SCHIZOPHRENIA Q & A

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe mental health disorder that affects your ability to think clearly, interact with others, make decisions, and manage your feelings. It’s a long-term illness that usually presents in your 20s or 30s. Symptoms may start when you’re in your teens, but it’s often difficult to diagnose at an early age.

While schizophrenia is a complicated disorder, you can live a happy and productive life with the right treatment

What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?

Symptoms of schizophrenia may begin to show up around age 16 and fall into one of three categories, including:

Positive: Psychotic behaviors not present in healthy people such as hallucinations or delusions

Negative: Change in normal emotions or behaviors such as flat affect or lack of pleasure

Cognitive: Impaired thinking that causes memory problems or difficulty focusing

People with schizophrenia often suffer from anosognosia, which means they’re unaware of their illness. This is why schizophrenia may be difficult to treat.

What puts me at risk for schizophrenia?

Doctors are still researching factors that increase your risk of developing schizophrenia, but they believe it may be a combination of genetics and environment.

If you have a close relative with schizophrenia, your risk of developing the mental health disorder increases to 10%. Malnutrition and exposure to viruses while you’re in utero, or growing in your mother’s belly, may also increase your risk.

Neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine and glutamate, may also trigger the onset of schizophrenia.

How can you treat schizophrenia?

Dr. Erickson uses medication, psychotherapy, and coordinated specialty care to manage the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic medications are provided daily as a pill or liquid or monthly by injection. It can take some time to find the right combination of medication to control symptoms.

Once symptoms are under control, Dr. Erickson works with you to help you manage life with your symptoms. Dr. Erickson encourages support from family or groups to help your efforts.

As an integrative psychiatrist, Dr. Erickson may also recommend Nordic Naturals® brand of omega-3 fatty acids to help in the management of schizophrenia symptoms.

How can I help a loved one with schizophrenia?

Caring for a friend or family member with schizophrenia may be difficult. You can support your loved one by: