Schizophrenia treatment has advanced considerably in recent years.

However, since the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, current

treatment focuses on: Eliminating the symptoms of the disease, improving
quality of life, and restoring productive lives.

Treatment and other service interventions are often linked to the clinical
phases of schizophrenia: Acute phase, stabilizing phase, stable (or
maintenance) phase and the recovery phase. Achieving optimal treatment
for schizophrenia across all phases of the disorder generally requires some
form of medical therapy with antipsychotic medication, usually combined
with a variety of psychosocial interventions (e.g., therapy, rehabilitation).
Antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia have been available since the
mid-1950s. These drugs alleviate the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
While antipsychotic medications have greatly improved the lives of many
patients, they do not cure schizophrenia. Everyone responds differently to
antipsychotic medications.
In some cases, several different drugs must be tried before the right one is
found. People with schizophrenia should work in partnership with their doctor
to find the medications that best control their symptoms with the fewest side
effects. Like diabetes or high blood pressure, schizophrenia is a chronic
disorder that needs constant management. At this time, schizophrenia
cannot be cured, but the number of psychotic episodes a person experiences
can be decreased significantly by staying on the prescribed medications.
Although responses vary from person to person, most people receiving
schizophrenia treatment need to take some type of medication for the rest of
their lives and use other approaches, such as supportive therapy or
rehabilitation, as well. Antipsychotic medications can produce unpleasant or
dangerous side effects when taken with certain other drugs. For this reason,
the doctor who prescribes the antipsychotics should be told about all
medications (over-the-counter and prescription) and all vitamins, minerals,
and herbal supplements the patient takes. The use of alcohol or other drugs
should also be discussed. Patients who receive regular psychosocial
treatment for schizophrenia also adhere better to their medication schedule
and have fewer relapses and hospitalizations. A positive relationship with a
therapist or a case manager gives the patient a reliable source of

information, sympathy, encouragement, and hope -- all of which are

essential for recovery. By explaining the nature and causes of schizophrenia
and the need for medication, the therapist can also help patients
acknowledge the reality of their disorder and adjust to the limitations it
imposes.

Facility for care (usually long-term) of patients who are not sick enough to need hospital care but are not
able to remain at home. Historically, most residents were elderly or ill or had chronic irreversible and
disabling disorders, and medical and nursing care was minimal. Today nursing homes have a more active
role in health care, helping patients prepare to live at home or with a family member when possible. They
help conserve expensive hospital facilities for the acutely ill and improve the prospects of the chronically
disabled. However, quality of care varies widely, and the potential for abuse exists

Yes. The main types of treatment are counseling and medicines to lessen or stop psychotic symptoms.
Medicines will control psychotic symptoms in most people. In milder cases of schizophrenia, medications
may not be needed. Medicines can:

Lessen or stop hallucinations

Help the person tell the difference between hallucinations and the real world
Lessen or stop false beliefs
Lessen feelings of confusion
Help the person think more clearly

Lessening of these symptoms can help the person resume his or her normal lifestyle and activities.
Medicines for schizophrenia need to be taken regularly, even after symptoms are gone. Some people with
schizophrenia will stop taking their medicine because they believe the medicine is no longer needed, or
they dislike the medication's side effects. Psychotic symptoms often return when medication is stopped.

Medication
Some people have troubling side effects, including tremors and major weight gain. Drugs may also
interfere with other medicines or supplements being taken. In most cases, long-term use of medication is
an essential part of managing schizophrenia.
Psychosocial Therapies
Counseling can help people cope with their problem behaviors and thoughts, and improve how they relate
to others. In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), people learn to test the reality of their thoughts and better
manage symptoms. Other forms of therapy aim to improve self-care, communication, and relationship
skills. These strategies are not meant to replace medication, but can help people already stable on
medication manage everyday challenges.
Relapse Prevention
People with schizophrenia sometimes quit their medications because of side effects or a poor
understanding of their illness. This raises the risk of serious symptoms returning and triggering a full

psychotic episode. Regular psychosocial therapy can help people stay on medication and avoid a relapse
or the need for hospitalization.

Schizophrenia has long been associated with creativity throughout recorded history, and it has been
suggested it has been a side effect of the adaptive expansion of human abilities. This new study provides
genetic evidence consistent with this idea. However, Dr Dorus said the genetic basis of creativity is
unknown and its link to schizophrenia remains unproven.
"People with schizophrenia think in ways that are unexpected and surprising which may explain the link to
creativity. But the problem with this theory is that the creation of culturally useful products - as opposed to
just nonsense - also requires deployment of analytical and critical judgement, plus viable persistence in
the face of opposition, not just novel ideas," commented Prof Raj Persaud, Consultant Psychiatrist at the
Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals and Gresham Professor for Public Understanding of Psychiatry.
"So it's probably more likely that we all in fact exist along a spectrum of schizophrenia and creativity
depending on the particular pattern of genes we inherit - this explains the high rates of creativity and
schizophrenia found in the same families rather than so much in the same person.

Common
No cultural or geographic group is immune from schizophrenia, although the course of the disease seems
to be more severe in developed countries. However, the content of delusions may vary depending on a
person's culture. According to one study, European patients were more apt to have delusions of poisoning
or religious guilt while in Japan the delusions were most often related to being slandered.
Schizophrenia can occur at any age, but it tends to first develop (or at least become evident) between
adolescence and young adulthood. Schizophrenia in children is likely to be severe. Although the risk of
schizophrenia declines with age, its incidence has been known to peak in those who are about 45 years
old, and again in people who are in their mid-60s (mostly women). Late-onset schizophrenia that
develops in the 40s is most likely to be the paranoid subtype with fewer negative symptoms or learning
impairment.
Men tend to develop schizophrenia between the ages of 15 - 24. Paranoid schizophrenia may be more
common in men, and symptoms tend to be more severe.
The onset in women is usually slightly later, between ages 25 - 34, and the symptoms tend to be less
severe. The earlier a girl starts menstruation, the longer she is protected against schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is more severe during a woman's menstrual cycle when estrogen levels are low. Such
findings and other evidence suggest that estrogen may have nerve-protecting properties. For example,
the higher the estrogen levels in female patients with schizophrenia, the better their mental functions.

How Do People Live With Schizophrenia? Many people diagnosed with schizophrenia are still able to live
normal, happy lives For those diagnosed with the disorder, it is very important that they continue to take
their medication and abstain from drugs and drinking One man diagnosed with schizophrenia presents
this optimistic picture of living with his disorder: "Those early years when you are first diagnosed are
very hard. Many people are very surprised by the illness and don't know what to do. Many refuse
medicines. But as time goes on, most people learn what works. They find their best medication. They find
a way to live that is satisfying and doesn't stress them too much. They learn not to drink too much alcohol,
and to take care of themselves. The find a good doctor, and often others help them, such as friends,
priest, or counselor. People make a decent life for themselves. They find love, ,they find work....it gets
better. The key is to stick with the medication, and to never give up."

Famous people with schizo

Famous People With Schizophrenia
John Nash Nobel Prize winner /Mathematician
Syd Barret guitarist for Pink Floyd
Mary Todd Lincoln wife of Abraham Lincoln