Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex mental health condition that can affect the way you think, feel, and perceive reality. With consistent, evidence-based treatment, many people can successfully manage their symptoms, reduce the risk of future psychotic episodes, and improve their overall quality of life. At Healing Hope Suboxone, Addiction Recovery & Psychiatry, Tammi Bancroft, FNP-C, provides compassionate, personalized care for individuals living with schizophrenia. Tammi offers in-person and virtual care from the practice's main location in Colorado and also provides virtual appointments for patients throughout Arizona. Call the office or request an appointment online today to schedule a visit.

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that affects the way you interpret reality, interferes with your ability to think and manage emotions, and disrupts the way you live and relate to other people. Most people are diagnosed with schizophrenia between late adolescence and their early 30s.

What symptoms occur if I have schizophrenia?

People with schizophrenia go through episodes when their disease is active, and their symptoms are severe. Each episode, called a psychotic break, is followed by periods when you have few or no symptoms.

During a psychotic episode, you lose touch with reality due to a disruption in the way your brain processes information. It’s also common to have memory loss and trouble concentrating.

Schizophrenia symptoms fall into three categories:

Positive symptoms

Positive symptoms appear during a psychotic episode. These symptoms include paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, and distorted or exaggerated perceptions.

Delusions occur when you firmly believe something that’s not grounded in reality. For example, you may be certain someone is trying to kill you. When you have hallucinations, you hear, see, smell, taste, or feel something that’s not there. The most common hallucination is hearing voices.

Negative symptoms

Negative symptoms refer to things you normally do, but then they disappear when you have a psychotic episode. For example, you may stop making plans to engage in activities and struggle to speak, express emotions, or socialize.

Disorganized symptoms

This group includes: 

• Confused and illogical thinking
• Jumbled or rambling speech
• Abnormal movements
• Bizarre behaviors
• Repetitive movements
• Responding to one topic with an unrelated topic
• Repeating what another person said

You may also develop catatonia, a condition in which you don’t move or respond to your environment.

How is schizophrenia treated?

Tammi takes a holistic approach to treating schizophrenia, recommending a combination of medication, therapy, and self-help strategies. Combining medication with therapy typically achieves the best results. This comprehensive approach lowers your risk of future episodes or needing hospitalization.

Antipsychotic medications control some of the most difficult symptoms, including delusions, hallucinations, and distorted thoughts. You may need other medications to improve negative symptoms. However, many patients overcome these symptoms with therapy.

During your telemedicine appointments, Tammi also helps you identify self-care goals that improve your general health, lower your risk of a psychotic episode, and help you manage stress and the life challenges that come your way.

If you need help with schizophrenia, call Healing Hope Suboxone, Addiction Recovery & Psychiatry, or book an appointment online today.