Schizophrenia Health Center
Schizophrenia - Treatment Overview
Finding out that you have schizophrenia can be scary and hard to deal with. But you can treat it.
The goals of treatment and recovery are to reduce or stop symptoms, reduce the number of relapses, and develop a personal plan for your recovery by setting and meeting goals for home, work, and relationships.
Schizophrenia: Choosing a Doctor and Therapist
Choosing the right doctor and/or therapist to treat schizophrenia and other mental health issues may seem like a daunting task. But, finding the right doctor is an important step towards getting the right treatment. A number of different types of doctors can treat a mental illness, including the following: Psychiatrists: These professionals specialize in the treatment of schizophrenia and other mental, emotional, or behavioral problems. A psychiatrist can prescribe medications and...
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Medicines help your symptoms, and counseling and therapy help you change how you think about things and deal with the illness. Treatment may last a long time, and the need to follow a recovery plan usually lasts for your lifetime. Your treatment and recovery plan may change as your experience of schizophrenia and your life change.
If you struggle with alcohol, drugs, or tobacco or have other mental health problems, such as depression, you need to treat these problems too.
Medicine
Medicine is the most effective treatment for schizophrenia, and there are many medicines to choose from. Medicines may be used for positive or negative symptoms, but they don't work as well for negative symptoms as they do for positive symptoms.
Medicine doesn't cure most people who have schizophrenia, but it can make life easier for you. Find the medicine that works best for you by working closely with your doctor. Tell your doctor which symptoms the medicine helps you with and how much, and talk about any side effects.
Medicines used most often to treat schizophrenia include:
- First-generation antipsychotics, such as haloperidol (Haldol) and chlorpromazine.
- Second-generation antipsychotics, such as risperidone (Risperdal) and aripiprazole (Abilify).
- Clozapine, such as Clozaril.
Other medicines also may be used. For more information, see the Medications section.
Counseling and therapy
Counseling and therapy are important parts of treatment. You will work with a mental health professional such as a psychologist, licensed professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychiatrist.
Find a therapist you trust and feel comfortable with. A good therapist not only provides help but gives you support and encouragement. If you don't feel good about working with one doctor or therapist, try another one.
Here are some types of therapy that may help you.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you change the way you think about things. It can help you understand why it's important to prevent a relapse and take steps to do so. CBT may help reduce delusions and hallucinations.2
Counseling helps you improve your relationships, deal with your symptoms, and meet your goals. It often focuses on the problems and plans of everyday life.
Counseling can take place one-on-one or in a group setting. Group counseling also helps you make friends and learn social skills. Group counseling may be best if it has a clear leader and structure.3
Family therapy is a type of counseling that focuses on everyday life and helps you and your family work out problems when they occur. It usually includes education about schizophrenia and its treatment. Family therapy is important because your family can play a large role in supporting you if you have schizophrenia. For more information, see the Recovery and the Family and Community sections.
Recovery
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
