Schizophrenia ranks among the top 10 causes of disability in the United States and costs society roughly $63 billion each year. Traditionally, schizophrenia is a difficult condition to treat because it requires a lifetime of taking anti-psychotic medications, which many people stop taking because they feel it makes them feel “unlike themselves” — therefore, treating schizophrenia is impossible without compliance. The relapse rate is 80% within 2 years for patients who discontinue their medication, compared to 40% with continued treatment. Since there are more than 15 different products on the market, finding the right one sometimes requires trial and error.

Antipsychotic drugs are the main facet of the treatment of schizophrenia. This exclusive class of drugs can put a stop to hallucinations, get delusions under control and improve coherence of the thoughts if taken unfailingly over the long term. Use of traditional drugs, like haloperidol or thorazine frequently resulted in negative reactions, including motor restlessness, rigidity of neck muscles and uncontrolled movements of the tongue or facial muscles, which led a good number of people to discontinue taking them.

Sometimes, folks believe they’ve been “cured” so they don’t have to take the drugs anymore. Others want to get rid of the uncomfortable side effects, and so they quit taking their drugs. However, when a schizophrenic stops taking the medicine, their problems return with greater severity and the medicine become less helpful.

There are a few popular misconceptions about drugs used in treating schizophrenia. Family members often worry that the anti-psychotic medications will lead to addiction, but these medications do not produce a euphoric high or contribute to neurotic behavior associated with addiction. Another misconception is that these drugs will sedate patients, remove their free will and control them like animals. While certain medications can have a sedating effect, they are not the chemical equivalent of a straitjacket. Many of the new atypical antipsychotic drugs have very few side effects and enable people to live without delusions or hallucinations.

Treating schizophrenia early and aggressively is essential. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, schizophrenics have 50 times’ the risk of suicide compared to the general population. In fact, suicide is the leading cause of premature death among schizophrenics, with 10-15% taking their own lives and 40% attempting suicide at least once. This number is even higher (60%) among males. For this reason, many people with this mental illness require antidepressants to improve their motivation, their attitudes and to keep dangerous emotions at bay.

There are many different types of schizophrenia that a person can be diagnosed with. Paranoid schizophrenia is just one of several but it can be debilitating. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed as having this, you need to know what the disease is and how it can affect your or their life. Click here to learn more about schizophrenia disorder.

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