Schizophrenia and schizoaffective Disorders
Schizophrenia Treatment in Orange County, California
Schizophrenia is a highly stigmatized and little understood mental health disorder. But with treatment, its symptoms can be managed.
Schizophrenia Treatment in Orange County
The effects of schizophrenia are far-reaching for those affected. The condition impairs thinking and judgment. Symptoms effect daily life. Behavioral health professionals use a combination of medication and therapy to improve the quality of your life and help you avoid hospitalization or relapse after diagnosis.
There are three main types of schizophrenia: paranoid, hebephrenic, and catatonic. These all have various accompanying symptoms that may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior and thoughts, or have erratic movement patterns.
What Are the Effects of Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects your relationships, thinking, decision-making, and emotions. Getting proper treatment is critical to managing your symptoms so you can live happily.
Since there is no cure for the condition, treatments aim to help you understand and manage your symptoms and provide much-needed support as you navigate through life.
Effective therapies for Schizophrenia
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – Cognitive behavioral therapy changes your mind’s conditioning to think or react in different situations. It helps you control your emotions by identifying and working on life-challenging patterns through problem-solving, relaxation, facing your fears, and understanding other people’s perspectives. When you learn to control the voices in your head, you become more confident and relate better with others.
2. Talk therapy – Also known as psychotherapy, talk therapy helps you manage stress by addressing problem areas in your life. Psychotherapy sessions can include your family members or other schizophrenic patients.
3. Psychosocial therapy – During this therapy, you work on building the skills you need to fill some of your mental health needs and create happy experiences. Psychosocial treatment teaches you to deal with stress and lower triggers in the future.
4. Family therapy – Since the family unit is the primary caregiver for many schizophrenic patients, this treatment is essential to help members understand schizophrenia and learn how to help their loved ones. The support of your family can help lower stress, manage emotional situations, and solve problems.
5. Peer-to-peer counseling – This treatment is whereby a schizophrenic patient helps others by offering support and advice. Such sessions help you connect and talk about the challenges and successes in daily life. The result is an improved quality of life and self-esteem.
6. Occupational therapy (OT) – Rather than focus on the symptoms of schizophrenia, OT allows you to participate in activities that help you get better at day-to-day tasks.
Schizophrenia Medication
Schizophrenia causes delusions, hallucinations, confused thinking and speaking, and random movements. The purpose of using medication during treatment is to alleviate symptoms so you can thrive.
Doctors use antipsychotics to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia. The drugs work on brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine to help relieve psychotic episodes.
An Intensive Program for Schizophrenia Treatment
The symptoms of schizophrenia affect how a patient views reality. When delusions kick in, patients may forget who and where they are, how they got there, and what they’re supposed to do. Hallucinations can cause reactions that harm a patient’s well-being.
A intensive 5-day-a-week behavioral health program offers comprehensive help in a way that is safe and effective.
