Finding A Therapist For Schizophrenia: What You Need To Know
According to 2022 statistics, the WHO reports that “Schizophrenia affects approximately 24 million people or 1 in 300 people (0.32%) worldwide.” Although its symptoms are unique, and it isn’t as common as many other mental health disorders, schizophrenia can be managed by working with a therapist.
Understanding schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental health disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Schizophrenia symptoms can vary significantly between individuals, and in many cases can impact a person's ability to function in daily life. Understanding its various symptoms can help you identify when a person may need to seek mental health help.
Symptoms of schizophrenia
Some of the most common examples of schizophrenia symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, chaotic speech/thoughts, and an otherwise notable imbalance in one's perceptions, thoughts, memory, and personality. An assessment of "do I have schizophrenia?" may be necessary if you are exhibiting one or more of the symptoms listed below.
Individuals who have schizophrenia may be at risk for a diverse range of additional symptoms of illness, such as brain tissue loss, diabetes, and abnormalities within the immune system. Individuals living with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder generally need comprehensive care that includes schizophrenia therapy in order to control their symptoms and reduce their chance of developing these additional health concerns.
When do schizophrenia symptoms typically appear?
Schizophrenia in teens and young adults is difficult to diagnose. In many cases, schizophrenia and related disorders begin between the ages of 15 to 25. While delusions, hallucinations, and other symptoms may not manifest in the earliest stages of the disorder, there are other signs including but not limited to emotional detachment, mood swings, suicidal thoughts/actions, lack of self-care, purposeful isolation from others, etc.
Even in cases when multiple signs of schizophrenia are apparent, not everyone around the individual may realize that schizophrenia may be an issue. In some cases, the individual may simply be told to "get over it" or otherwise pull themselves together by people who don’t understand the severity of the issue. This can have damaging consequences when the individual with schizophrenia doesn’t receive a diagnosis, medication and treatment because they don’t understand their condition is a serious mental health issue.
What causes schizophrenia?
While a definitive cause has not yet been identified or determined, there are some factors that specialists believe can cause, contribute to, or worsen one's susceptibility to schizophrenia. Although scientists aren’t sure exactly how genetics plays a role in schizophrenia, it is one of the most prominent factors that experts believe causes the condition.
There also exists a link between issues with pregnancy/childbirth and the development of schizophrenia. Children who are born prematurely or who do not get full amounts of oxygen to their brains can sometimes develop schizophrenia. It's important to note that issues during pregnancy or childbirth do not automatically guarantee that a baby will develop schizophrenia later in life.
Neurotransmitters, stress, use of drugs/alcohol, and dopamine imbalance also contribute notable ties to schizophrenia or the triggering of schizophrenic symptoms and side effects.
What kind of therapist for schizophrenia should I see?
Treating schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, like schizoaffective disorder, requires antipsychotic drugs prescribed by a psychiatrist.
Psychiatrist
Antipsychotic medications (such as first-generation antipsychotics or atypical antipsychotics) can help control the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and delusions. They can be an important part of schizophrenia treatment for many, especially when used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.
While therapy can be a helpful part of schizophrenia treatment, antipsychotic medication is essential for proper treatment for schizophrenia, and it should never be considered optional for those with a schizophrenia diagnosis.
Psychotherapist
However, when a person living with schizophrenia commits to taking their medications to manage their symptoms, they will likely benefit from attending therapy for schizophrenia in conjunction with a medication regimen. For example, including psychosocial therapy in a treatment plan can help people with schizophrenia manage the cognitive and behavioral difficulties that often accompany the disorder, lessen the likelihood of relapse, and reduce the severity of symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapist
While there are a variety of therapies that could potentially benefit people with schizophrenia (such as electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT), cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to yield the best results for this mental disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy largely centers around the betterment of mental health by working with a patient's thoughts, emotions, habits, and coping mechanisms.
The advice learned here is particularly helpful when working with people living with schizophrenia because it allows them to cope with symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations as well as deal with the symptoms of depression that can exist alongside them. Additional benefits of working with a cognitive behavioral therapist include general improvements in the patient's quality of life and productive goal setting.
