Is It Possible to Treat Schizophrenia Without Medication?

Since the first diagnosis of schizophrenia, it has devastated hundreds of lives due of its circumstances. For people whose loved ones have been touched by this mental disorder, having a normal life is often very difficult to achieve. Sufferers of this illness are frequently medicated or even locked up in an institution until progress has been made with the treatment. However, there are other ways to treat schizophrenic symptoms. In fact, there are people who, despite the odds, have recovered and overcome this psychological disorder without medication. John Forbes Nash, Jr., the man on which the 2001 American film "A Beautiful Mind" is based, decided to stop taking his medications and successfully recovered from schizophrenia over the course of a couple of decades.

Finding hope is an important thing for people with schizophrenia. Studies show that victims of this disease are much more likely to recover without medication regimens if they truly believe there is hope for recovery from the disorder. Faster recovery is possible if their family members or significant others together with healthcare personnel continue to provide them possible support and thorough treatment. Make an effort to find examples of schizophrenia patients who had severe symptoms and have recovered from it and gone on to live normally.

Having a healthy home and lifestyle can help the patients in overcoming the symptoms. It can give them fast recovery assurance. This may also be applicable to those who have no wife or husband and kids because they need to feel the stability of a home, income, and daily rituals.

Interaction with other people, besides family members, is important. Being included to a larger group of people and getting involved with activities can be effective steps to help the person realize that he is a part of the society and he can live a normal life.

Support groups can help patients in recovering from the disorder. Giving problem solving and coping strategies for patients can help them in dealing with the problems that they may encounter. Allow them to think and make simple decisions of their own, such as how much to spend on buying a certain thing, which therapist to consult, and whether to pay the electric or phone bill first. In addition, going out and doing various activities can make the patients feel good. They can read interesting books or magazines, watch TV shows, go to movie house, and develop their hobbies. Help them to find something that can make them feel better and busy during their spare time. Entertaining themselves is a great way to stop thinking about their illness and develop other skills in life at the same time.

The key to successfully recover from this mental disorder is to continue the patient's therapy. It is important to use the empowerment method of recovery which is believed to be an excellent alternative to taking antipsychotic drugs. However, recovering from a mental illness without the help of a therapist is basically useless. Expert's advice is a crucial factor to guide the ill person through these different ways in dealing with the setbacks.

Barriers to the Treatment of Schizophrenia and Other Serious Mental Illnesses

In 2005, a mental health study was commissioned to examine the extent of the problem of discontinuation of therapy and treatment for patients experiencing mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. The study examined the factors that influenced whether these patients followed through with the full course of prescribed medications or not. As part of the study, 76 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a panel of inpatient hospital psychiatrists and discharge planners and outpatient (community mental health center) psychiatrists and intake coordinators from across four states. The respondents stated that, on average, 50 percent of consumers discharged from inpatient facilities do not appear for their initial intake appointment at the outpatient/community-based program to which they were referred.

Several factors were identified on the system, program/provider, and individual levels that were related to such a poor rate of continuity of therapy for approximately half of the study participants.

System Level Health Care Barriers:

- The system is fragmented and fractured.

- The basics of the discharge and intake processes are similar across states; however, the flow of communication varies significantly by state and consumer profile.

- Certain prescribed psychotropic medications do not appear on hospital formularies, thus creating transition issues for consumers both within inpatient settings and post-discharge.

- Financing and cost considerations.

Facility/Program Level Health Care Barriers:

- The role of inpatient short-stay hospitals is clearly defined as triage, stabilization and, discharge.

- Most outpatient facilities see their responsibility for the continuum of care beginning only when the consumer actually shows up for intake.

- Neither setting (inpatient or outpatient) is appropriately set up to ensure continuity of care.

- Communication breakdown between settings.

- Psychiatrists from both inpatient and outpatient settings report they very rarely interact with mental illness patients in the other setting.

- Most communication between inpatient and outpatient facilities takes place between the inpatient discharge planner (typically a social worker) and the outpatient intake coordinator (typically a case manager).

- These respondents, the primary conduits of information flow between settings, characterize their work environment as "overburdened" and "overworked."

