Schizophrenia is one of the most serious mental health disorders that can reduce a person’s lifespan by 15-25 years. This condition can cause hallucinations and delusions, impacting a person’s ability to think and behave rationally.
In addition to this, a person with schizophrenia is also likely to feel disoriented and have abnormal motor ability. They may not be able to structure coherent sentences to communicate effectively. There are many other signs of this condition, such as speaking monotone, neglecting personal hygiene, social withdrawal, lack of emotion, and inability to make eye contact.
Needless to say, this schizophrenia can greatly alter a person’s sensory abilities, perception, and cognition. People who’ve been diagnosed with this condition are typically given a strict treatment procedure that must be followed diligently to keep their symptoms in check.
Keep reading to learn all about the treatment of this condition and how it’s done.
Medication
Typically, medication is the first line of treatment for people exhibiting schizophrenic behaviors. Patients are given drugs depending on the severity of the condition at a quantity they’re likely to respond to. Most commonly, the medication is categorized as the following:
- Second-generation antipsychotics
- First-generation antipsychotics
- Long-acting injectable antipsychotics
Second-generation antipsychotics are generally the most preferred choice of drugs for people with schizophrenia as they have the least side effects. The treatment usually starts with these, with the other categories explored if the condition doesn’t improve.
Psychosocial Therapy
People who have schizophrenia need an unwavering support system and plenty of psychosocial interventions to lead somewhat normal lives. Some of the most common psychosocial therapies and interventions include:
- Individual counseling and therapy
- Family therapy
- Social skills training
- Behavioral rehabilitation
Hospital Admission
Since schizophrenia can alter a person’s judgment, people who have this condition can potentially harm others during a hallucination or delusional episode. If their symptoms get out of hand, hospital admission is possibly the only way to control them. Medical professionals may use a combination of medication and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to gain control over the patient.
Needless to say, people with schizophrenia can only lead a somewhat normal life if they take all their medication on time. If you have this condition, you need timely prescription refills to avoid schizophrenic episodes.
If you can’t afford medication, you should consider enrolling with The Rx Helper. We help uninsured and underinsured US citizens find relevant prescription assistance programs. We collaborate with different pharmaceutical companies, non-profit organizations, and state programs across the country to help our clients get into affordable patient assistance and free medication programs.
Learn all about our cost of service and contact us for more details.
Disclaimer: This article is only intended for educational purposes and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for medical advice.
