FAQs About Schizophrenia
Learn more about schizophrenia through these commonly asked questions:
You must select at least 1 question or "View All."
A1: |
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness that affects the way the brain receives and interprets information from the outside world. This affects thinking and judgment and impairs a person's ability to reason logically, organize and communicate thoughts, and function in society. Schizophrenia does not mean "split personality."  |
A2: |
Schizophrenia is more common than most people think. About 1% of the people in the United States will develop schizophrenia over the course of their lives. It's also important to know that schizophrenia has many different symptoms and can show up in many different ways. |
A3: |
There's no one cause for schizophrenia. It does not happen because of poor parenting or a bad upbringing. Although stress can trigger or worsen symptoms, stress does not cause schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a disorder of the brain. It most likely develops from a mix of factors that may include:
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A4: |
The diagnosis of schizophrenia is based on an interview with a doctor. It can be difficult to distinguish schizophrenia from certain other mental illnesses. Therefore, a medical history, physical exam, and laboratory tests are required to rule out other disorders. Doctors also may look at pictures of the brain, taken by x-ray. Symptoms provide the most important clues in making a diagnosis. Doctors will look at the type and severity of symptoms, how long they last, and what the person's life was like before symptoms appeared. |
A5: |
Schizophrenia is a lifelong illness. Although it is not curable, it can be treated. Many people with schizophrenia are now able to lead more independent and satisfying lives through improved treatment. |
A6: |
Schizophrenia is generally treated with a combination of therapies. These may include antipsychotic medications, supportive therapy, and education about the illness. Medications are crucial in helping to relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia and helping people successfully manage their illness. The newer medicines treating schizophrenia act on both negative symptoms (such as apathy or social withdrawal) and positive symptoms (such as hearing troubling voices or having bothersome thoughts). Supportive talk therapy is another very important part of treatment. This therapy allows someone to talk about thoughts, feelings, experiences, problems, and relationships. A trained mental health professional (eg, psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric social worker) can help the person understand more about the illness, his or her problems, and other personal issues. Other forms of supportive therapy include programs for social and vocational training. Psychotherapy is not a substitute for medication therapy. |
A7: |
No. Feeling better is a sign that your medicine is working, so stick with it. Sometimes when people start to feel better, they think that they don't need medicine anymore. To keep feeling well, it is important that you continue to take your medication exactly as your healthcare provider recommends. Continuing to take your medicine is the best way to keep your symptoms from returning. Ask your healthcare professional for ways to help you remember to take your medicine every day. Medicine is a very important part of your treatment, but there are other things you can do to continue feeling well. Working with a counselor and being involved in group therapy or a support group are also very helpful. Talk with your healthcare provider about what else you can do to continue to take steps toward your goals. It is healthy to be taking medication for your illness, and others will respect your desire to manage your symptoms. However, it is understandable that you may not want other people to know you are taking medication for a mental illness. If your medicine is doing the job of controlling your symptoms, no one has to know you are taking medication. If you are concerned about others seeing you take your medicine in public, talk to your doctor. He or she can help you find a time of day when you are able to have more privacy. |
A8: |
If your symptoms do not improve or you are feeling worse, let your healthcare provider know. He or she may need to change how much of the medicine you are taking or change your medicine. If you are seeing progress, let your healthcare provider know that too. Celebrate your successes! Even the smallest successes can help you take the next step. |
A9: |
Loneliness is a big problem for many people, especially for those with schizophrenia. This illness can make it harder for you to communicate with others. You may have a hard time understanding what others are saying and a hard time expressing your own thoughts. As you continue your treatment and your symptoms improve, it will probably become easier for you to meet others and make friends. One of the best ways to meet other people is to get involved in activities that you enjoy. Some ideas for meeting other people with whom you may have things in common:
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A10: |
Early diagnosis and treatment is key to helping someone with schizophrenia manage the illness and avoid more serious problems. If you think that someone you care about may have schizophrenia, you should encourage this person to talk with a doctor. People with schizophrenia may resist treatment, believing that their delusions or hallucinations are real and psychiatric help is not required. If a crisis occurs, family and friends may need to take action to keep their loved one safe. There may be situations in which people with schizophrenia will need help from other people. Support for those with schizophrenia can come from families, professional residential or day program caregivers, shelter operators, friends or roommates, professional case managers, or others in their communities or places of worship who are concerned about their welfare. |