- Unless specifically mandated or required, processes pertaining to discharge or intake are unlikely to be put in place, let alone followed consistently; when policies exist, they tend to be idiosyncratic to the particular facility.

Provider and Individual Level Health Care Barriers:

- It was very clear that many consumers, upon discharge, were not completely stabilized and had little specific awareness of their medications beyond the name(s).

- Issues faced by consumers including: stigma, side effects from medications, co-occurring disorders, homelessness, lack of transportation, and lack of support systems.

- Consumers acknowledged they were provided information about their medications at discharge, but report the information was given in very general terms (e.g. "this will make you feel stable") and there was little recall regarding details.

Obviously, steps must be taken to improve the continuity of care for mental health patients. This can only be achieved by addressing and removing these barriers on all levels. Mental health professionals agree that removing these barriers is a reality that can, and should, be realized today.

Schizophrenia and Brain Receptors

Scientists from the New Castle University have claimed to have obtained evidences that could prove the probable cause of the abnormalities occurring in the electrical waves of the brains. The research team believes that schizophrenics are deficient in essential brain receptors that control them.

They have conducted a research on rats' where the receptors were diminished with the help of medication to note the changes in wave frequency; the changes did occur and that proved the fact.

Schizophrenia is basically psychiatric disarray which indicates a rare mental disorder with typical characteristics such as perception disorders and/or abnormality in expressing reality. The disorder commonly manifests abnormalities as acoustic hallucinations, weird delusions or paranoid, disordered speech and thought process with significant dysfunction in their social ass well as occupational aspects. The symptoms of schizophrenia are likely to onset during adolescence. The diagnosis of this disorder is solely dependent on self-reports provided by the patient of his/her experiences and behavioral conditions; at times others observation might also assist in diagnosis.

Studies have revealed over time that some of the probable contributing factors to schizophrenia could be genetics, neurobiology, early environment, social or some psychological processes. Some drugs; may be recreational or prescribed ones can aggravate the symptoms further. Recent psychiatric research primarily focuses on the neurobiological factors that could possibly be the real cause of such mental disorder, but no evidences have been found yet. As there are two many contradictory symptoms of schizophrenia, it is often difficult to conclude whether the diagnosis indicates a single problem or a combination of a couple of distinct symptoms; the debate is still on.

Schizophrenic individuals are likely to have an escalated dopamine activity in the brain's mesolimbic pathway. Antipsychotic medications are the most soughted treatment and are used for subduing the dopamine activity. Psychotherapy along with social and vocational rehabilitation can also help in this regard. In severe cases where there is a risk for the individual as well as for others - hospitalization is the ultimate way.

Schizophrenia is believed to affect human cognition but, it also has a dramatic impact on an individual's emotions and behavior. Schizophrenics might also have certain comorbid conditions, such as anxiety disorders and severe depression.

Several studies have been carried out to identify the truth of schizophrenia, but no fruitful results have been derived yet. Scientists are still trying their best to look more closely in to the brain functions of people having schizophrenia and the ones who don't - that's the only way of deriving evidence to prove that truth of their suggested theory.

Previously, a difference was derived by researchers related to the "gamma frequency oscillation" - a typical electrical activity pattern found to be different in schizophrenics. The Newcastle research team has aimed to derive real cause of such an alteration.

The research team used Ketamine, a recreational drug for humans that causes hallucinations, a primary symptom of schizophrenia. When this was applied to the brain cells of rats, the frequency of the electrical activities the rat's brain changed dramatically by blocking the brain receptor NMDA.

This could allegedly mean that schizophrenics either don't have adequate receptors, or their receptors are non-functional.

"Our hope would be that in the long term this could lead to a method for actually improving brain function, not only for people with schizophrenia, but potentially for many other brain conditions." - adds Dr. Mark Cunningham.

