The Best Method I've Found for Managing Schizophrenia

If you’re having a hard time with schizophrenia symptoms, the easiest and most effective therapy for schizophrenia I have found is, and for decades has been, taking medication prescribed by your doctor or psychiatrist. The Mayo Clinic, a reputable organization that I trust the most about medical facts, describes medication as “the cornerstone of schizophrenia treatment.” Taking them for the first time can be a frightening ordeal, but the benefits are undeniable. Over time, taking your meds can become second nature. Like brushing your teeth or making dinner.

You do not have to lose your creativity

One of the most frustrating myths I hear about taking medication is that you’ll lose your creativity. Pardon my language, but what a load of horse shit. As I clearly state in my YouTube video, fuck stigma about medication. This is simply not true, in my experience. Sure, medications for mental illnesses commonly have sedation side effects. As a result, you may be less inclined to follow your creative pursuits because you are oversleeping. This can be counteracted by working with your psychiatrist to find a dosage that minimizes the sedation. Additionally, you can toy with your environment to reduce the likelihood of your sedation disrupting your sleep cycle (like I did as I describe in this post here).

Finding what works for you

The best therapy for schizophrenia is not the same for everyone.

For me, one antipsychotic is absolutely awful. I get angry every time I think about the drug, much less talk about it. This drug was not for me. But don’t let that stop you from trying an antipsychotic medication yourself. I have met some people who have done incredibly successfully with it. That drug has saved their lives. For me, I felt like it ruined mine. The key lesson from this: If medication side effects are too disruptive to your life, do not hesitate to get your psychiatrist to have you try something else. There is an abundance of medications out there. The sooner you can find one that works, the sooner you can get closer to living a “normal” life.

Be cautious of side effects with long-term implications

For only a few months, I was using an atypical antipsychotic as my therapy for schizophrenia. In just two to three months’ time, I found my jaw clenching excessively. To this day, I continue to have problems with my jaw from just that short period of time. Be cautious of side-effects, and work with your doctor to stop regimens that could create long-term damage.

Another example of this is with medications that cause weight gain. Even people who are naturally thin can gain excessive weight. If this weight gain cannot be controlled by diet and exercise, you may need to talk to your doctor about either reducing the dosage or switching to something else. For something like this, do not wait too long. Unmanaged weight gain commonly leads to diabetes, a lifelong and life-altering illness.

Follow this journey on the author’s blog