If you've been diagnosed with schizophrenia, you may worry that you'll have to spend a lot of time in the hospital, and that you won't be able to live a normal life.

Schizophrenia does have a big effect on your life. But everyone is different. Some people have long periods of time when they are free from symptoms, or only have lingering, annoying symptoms (called background symptoms) that don't stop them from getting on with their life. Other people need more time in the hospital and are ill for more of the time.

You'll probably need to keep taking medication, even when you are well, to keep your symptoms under control.

People are often diagnosed for the first time because they've had a period of psychotic symptoms, where they lose touch with reality. (As well as psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia can give you what doctors call negative symptoms, such as feeling withdrawn and depressed.)

During a psychotic episode, you may be too ill to work or look after yourself properly. You might be at risk of harming yourself or, much less commonly, other people. You may need to go into the hospital for treatment.

A psychotic episode can last for a few weeks or months. The average stay in the hospital is less than a month.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Schizophrenia. Core interventions in the treatment and management of schizophrenia in primary and secondary care. December 2002.
Available at http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG1 (accessed on 27 October 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

¹ Some people stay for just a few days while others stay for many months.

Once you have recovered from a psychotic episode, you may have a few lingering symptoms. You might still hear voices, for example. But they might not stop you going about your life more or less normally.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Schizophrenia. Core interventions in the treatment and management of schizophrenia in primary and secondary care. December 2002.
Available at http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG1 (accessed on 27 October 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

¹

Doctors call the pattern of symptoms a person has the course of their illness. This varies a lot from one person to another. These are some of the patterns of schizophrenia you might have.

Antipsychotics bring symptoms under control for most people. But older, standard antipsychotic drugs don't work for between 1 in 10 and 2 in 10 people.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Honigfeld G, Arellano F, Sethi J, et al.
Reducing clozapine-related morbidity and mortality: five years of experience of the clozaril national registry.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 1998; 59 (supplement 3): S3-S7.

 

 

 

 

 

³ These people may need to take a newer antipsychotic called clozapine, which works differently from other antipyschotics.

If you needed to go into the hospital for treatment, you are likely to need to be readmitted because of schizophrenia symptoms. When the symptoms of an illness come back, doctors call it a relapse.

No-one can say for certain what will happen to you. But some people seem to have fewer relapses and to recover more completely from episodes of schizophrenia.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Psychiatric Association.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.
4th ed. Washington, APA. 1994.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

You are more likely have fewer relapses and recover more quickly if you:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Psychiatric Association.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.
4th ed. Washington, APA. 1994.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

Other things that can also mean you have fewer relapses and get better quickly are if you:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Psychiatric Association.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders.
4th ed. Washington, APA. 1994.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

Some people with schizophrenia seem to have more relapses and not recover completely in between them. You're likely to have more problems from schizophrenia if you:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Schizophrenia. Core interventions in the treatment and management of schizophrenia in primary and secondary care. December 2002.
Available at http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG1 (accessed on 27 October 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

¹

When you are ill, you may not be able to care for yourself or make decisions about what sort of care you want. But you can plan for this while you are well. Your psychiatrist can help you make this plan, which is sometimes called an advance directive.

This could include:

The plan can be kept with your medical records. It can then be used if you have a relapse.

Some people need to be treated in the hospital while they are having a relapse. Sometimes people have to be taken to the hospital for treatment against their wishes. There are state-controlled rules about this.

In the long term, having schizophrenia can make it more likely that a person will:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Mueser KT, McGurk SR.
Schizophrenia.
Lancet. 2004; 363: 2063.

 

 

 

 

 

⁵

Because of the problems that come from having schizophrenia, around 1 in 20 people who have schizophrenia commit suicide.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Mueser KT, McGurk SR.
Schizophrenia.
Lancet. 2004; 363: 2063.

 

 

 

 

 

⁵

This all sounds very depressing. But remember that you are an individual. Nobody can say what will happen to you. With good support and treatment, you may be able to live a full, independent life.

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.