Psychosocial therapist
According to the National Alliance On Mental Illness, psychosocial therapy, which is psychotherapy combined with social and vocational training, can also be an excellent option for those experiencing many mental health conditions—such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and more. The ideas that the therapist teaches here can help people with schizophrenia integrate into society.
Family therapist
In addition to individual counseling, most treatment plans for those with schizophrenia include regular family therapy. With the deinstitutionalization of cases of schizophrenia in the US, the role of the caregiver often falls to the family. As in any caregiving situation, this can cause stress on the family unit. Because of its nature, schizophrenia can particularly impact relationships, and family counseling is essential to assist families in coping with the emotional and occupational challenges that come with caring for someone with the disorder.
In addition to providing much-needed support to the family, it helps the family cope with and manage their behaviors toward the schizophrenic patient, which can have a large impact on the patient’s recovery and instances of relapse. A 2015 publication on the role of family counseling in managing schizophrenia reports that “Negative attitudes toward the patient, such as high levels of expressed emotion (EE) involving criticism, over-involvement, and intrusiveness, and the attribution of symptoms to the patient’s willpower have been shown to be related to worse prognosis of the illness.”Essential things to know before deciding on a type of therapy for schizophrenia
There are many existing misconceptions regarding this mental health issue and all that it entails. This could partially be due to the dramatic and potentially upsetting symptoms that can sometimes come with it, but the fact that schizophrenia isn’t a common disorder may contribute, too. With so few cases, there are few people out there who know someone personally with schizophrenia. This leads to a measure of ignorance in the general population about the nature of the disorder.
People with schizophrenia are not inherently violent
In various forms of media, individuals who have schizophrenia are sometimes depicted as manic, dangerous, violent, and even psychopathic. These sensationalized depictions of mental health conditions like schizophrenia often do a disservice to real individuals who deal with this issue. Contrary to what you see on TV, a person with schizophrenia can take medicine, participate in various forms of therapy, and live a productive life. With the right treatment, they can interact socially with others, work, and maintain healthy relationships.
Schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder are not the same
The idea that schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder (sometimes known as multiple personality disorder) are the same is incorrect. Although both may show symptoms of hallucination and delusions, they also have symptoms that are unique to the disorder. Also, it is widely accepted that schizophrenia is an organic disorder with roots in genetics. DID is thought to develop as a form of coping for people with exposure to serious trauma such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, exposure to war, natural disasters, etc.
A family therapist for schizophrenia can be essential
If you’re a caregiver for someone with schizophrenia, family therapy can make a large difference in your quality of life and the quality of care you can give others.
For people with psychological disorders of any kind, a strong support system is essential. This may include interaction with family, friends, community, and support groups. But therapy is perhaps the most important tool for helping people with mental illnesses. A skilled mental health professional can work with patients to develop a treatment plan, build coping skills the individual can carry into daily life, and provide additional resources for treatment, such as use of medications and physical treatments if necessary.
Accessible, affordable mental health treatment for people with schizophrenia
If you feel it’s time to begin your journey to healing through therapeutic intervention, but barriers such as time constraints, limited resources, or affordability are keeping you from getting help, online therapy is an excellent solution.
BetterHelp connects individuals with licensed, accredited therapists experienced in a wide range of methods of treatment, including individual, group, and family therapy. With BetterHelp, you can speak to a therapist anytime, anywhere with an internet connection to get the help you need. There’s no need to commute to and from an office, and help is available when you need it, 24/7.
Additionally, research has shown that online therapy such as that provided by BetterHelp is just as effective as most traditional in-person therapy, reaching the same level of positive results in a comparable amount of time.
There are many common misconceptions about this mental illness that detract from the importance of understanding and support. It is a highly treatable disease, and with medication and therapy, those with schizophrenia can lead balanced, productive lives.
Takeaway
Which therapy is best for schizophrenia?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is often considered the best type of talk therapy for people with schizophrenia. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works by helping clients reframe negative thought patterns, feelings, and behaviors using techniques like cognitive restructuring. Furthermore, studies find that CBT can increase the effectiveness of antipsychotic medications often used to treat schizophrenia.
What are three coping strategies for schizophrenia?
