Schizophrenia affects the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, understands real life and relates to others.
1 in 100 people get this diagnosis at some point in their life and it often develops in teenage years.
Symptoms
- a lack of interest in things
- feeling disconnected from your emotions
- difficulty concentrating
- wanting to avoid people
- disorganised thinking and speech
- not wanting to look after yourself
- hallucinations – this is where a person hears, sees, feels, smells or tastes things that do not exist outside their mind but can feel very real. They may become very worried and frightened.
- delusions – a person with schizophrenia may view themselves and the world differently. They may become very suspicious of family and friends, not just strangers.
Treatment
Schizophrenia is usually treated with an individually tailored combination of talking therapy and medicine.
Most people with schizophrenia are treated by community mental health teams (CMHTs).
The goal of the CMHT is to provide day-to-day support and treatment while ensuring you have as much independence as possible.
A CMHT can be made up of and provide access to:
- social workers
- community mental health nurses – who have specialist training in mental health conditions
- occupational therapists
- pharmacists
- counsellors and psychotherapists
- psychologists and psychiatrists – the psychiatrist is usually the senior clinician in the team
Download Schizophrenia Fact Sheet
External file