Schizophrenia Treatment - 10 Natural Ways to Overcome Schizophrenia Disorder

There are many ways to overcome or to minimize the schizophrenia negative and positive symptoms. Here are listed ten natural ways to avoid those symptoms in an active manner and as an addition to the antipsychotic drugs treatment:

1) Therapy

Go to a Psychologist and talk about your routine. The therapist's room is a protected environment where you can cope with sore things that are taken from your daily routine or from your past. This is the exact place to speak and deal about past negative experiences.

2) Do exercise

Get out of the house and walk for 45 minutes each day for a start. Doing exercise is a great way to get in shape, reduce your bad cholesterol level in your blood and reduce your blood pressure. It also makes you feel better with yourself and sleep well at night.

3) Develop your social life

Make new friends and hang out with them, go to visit your parents or loved ones from time to time. An active social life is a great way to bother yourself with different things beside your mental illness. It lifts up the spirit and brings new opportunities to your life.

4) Find your mate

Get a boy or a girl friend. If you are alone, the best way to fight loneliness is by getting to know and hang out with someone you really care for. Don't be shy; try to find your own piece of relationships in the world. Couples can cope with any aspect in life in a better way than doing that on your own.

5) Entertainment

Go and does any activity that makes you feel good. Read a book or a magazine, watch the TV, go to the cinema, and develop your hobbies. Just do or find what makes you feel good and busy in your spare time. Entertaining yourself is a great way to stop thinking about your mental illness and also develop other skills in life.

6) Find a steady job

Having something that forces you to get up in the morning and start your day's routine is the greatest way I am familiar with in order to get better. A job also provides you with a steady amount of money that can pay your bills and buy you stuff you like. It is also a crucial ingredient in your way of getting your independency.

7) Diet

Take control of what you eat and put into your mouth. Psychiatric medicines are known for being the number one reason for gaining weight. Therefore, you have to take control of what you put into your mouth and don't deny the possibility to go to a professional dietetic professional in order to help you doing so.

8) Don't exaggerate

Balance your activities in life. On the one hand don't overdue things that make you feel bad or you dislike, and on the other hand avoid from doing only things you like and avoiding from doing what you must. Moderation is an important habit.

9) Develop skills

Developing skills such as your social skill or learning a profession is a great way to contradict your illness symptoms. Skills can be easily acquired and be thought in order to deal with your life in a better way and as another step towards your independent.

10) Avoid

It is a great opportunity to make a stop or to avoid having or doing bad things that could demolish everything you are working for. Quit smoking, don't use bad drugs, don't heavily drink, don't isolate yourself, avoid pornography, and above all balance between all of your activities.

Schizophrenia Treatment - Five Ways to Control Your Schizophrenia Negative and Positive Symptoms

There are many ways to defeat your schizophrenia disorder. Here are 5 ways that if a sufferer will follow them, he would be able to control his negative symptoms, in a way that would prevent his positive symptoms from an additional eruption.

1) Be pedantic and take your pills

This is the most effective and crucial point in defeating your schizophrenia. You should never put into test the possibility of not taking your psychiatric drugs in order to see if you won't get another psychotic disorder. The possibility for having another seizure is way too high.

2) Live as calm as possible

Avoid stress - try to live as calm as possible by avoiding most of the activities that can cause you to be restless. Being restless is the main cause for you to be busy and not keep your calm routine. This restless can cause a chain reaction by preventing you from sleeping and by being a risk group, eventually can cause you another psychosis disorder

3) Get yourself a partner for life

Find your mate - by finding your mate, you can assure yourself that together you would fight the schizophrenia negative symptoms. It has been proven that two are better than one, and if that couple is a loving and caring one, then it is the best way to avoid from getting another psychotic disorder.

4) Keep the law

Avoid from taking unnecessary risks - don't tempt to take risks that are beyond the law such as using dangerous drugs, doing dangerous activities and in general don't take unnecessary risks that can cause you to get in trouble and not maintain your calm routine that can eventually cause you another psychotic disorder.

5) Live a healthy life

Quit smoking and keep on a diet - get rid of your harmful habits such as smoking and eating unhealthy food. Don't drink alcoholic drinks and keep yourself attached into a healthy lifestyle. It has been proven that people, who tend to develop a psychotic disorder, would prevent one from occurring if they would live a healthy lifestyle.

