Oak Valley Health’s patient education pages share the skills, knowledge, and habits patients and families need to know to cope with a daily health issue. We hope this information can influence patient behaviour to improve health outcomes and provide you with a sense of control and autonomy.
Learn more about the risks, causes, and treatment of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a complex biochemical brain disorder that can affect the way you think or perceive things. It can cause you to see or hear things that aren’t there, or to believe things that aren’t true. Individuals with schizophrenia have difficulties in one or more areas of their lives.
Family stress
Stressful event that has happened in your life
Divorce
Losing a loved one
Schizophrenia occurs when multiple inherited gene abnormalities combine with non-genetic factors which alter the brain’s structure, and neurotransmitters.
There is no test for schizophrenia. Your doctor or nurse should be able to tell if you have it by learning about your symptoms and doing a comprehensive history and assessment. Your doctor might need to do tests to make sure your symptoms are not caused by a different medical problem.
Having a family member that has schizophrenia
Problems that may have harmed your brain development during your mother’s pregnancy
Having neurotransmitter problems
Psychological stressors (childhood trauma)
Environmental stressors (poverty, high crime environment, immigrant groups)
Substance abuse
Biological factors (genetics, family history)
Neurobiological factors (Dopamine, Glutamate and abnormal maturation of CNS)
Hallucination
Delusions
Speaking in a way that is difficult to understand or does not make sense to others
Odd behaviour
Having overactive or underactive motor control
Difficulty with expressing emotions
Losing determination
Hallucinations, they are when you hear, see, feel, smell, or taste things that aren’t there. For example, people with schizophrenia often hear voices in their head telling them to do things when there isn’t really anyone talking.
Delusions – Delusions are when you believe things that are not true. For example, people with schizophrenia sometimes believe they are a famous person who is dead.
Disorganized thinking or speech – People with schizophrenia have trouble thinking in an organized way. Sometimes, they make up words or say things that do not make any sense.
Medicines (antipsychotic or symptom reliever)
Counselling
Electroconvulsive therapy (severe cases when medicine and counselling do not work)
Cognitive behaviour therapy
Behaviour skills training
Supportive employment
Cognitive remediation treatments
Combination of these therapies and antipsychotic medication
Family education and support groups
Medication Assessment Program (MAPS)
Inpatient care/ Integrated rehab unit
The medicines for schizophrenia often reduce symptoms, but they take some getting used to. Sometimes people need to try a few different medicines before finding the ones that work best and cause the fewest problems.
The medicines used to treat schizophrenia can cause uncomfortable side effects. If your medicines cause side effects, tell your doctor. They might be able to lower your dose, switch you to a different medicine, or help manage the side effects in other ways.
