Treatments for Schizophrenia“Schizophrenic NYC made by me. A Schizophrenic New Yorker just trying to change the way NewYork City sees mental health.”Michelle Hammer lives with Schizophrenia, a serious mental health condition that affects how sheunderstands reality.“I leave reality and I like just zone out in my head where I think a whole different situation is happeningand it’s almost just like this is here, that’s there, and I’m not here anymore. It’s just kind of like being ina different place. It’s hard to even explain. You’re just not in reality. You’re just gone.”Many people with Schizophrenia find themselves homeless or hospitalized after finding success withtreatment, Michelle is now working to change how people talk about mental illness.“I want to tell the world I have Schizophrenia, and I want to try to make an open dialogue and getpeople talking about mental health. Spreading awareness through the medium of artwork andclothing.”The cause of Schizophrenia is unknown, and it cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be managed with theright treatment. There are 3 categories of symptoms: Positive, or things added to a person’s usualexperience, such as hallucinations and delusions; Negative, or things that take away from a person’s usualexperience, such as social withdrawal or lack of emotion; and Cognitive, or things that affect a person’sthoughts and behavior.“We do know that the chemicals in the brain that are sending messages from one area of the brain tothe other are not functioning properly when people have the illness. And that’s what medication canhelp with.”Antipsychotic medication is most commonly used with Schizophrenia to treat the positive symptoms ofhallucinations and delusions. Mood stabilizers and antidepressants may be used to improve the effects ofantipsychotic medication. It may take some time to find the right medications and the right dose that work foryou, so it is important to be patient.“It’s really important to stress that with Schizophrenia there is a lot of individual differences in howsomebody will respond. So, unfortunately there is this almost necessary period to where you workvery closely with your physician to try to identify the medication that works best for you.”For Paul Beier, that meant years of trying to find the right combination of medications and therapy.“Deep down I always had hope though that, that I could, you know, figure this out. I could get better, orI could go into recovery. I just kept seeking treatment. And cooperating with the doctors.”It can also be hard to stay on medication. Someone living with Schizophrenia may not realize they areexperiencing symptoms. They may believe the medication will harm them, be experiencing side effects, orthey might think they don’t need it anymore.“It’s very common to want to stop taking medication. And that’s a good question. Talk to your doctorabout that. Review the pros and cons. Usually when people stop taking their medicine, theirsymptoms return.”This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG54629A EN TreatmentsForSchizophrenia.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2Treatments for SchizophreniaThroughout college, Michelle struggled with her medication. But when her lacrosse coach encouraged her togo back on her meds.“My whole demeanor changed. I decided I wasn’t going to be that person that’s going to go off themeds. I just accepted that I needed medicine and then come January she was like, we noticed achange in you, do you want to be captain. I was like, yeah.”Talk Therapy is another form of treatment. This might be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Social Skills training,Family therapy, Vocational therapy or Cognitive remediation to improve attention, memory, social cognitionand decision making. For Paul, Talk Therapy helped push him to pursue his dreams. Since he was young, hehoped to earn his black belt in karate. His mental health struggles delayed that dream, but with the support ofhis therapist and his family, he began karate again.“I stuck it out and at about the age of 50, I got my black belt. And people were a little shocked at howgood I did.”Talk Therapy was essential in Shelby Manuel’s recovery, too. His Schizophrenia, complicated by a drugaddiction, landed him in hospitals and prison before he found treatment that worked for him and got him backto enjoying his life as a grandpa.“When I do have them bad thoughts, them sad feelings, them depression I talk to my doctor. She’severything to me.”Lifestyle changes can also help including: Getting enough sleep and going to bed at the same time, eatingwell, exercising, limiting or stopping the use of alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs, using relaxation techniquessuch as deep breathing or meditation, and finding supportive friends and family. Both Michelle and Paul findthat artwork helps them, too. Hobbies can boost self-esteem.“It's mostly just when I feel anxious, I just start like losing myself in drawing. It just calms me down.”“When you’re in that zone of doing artwork, it makes you lose your problems in your daily life.”Even with treatment, relapse is common. However, studies show that those who are determined to managetheir Schizophrenia can live successful lives.“Don’t give up. Don’t give up no matter what happens.”This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG54629A EN TreatmentsForSchizophrenia.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
