Psychiatry And Psychotherapy Benefit People Struggling With Schizophrenia

For individuals struggling with schizophrenia

, the world can appear to be an illusory, at times hostile place. While diagnosis and treatment of this paralyzing psychological illness is a fairly complicated process, mental health providers are well prepared to do exactly that. Together with a routine medication schedule, a variety of psychiatric and/or psychotherapeutic treatment plans can significantly improve the lives of people suffering from this debilitating disease.

Complex by definition, schizophrenia is characterized by the inability or the extreme difficulty a person has in:

Distinguishing between reality and illusion

Logical thinking

Developing emotional responses considered normal

Engaging in normal behavior

Symptoms of the disease usually include auditory hallucinations, delusional paranoia and scattered speech and thought processes. The illness affects and can significantly impair an individual's capacity to connect with others, keep a job, take public transportation, keep a residence and more. In addition to the primary symptoms, people with the illness are at a higher risk of abusing drugs and alcohol and committing suicide, as well as suffering from poor physical health.

Treatment for schizophrenia involves regular use of medication. It depends on the individual, but some combination of antipsychotic, antidepressant and anti-anxiety medicine could be the best course. Due to dangerous and/or unbearable side effects, up to 75% of all people on these drugs stop taking them without telling their doctor. Newer, atypical antipsychotic medications have been created to reduce side effects, but the fall-off rate is still high.

It is critical that those suffering from schizophrenia continue taking their prescribed medicines, because treatment of the illness is the only known long-term solution. Put simply, there is no cure, per se. But medicine is only half of the equation. Therapy is another vital aspect of treatment. Individual psychotherapy is not the preferred method, yet it is one option. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT has been shown to be effective in the treatment of schizophrenia as well. By working on one's negative thought patterns, positive results can and will ultimately manifest in one's life.

Group therapy, too, is important and arguably the best treatment method. In these supportive sessions patients learn how to make real-life goals, and to focus on problems and potential solutions. Group therapy is valuable in that individuals get the support they need by talking through their thoughts and feelings while working to minimize social isolation. It is, in effect, a way to help people learn to socialize in a positive, effective manner.

Family therapy is another solution, as it can help alleviate stress within a household, teach coping mechanisms and improve support in an all-around sense. Rates of poverty, joblessness and homelessness are higher among people with schizophrenia, but these are, with the right treatment and support, not inevitable outcomes. It is vital for families to create and sustain a positive network so that a loved one who suffers from schizophrenia has somewhere to turn when times are most challenging.

Since treatment is the best cure for schizophrenia, medication will likely be a matter of long-term routine. Therapy - perhaps individually but definitely in a group setting - is also imperative. In addition to gaining support from the therapist, other patients and/or friends and family, people with schizophrenia learn to interact socially and may even learn job skills. This is not a homogenous world. There are avenues for success available to all people regardless of their mental state. With the proper schizophrenia treatment, support and understanding, most people living with this disease can move on in spite of it and learn to live fulfilling lives.

by: Stephen Daniels

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