Getting Better

Recovery from schizophrenia is often a gradual process, made up of several smaller achievements. In this video, Ronen shares the initial positive signs he noticed along his personal road to recovery:

The psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia and the disruption they can have on your daily life are obvious, but your physical health can also be affected. The goals of treatment and recovery are to reduce or stop your symptoms, reduce the number of relapses you experience and help you re-engage in daily activities.^[1][2] Through good health and social support it is possible to reduce the physical risks associated with schizophrenia, including the side-effects of treatments and lifestyle changes.

It is essential that you have support to help you stick to your agreed plan. If you’ve been prescribed daily oral medication, this involves taking your medicine at the correct dose and proper times each day, attending clinic appointments and carefully following other treatment procedures. If you are taking a long-acting antipsychotic, it is essential that you attend appointments so that your medication is taken at the correct time. These treatments may be given once every 2 weeks, once a month, or 3 monthly.

Your friends and relatives can often help by spotting warning signs of relapse early on. Some examples of these signs might be that you are sleeping less, eating less, being more nervous, anxious or more 'alert', not getting up or not being able to concentrate as well as usual. If these symptoms can be dealt with early it is quite likely that you will improve more quickly and be able to get back to enjoying life.^[2]