Schizophrenia Resources For Getting Support And Improving Mental Health

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, such as community support, medication, therapy, and combination approaches.

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Understanding mental health conditions like schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is thought to affect less than 1% of the population. Schizophrenia is 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 the disorder, although genes, life experiences, and environmental factors may be involved.  

Understanding the early signs and symptoms of the mental illness, schizophrenia

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 process usually happens during the late teens to mid-20s. In women, symptoms tend to appear during the late 20s to early 30s.

Symptoms of schizophrenia or a related mental illness may include the following:

• Hallucinations: “Hallucinating” generally means seeing, hearing, or feeling stimuli that are not present. Examples may 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: People with schizophrenia may commonly 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. 

Managing schizophrenia and exploring recovery options through mental health services

Schizophrenia resources: Mental health resources like medication, support groups, and individual support

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. Exploring an overview of treatment options, management strategies, and mental health resources may be a helpful first step. 

Medical treatments and health resources for managing schizophrenia 

Medical treatment may be recommended to treat schizophrenia for some people. Your doctor may prescribe one or more medications based on your needs. Below are some of the common medication categories prescribed for schizophrenia: 

• Antipsychotics: Antipsychotics treat symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. They may come in pill, liquid, or injection forms. Antipsychotic medications 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 are newer, 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 treatment often isn’t the first choice, but it may be effective for people whose symptoms don’t respond to medication. 

The BetterHelp platform is not intended for any information regarding which drugs, medication, or medical treatment may be appropriate for you. The content provides generalized information that is not specific to one individual. You should not take any action without consulting a qualified medical professional.

Lifestyle changes and schizophrenia resources for improving mental health

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 (SAMHSA), substances like marijuana and meth may increase the risk of psychosis. 

• Exercising: Exercise can reduce stress and boost mood. Exercise 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. The participants 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 healthy fats, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, and try to reduce your consumption of processed foods.

Community resources and support for managing mental illness and schizophrenia

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: Community centers are non-profit organizations that 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 US 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 for managing schizophrenia and related mental health disorders

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 focuses on helping people improve their communication skills and social interactions. For people with schizophrenia, this modality may be useful for improving relationships and work performance.

• Family therapy: Family therapy primarily focuses on improving relationships and family dynamics. Family therapy 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, cognitive remediation may be useful for improving memory, attention, and planning skills.

Alternative therapy 

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 can enable you to see a therapist from wherever is most convenient. This option may make online therapy easier to attend consistently than in-person therapy if you have schizophrenia. However, 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 other mental health challenges.