Schizophrenia

Schizoaffective disorder isn’t the same as schizophrenia, but its symptoms are similar to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
The word schizoaffective has two parts:

• ‘Schizo’ means psychosis - seeing or believing things nobody else does.
• ‘Affective’ means mood symptoms - mania (highs) or depression (lows).

Unlike schizophrenia, some people only experience schizoaffective disorder once. For others, it can come and go, and it’s often triggered by things like stress.

Auditory – hearing voices or sounds that nobody else can.

Visual – seeing things that other people don’t, like objects, shapes, people or lights.

Somatic/tactile – feeling touches or movements on or inside your body, such as feeling insects on your skin.

Olfactory – smelling things that aren’t around you.

Gustatory – tasting strange things, like metal, rust or salt.

The most common medications for schizophrenia are antipsychotic drugs, also known as neuroleptic drugs or major tranquilisers.

Medication can be a game-changer for some but not for others. You may find that antipsychotic drugs reduce your symptoms of psychosis a lot. But don’t stress if they don’t make you feel better. Lots of people try different medications before finding what suits them. Your doctor will help you figure this out.

It’s crucial to have all the facts when making decisions about medication. To find out more, look at our guide.

Talking therapy for schizophrenia is there to help you handle your symptoms, not to dismiss what you’re experiencing.

The most common type of talking therapy offered for treating schizophrenia is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This type of therapy is about how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours are impacting your life, and changing them for the better. This could mean helping you to:

• cope with symptoms of psychosis
• cut down on stress
• deal with any medication side effects

Other options like arts and creative therapies or family intervention might be available too.

For more on different therapy types, read our guide.

If you’re having a severe schizophrenia episode, your doctors and care team might suggest hospital care. They’ll try to talk it through with you first and then encourage you to admit yourself to hospital. This might seem scary, but it’s to help you get better and stay safe.

If you’re not up for going to hospital, your care team might have to decide for you. This is called ‘sectioning’ or ‘compulsorily admission’. It’s quite rare and only happens if your schizophrenia episode puts you or others at risk.

You’ll stay in hospital until you’re better and your care team feel you are no longer at risk. But they might suggest you stay longer.

For more info on hospitalisation, read our guide to inpatient care.

Stick to a routine that’s kind on you and your body, and helps you manage schizophrenia symptoms, like:

• getting enough sleep
• avoiding drugs and alcohol
• eating well
• staying active
• paying attention to your stress levels
• resting when you need it

There are lots of grounding techniques to try as well, like the ones our blogger Kerry does when things get overwhelming.

Pursue your passions and do what makes you happy. This could be art, gaming, music or spending time with friends. Take the time to try a few ideas and find what really works for you.

For more ideas, take a look at our guide on self-care.