Keep of all of the above, and I can assure you with a big probability that the chances to get another psychotic disorder would remain low.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia in Children and Adolescents

In accordance to the psychosocial development studies done by Erik Erikson, humans below the age of 13 are classified as children and those between the ages of 13 and 19 are classified as adolescents. Childhood or adolescent Schizophrenia crops up in the early years of life; it is rare but is more troublesome to manage. A child or adolescent suffering from Schizophrenia cannot function normally like others. His ability to think, take decisions and understand things is severely hampered. A child suffering from Schizophrenia can be as young as 8 years.

Symptoms of Children with Schizophrenia

Children and adolescents with Schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations, delusions and distorted thinking, similar symptoms to an adult Schizophrenic patient, except few small variations. There can be a gradual shift in the behavior pattern of a child or adolescent with Schizophrenia. From having predictable behaviors, the children can display unpredictably bad behaviors. Children with Schizophrenia tend to stick with their parents all the time, they do not enjoy playing and chatting with other kids, they lose interest in most of the activities, face difficulty in concentrating on studies and their school performance degrades. School teachers are often first to notice their aberrant behavior first.

Treatment

To treat children and adolescents with Schizophrenia, group therapy, family therapy and atypical antipsychotic drugs are commonly used. The common practice is for parents to bring their child to a pediatrician and ask him to refer a psychiatrist who is good in diagnosing, assessing and treating children with Schizophrenia. Parents must try their best to encourage the child to participate in different activities in school that help to treat the mental disorder.

Understanding Schizophrenia in Children and Adolescents

For aptly understanding of childhood and adolescent Schizophrenia, parents must consult psychiatrist who has experience in dealing with children and adolescents. There are few instances when one might get confused whether a child has Schizophrenia or not:

1. Having imaginary friends and talking to unreal things - It is common for children to have imaginary friends that they play or talk with when they are around three years old; this is a fairly normal characteristic of children at this age. However, if such a characteristic is found in a 12 years old child or in a 15 years old adolescent, then parents need to be concerned, they must talk to the child and understand what he is feeling and must consult a pediatrician or a psychologist.

2. Grievance of losing a friend or family - An adolescent can feel sad over losing family member or a close friend, among other things. He might try to avoid going out and talk to anyone. At this time, it is common for people around the child to be unsure if he is suffering from Schizophrenia, especially if the family has history of the mental disorder. At this point of time, it is recommended to talk to the adolescent and bring him in to a psychiatrist for counseling. The symptoms displayed can be either due to temporary depression or early onset of Schizophrenia.

It is not an easy task to tell the difference between Schizophrenia symptoms or behaviors of a normal playful child by yourself. If you suspect your child displays Schizophrenia symptoms, always seek help from a professional or a psychologist to help in the diagnosis.

Signs of Schizophrenia in Children

Schizophrenia is a disorder of the brain that without the appropriate medication, it can result in a patient behaving in ways that are not the norm. This illness could affect both children and adults. However, due to the nature of this illness, it is extremely rear to find persons who are younger that 12 years old diagnosed with this form of sickness.

A young person who is 12 years old or older usually exhibits signs that suggest that they may be faced with this disorder. Nevertheless, signs of Schizophrenia in children are different from those in adults. Some of these signs are:

Confuses Dreams and Movies with Reality

They speak about their dreams as though there were something they had experience in reality. Additionally, they have difficulty separating what they have seen in a movie and what is going on in reality.

Seeing and Hearing Things that are not Real

They usually see and hear things that are not authentic. On occasions you may find them listening and responding to someone that is not there.

Confused Thinking

Their sense of reasoning can become very complex. You may be talking with them about one thing and suddenly, as though it is a part of the discussion, they will begin talking with you about something that is totally different from the topic at hand.

Believe Others are out to Get Them

Children that are faced with this mental illness also believe that a certain group of people is after them, for a particular reason. Therefore, they will try to take steps to prevent these persons from catching or getting what they want from them.

If you have notice a few or all these signs in a child please do not jump to any conclusions, go and have a talk with a doctor.