Schizophrenic patients live a life that is not fulfilling; they often don’t find it easy to communicate with people they live with and even performing of simple tasks is not easy. Rehabilitating such patients as a means of therapy can help them live a more fulfilling life. These people not only require medicine alone but also a group therapy. Group therapy performs best when directed towards plans of real life, difficulties in life and in relating with others.
There are family therapies that decrease relapse significantly for family members who are schizophrenic. When a family gives a supportive therapy relapse can be reduced significantly when patients are discharged from hospitals. The families hold meetings to identify problems when they occur in the family and chat out of any viable solution to them.
Since schizophrenia is viewed as disorder of thought, mood and anxiety, it equally calls for a medical treatment comprising of antipsychotic, antidepressant and antianxiety. Medications are faced with the challenge of discontinuity by patients in the event there are considerable side effects. (Torrey, 2006)
Medications of antipsychotic nature aid in normalizing imbalances in biochemical agents causing schizophrenia. They also reduce occurrences of relapse.
There are to types of antipsychotic namely traditional and modern. Traditional ones manage hallucinations, confusion and delusions of the disorder. There are considerable side effects due to these medications and they include vision which is blurred, constipation, dizziness, muscle problem, neck and head cramps among others. Modern antipsychotic treatments include Seroquel, Zyprexa, Risperdal and Clozaril.
An alternative treatment for the schizophrenia disorder is the self-help method. They are however not commonly employed since many professionals are not engaged in them. It involves use of community support group working with psychotherapists.
Reference
Torrey, E. F. (2006) Surviving Schizophrenia : A Manual for Families, Patients and Providers (5th Edition): Oxford: Quill
