The best way to prevent relapse of schizophrenia is to stick with your treatment plan. There are many steps you can take to improve the quality of your life while living with this disease, including:
- Taking your medicines as prescribed. Never stop taking your medicines without the advice and supervision of your health professional.
- Attending your counseling sessions and classes even when you do not feel like it or when you think they are not helping you.
- Knowing your legal rights. People with schizophrenia have the same rights as other citizens. For example, they have the right to vote and to participate in legal agreements, such as marriage, divorce, or business ventures. Most states and many health care institutions have a bill of rights for people with serious mental illness. These rights include the right to privacy (or confidentiality) with respect to their illness and treatment plan and the right to treatment that places the fewest restrictions on their lifestyle.
- Joining a self-help or support group. These groups can be very helpful for some people with schizophrenia. Self-help and support groups are usually run by the members of the group (not health professionals).
- Developing a plan to take care of your personal affairs during times of relapse.
It is important for all family members and other people close to a person with schizophrenia to learn about the disease and how it affects their lives. Family members who learn the first signs of relapse and see that their loved one gets help early may prevent a long and difficult relapse.
- Help a person who is hallucinating by quietly calling the person by name, or by asking the person to tell you what he or she is experiencing and telling him or her that the voices are not real.
- Help a person who is paranoid by not arguing. Call for help if you fear the situation could become dangerous.
- Encourage a person to take medicines by talking about how the medicines keep them from hearing voices and by helping them monitor the medication side effects.
Sometimes people with schizophrenia are too sick to get treatment on their own. Depending on the severity of their symptoms, some people need to be held or treated against their will. Talk with your local law enforcement officials about the laws and procedures in your area for seeking treatment for an affected family member. Having this information before you need it will reduce your fears and concerns and enable family members to work together to get help for their loved one.
Some people with schizophrenia are likely to display aggressive or violent behavior.9 It is important to know the signs to watch for.
- Warning signs of suicide, such as talking about death or heavy use of drugs or alcohol
- Warning signs of violence towards others, such as talking about harming someone or unexpected and aggressive mood changes
Family members and other people involved in the care of a person with schizophrenia need to take care of themselves, such as seeking separate counseling, joining a support group, and maintaining their own interests.
Over 80% of people with schizophrenia smoke cigarettes.12 Smoking increases the risk for other diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. For information on how to stop smoking, see the topic Quitting Tobacco Use.
