Introduction
Schizophrenia is a form of psychosis in which, on the one hand, sensory perception can be disturbed and hallucinations can occur, and on the other hand, thinking itself can be severely disturbed. The processing of perceptions can, for example, lead to delusions. All in all, people in a psychotic state gradually lose touch with reality and thus with their lives. Various medications and psychotherapeutic approaches are available for the treatment of schizophrenia, which usually lead to a weakening or alleviation of the symptoms.
Therapy
Modern therapy for schizophrenia takes into account the various causal approaches to its development. Thus, a distinction is made between drug therapy (pharmacological) and so-called social therapy. A therapy should always be initiated and controlled by a psychiatrist.
Since schizophrenia is a potentially life-threatening disease, medication is essential for treatment. The generic term of medication for the treatment of schizophrenic symptoms is neuroleptics. In addition to treating the acute illness, neuroleptics also protect against relapses into the disease.
Neuroleptics are extremely unpopular drugs with many patients because they can have a number of side effects. Neuroleptics are divided into high-potency, medium-potency and low-potency (potent = effective) drugs. The more potent the neuroleptics, the greater the antipsychotic effect (but also the side effect).
It is not uncommon for patients to refuse to take tablets because of too strong side effects, thus risking frequent relapses and forced hospitalization. For such patients, so-called depot medications are suitable, which are administered by injection and whose effect can last several weeks. Overall, it is recommended that schizophrenic patients take medication over a period of 3-5 years in order to have the best possible protection against a relapse.
In addition to the neuroleptics, other groups of drugs can be used for treatment. Since neuroleptics usually only work after days to weeks, the benzodiazepine group (e.g. Valium) is used to provide the patient with rapid relief. However, benzodiazepines are not suitable for long-term treatment as they are addictive if used continuously. In addition, the antidepressant group is used for depression, which can be a concomitant of schizophrenia. In addition, various drugs from the group of so-called antiepileptic drugs are used to prevent relapses.
