Can Schizophrenia be a life-long illness?

Question

I'm currently suffering from it and I would like more insight.

Answer 1

my dad was diagnosed with schizophrenia a couple of years ago and according to psychiatrist "the illness gets worse with time"...but my dad actually got better after being diagnosed....because he became conscious about the problem...and he actually feels more self control now. so dont just let psychiatrist decide how mentally ill you are.because its mostly them that make you feel more crazy! lol .. just dont worry to much about it.. :) my dad doesn't even go to the shrink anymore ...

Answer 2

I work for a psychiatrist who has several schizophrenic patients, and sadly, yes, most (if not all) will deal with their condition in one way or another for the rest of their lives.

Schizophrenia is a very difficult disorder to treat. It's hard to find a medication that each patient responds well to, and often when one is found, the side effects are extremely difficult for the patient to live with. Often, a medication will work extremely effectively - maybe for a few years even - and then for no explicable reason, it will just stop "working" - and then it's back to the hospital or back to trying many meds until one if found that has some effect again.

One of the biggest mistakes schizophrenic patients make is to STOP taking their meds because the feel better now. Schizophrenia isn't a common cold. It is a serious mental illness that can be treated - not cured - so don't stop the treatment. Keep your Dr. appointments and comply with all medication regimes and any other forms of treatment he/she recommends.

In spite of your schizophrenia, you can have a well-functioning and productive life! The key is consistent treatment. And also, at the FIRST sign that it's "flaring" up, get to the MD, don't wait until it's really out of control before you go in.

Best of wishes to you!

Answer 3

yes. Stay on your meds.
Length of Treatment. Like diabetes or high blood pressure, schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that needs constant management. At the moment, it cannot be cured, but the rate of recurrence of psychotic episodes can be decreased significantly by staying on medication. Although responses vary from person to person, most people with schizophrenia need to take some type of medication for the rest of their lives as well as use other approaches, such as supportive therapy or rehabilitation.

Relapses occur most often when people with schizophrenia stop taking their antipsychotic medication because they feel better, or only take it occasionally because they forget or don't think taking it regularly is important. It is very important for people with schizophrenia to take their medication on a regular basis and for as long as their doctors recommend. If they do so, they will experience fewer psychotic symptoms.

No antipsychotic medication should be discontinued without talking to the doctor who prescribed it, and it should always be tapered off under a doctor's supervision rather than being stopped all at once

Answer 4

I'm sorry to say that it is with you the rest of your life. My husband was 38 when it hit him, but, unfortunately he had other conditions including paranoia and delusional. I really couldn't tell you about the symptoms of schizophrenia alone. But he was on several medications up t the day he passed away.

But at least you can ask about your problem. I don't think my husband realized how ill he really was. He was diagnosed with paranoid/delusional/schizophrenia. They say there are 3 breakdowns a person can have and that is the worst of all 3.

Stay on your meds and stay active and busy, and try not to ponder on it for any length of time. Keep you mind active on other good things that are in the world.

Answer 5

Schizophrenia is a lifelong illness, that can be managed effectively with medication, without medication the chances of living a productive useful life are slim.

I've known a few "clients" with schizophrenia who have maintained fairly normal lives, as long as they take their medication. Jobs, relationship etc, But man o' man if they go off the meds, katy bar the door.

Answer 6

Unfortunately yes. It runs in my husband's family. His uncle has had it all his life. (he is in his 40's now) He has episodes alot and he's never been able to stay in one place too long. He is homeless by choice and rarely contacts the family. My husband came across him at a karyoke bar three years ago, but that's the most recent siting of him. My husband's aunt never had any symptoms of the disease until the birth of her twins. (she already had 7 kids and the twins made 9) She had a break down and schizophrenia popped out. She was hearing voices and the whole nine yards for months before hers came back under control. She's ok now and a great mom to all 9 of those wonderful kids. Ages 3-17.

Answer 7

Dear Scott,

I am a lifelong schizophrenia sufferer and feel I have to answer this. I first experienced a schizophrenic symptom ( a rather violent sudden paralysis of the whole body except the heart and lungs ) while in the military in 1960. I quickly recovered from that physically but it changed me. I was totally disatisfied with myself and the career I was in and very depressed, which worsened and I began experiencing paranoic thoughts. I was medically discharged but began having hallucinations a few years later.

The mental voices, which constituted my early hallucinations, were alternately violent and euphoric. They put me in the hospital in about 1966.There I was diagnosed schizophrenia paranoid and told I would have to take medications (neuroleptic drugs which were new to psychiatry) for the rest of my life. I was sure the drugs were not necessary and when I got out of the hospital got off them but the depression and delusional thinking (a delusion to me is a belief which a patient forms out of necessity to explain the unwelcome symptoms like voices which he/she is experiencing) did not cease so I never got better in my early years with the disorder but was like a "Zombie". I also began having poltergeist like hallucinations with radios, TV's and lights turning on and off with no one near them. Sometimes objects would be levitated and returned and colored small lights were seen by me and a cat floating in mid air (not fireflies; they were red).

My mother convinced me that I needed the meds by observing, "You are a different person when You take your pills.". After I got back on the meds for good the situation started to improve. The hallucinations decreased in frequency and severity and I was able to go back to work and then to school. I have been an outpatient of the Veterans Admin. system for over 40 years and have been able to work in my proffesion for 15 of those years and attend universities. While the early meds caused a mild case of Tardive Dyskonesia they have been the cause of my not having had a serious hallucination in over 10 years.

I have taken the meds religiously except for a few occaisions when I went off them (against doctors advice). I was then a little anxious but with out hallucinations for about a year in one incident. I advise that if you go off the meds do it with a psychiatrists consent to observe you and record the results as seen by him, you and others. The reason I put this in here is that I do not believe hallucinations are caused by material malfunctioning of the brain but by some other unknown cause and It is entirely possible that a schizophrenic can be cured if the medical proffesion would cooperate and seriously try it with an improved consenting patient.

Good luck, good health, peace and love!

Mad Mac

Answer 8

Im sorry to say this, But yes. Schizophrenia is a long term illness that Alot of doctors are still trying to understand. Im sorry to say this. Your your doctor should have told you this.

Answer 9

schizophrenia is a life long illness.. BUT.. it can be managed.. you just have to take your meds.. dont miss one.. the side effects is of course, not good, but there's some meds that can control those side effects.. ask your doctor about it.. good luck.. and God bless..

Answer 10

From what I understand there is no other way, you have it for life. Take your meds, whatever you do dont stop them on your own, I have seen people go from good to VERY bad because they didnt want to take their meds, if you have a problem with them SEE YOUR DR. before you do anything, it should be very managable.... Good luck.