Here are three coping strategies that can help you navigate symptoms of schizophrenia:
- Taking care of your physical health: Getting enough sleep, prioritizing personal hygiene, eating regular and nutritious meals, and exercising can help you maintain a routine and improve your mental health.
- Building a support network: Joining support groups, leaning on family members or friends, or even adopting an emotional support animal can help you feel less isolated when you’re navigating a mental illness like schizophrenia.
- Creating space to process your emotions: Many people with mental disorders experience emotions like sadness, confusion, anger, or fear. Attending talk therapy for schizophrenia, engaging in activities or community events, reading, listening to music, or going for a walk in the park can help improve your mood and regulate your feelings.
It can take some time to find the coping strategies that are the most effective and realistic for you.
How can schizophrenia be treated?
Schizophrenia and related disorders are typically treated with a combination of talk therapy and medications like antipsychotic drugs. People with psychotic disorders, like schizophrenia, may experience a wide range of psychotic, cognitive, and negative symptoms, which often require highly individualized treatment plans.
Does group therapy work for schizophrenia?
Group therapy can help you hone your social skills, gain peer support, and feel less isolated by your symptoms. In a review of 24 studies with 1,900 participants, researchers found that group cognitive behavioral therapy was as or more effective than other forms of schizophrenia treatment at addressing negative and positive symptoms, reducing hospitalizations, and improving cognitive functioning.
What type of behavioral therapy is used for schizophrenia?
The most common type of therapy for schizophrenia is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which combines cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy strategies. CBT is known to be effective in the treatment of schizophrenia, particularly regarding positive symptoms.
What is the latest therapy for schizophrenia?
A recent breakthrough in schizophrenia treatment is the Federal Drug Administration’s New Drug Application for KarXT, which is a muscarinic receptor agonist medication that reduces acute psychotic symptoms. If KarXT receives FDA approval, it will be the first time in decades that a new class of drugs has been approved for the treatment of schizophrenia.
How can I treat schizophrenia on my own?
Schizophrenia self-care is not considered an effective replacement for treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy and antipsychotic medications. But self-care can still help many people manage symptoms and improve their mental health. Some strategies you might want to try include:
- Taking care of your physical health by exercising, getting enough sleep, and consuming a nutritious diet
- Getting more involved in your community by volunteering and attending local events
- Learning to recognize relapse signs and symptoms
- Signing up for an art class
- Journaling
- Listening to comforting music
- Practicing deep breathing exercises
- Joining a support group for people with schizophrenia
- Practicing positive self-talk and self-compassion
- Using mental health apps to track your symptoms or guide you through relaxation exercises
- Reaching out to friends or family when you’re experiencing symptoms
While there are many things you can do on your own to manage your symptoms, there are times when it may not be possible on your own. Reaching out for crisis support may be necessary if you’re experiencing a relapse, psychosis, or any other concerning symptoms.
What is psychosocial therapy for schizophrenia?
Psychosocial therapy for schizophrenia includes mental health services like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), social skills training, and cognitive remediation. These types of therapy differ in their goals and approach, but they generally aim to help people with schizophrenia develop coping skills to manage their symptoms and achieve their goals. Psychosocial therapy is typically used as a complement to antipsychotic medications. Together, these treatment approaches can improve quality of life and functioning.
Can you treat schizophrenia without medication?
First-generation antipsychotic medications often cause side effects such as sexual dysfunction, sedation, weight gain, and restlessness. Newer, second-generation antipsychotics are less likely to cause side effects, but still, some people prefer not to take long-term medications.
If you’re concerned about side effects, find a doctor who listens to your needs and is willing to work with you, adjust your medications, and find the treatment option that works best for you.
If you’d rather not take medication, you can still benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy for schizophrenia. Although it may not be as effective as combination treatments with therapy and medications, CBT can help manage some symptoms of schizophrenia.
What type of therapist treats schizophrenia?
Many types of therapists can address schizophrenia, including social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or clinical counselors. When selecting a therapist to work with, ensure they have up-to-date licensing, experience with psychosocial therapies (such as cognitive behavioral therapy), and experience working with people who have schizophrenia.
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