered before regular use, depending on the severity.
Some people also have co-occurring mental health disorders with their schizophrenia and need to take other medications to help them. Some medicines may include antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and also medicine with sedative qualities if needed.
When the acute schizophrenia has passed, the medication will usually be simplified. However, medication for at least a year or longer is still advised with people who have passed the acute phase of their schizophrenia to avoid relapse. With this kind of setup, they will be able to manage and only experience a lesser degree of symptoms that are not disruptive to their daily life.
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FREE Schizophrenia Assessment
If your or a loved one are struggling with schizophrenia, we understand the challenges you’re facing and we’re here to offer compassionate help.
Our highly trained advisers are available to speak to you right away, simply call 0808 252 3379 today.
We can discuss your concerns in complete confidence, explore the options for treatment, and help you to understand what will work best for you.
We’ll also help you to book your free schizophrenia assessment there and then, with appointments usually available within only a few days.
We understand that taking the first step can be the most difficult, but we’re here to support – with no pressure or judgement.
Professional and compassionate help is just a phone call or click away.
