Can Schizophrenia Be Treated?

Schizophrenia is a lifelong mental health condition that can intensely impact your life and the lives of those around you. There isn’t a cure for schizophrenia, but the right treatment and ongoing management for your condition makes a big difference in your long-term quality of life.

At VIP Integrative Healthcare, LLC of West Palm Beach, Florida, board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner Martine Senatus, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC provides comprehensive care for new and existing patients living with schizophrenia.

Your treatment plan from Dr. Senatus may include medication management, ongoing therapy, and other forms of daily life support. Here’s what you need to know about seeking and receiving treatment for schizophrenia.

Getting your diagnosis

Schizophrenia can cause delusions, hallucinations, impaired cognitive ability, or disorganized speech or behavior. These symptoms disrupt your life, throwing you out of balance and putting your health and wellness at risk.

Once you know that you have schizophrenia, you can partner with Dr. Senatus at VIP Integrative Healthcare, LLC for ongoing treatment for your condition.

The symptoms of schizophrenia can also mimic the effects of some drug addictions. Your diagnostic process involves ruling out other potential causes of physical and mental health symptoms.

Schizophrenia symptoms often don’t appear until early adulthood. If you have a family history of this condition, early detection of warning signs can help you keep your life stable through early adulthood onset.

Medication management for schizophrenia

Medication management typically forms a major cornerstone of schizophrenia treatment. Medications like antipsychotics, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety drugs offer you a powerful tool to keep your mental health under control.

While some first generation antipsychotics can result in side effects like tardive dyskinesia, many second generation antipsychotics have reduced these side effects, while not losing overall effectiveness.

Dr. Senatus determines the right dosage of your medications for you, working with you to find the lowest dosage that still gives you enough symptom relief.

If you’re using medications to manage schizophrenia, it’s important to keep taking your medications regularly. Injections may be helpful for individuals who struggle with regularly and consistently taking medication.

Support for living with schizophrenia

Medication management is only part of the typical treatment for schizophrenia. You also need people on your team helping you with other aspects of living with your condition.

Psychosocial therapy keeps you connected with mental health experts, helping you process the impacts of your condition on your mental health.

You may also benefit from working with counselors who can help you with workplace accommodations, drug addictions or substance abuse issues, job retention, and family relationships.

In some cases, when you’re going through a severe phase of symptoms, hospitalization helps you stay well and healthy until your mental health re-balances.

Dr. Senatus and the team at VIP Integrative Healthcare, LLC treat the whole person, partnering with other providers and support systems to help you completely manage your schizophrenia. With this kind of comprehensive treatment, schizophrenia can be effectively managed, if not cured. 

Treatment needs to be ongoing and continuous, even once your quality of life has improved

For the treatment you need to keep schizophrenia manageable, get in touch with Dr. Senatus and the experts at VIP Integrative Healthcare, LLC. Schedule your initial consultation appointment online or over the phone today, and get the ongoing schizophrenia support you need.