Personality Disorders
Schizophrenia
Learn more about schizophrenia treatment today.
Schizophrenia Treatment
Schizophrenia is a serious mental health disorder, and it’s often linked with higher rates of co-occurring disorders, including substance abuse and addiction.
When someone is seeking schizophrenia treatment, along with addiction treatment, it’s known as a dual diagnosis.
Evidence-based treatment is critical when searching for a schizophrenia rehab center. At Centric Behavioral Health, our dual diagnosis treatment leads the way in science and research, but the human connection and sense of compassion are also central to all of our programs.
Understanding Schizophrenia
A chronic brain disorder, schizophrenia is rare, affecting less than 1% of the U.S. Active schizophrenia can include symptoms like delusions, disorganized speech, and hallucinations. When someone receives treatment, symptoms of schizophrenia can get much better however. The right approach to treatment can also reduce the likelihood of a recurrence.
Men and women are equally affected, but schizophrenia often appears early in males.
There are unfortunate misconceptions about this disease, including the fact that it causes people to be violent or dangerous. That’s not any truer among people with schizophrenia than it is for the general population.
Most people with this disorder, when they receive treatment, can live on their own or with their families, and the diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean someone will live in a hospital or be homeless.
Centric Behavioral Health provides schizophrenia treatment as part of our dual-diagnosis addiction treatment programs.
Schizophrenia Symptoms
There are some definitions important to know in schizophrenia, which include:
- Delusions are false beliefs that are fixed and held regardless of the evidence that they aren’t true. There are paranoid delusions when someone believes another individual or group is harming them, and these are the most common type of delusion in schizophrenia.
- Psychosis is a set of symptoms, including loss of touch with reality. Psychosis occurs because the processing of information in the brain is disrupted. If someone is in the midst of a psychotic episode, their thoughts and perceptions are disturbed, and they can have difficulty knowing what’s real versus what’s not.
- Hallucinations are when someone senses something not there. Hallucinations can affect all the senses, including hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing, or feeling things not there. Hallucinations are vivid; the most common type is auditory, where someone hears voices.
- Disorganized thinking and speech occur when thoughts or speech don’t make sense or are jumbled. These symptoms affect communication.
- Disorganized behaviors are movements that can occur without purpose and can have a negative impact on daily life.
- Negative symptoms in schizophrenia refer to something present in most people being absent in someone with the disease. For example, impairments in speech or emotional expression can be negative symptoms.
As someone ages, their severe psychotic symptoms often get better in schizophrenia. Things that can worsen symptoms include not taking medicines as instructed, stress, and using alcohol or drugs.
Most of the time, schizophrenia symptoms start in early adulthood and must be persistent for at least six months before a diagnosis is made.
Centric Behavioral Health is an addiction and schizophrenia rehab center specializing in treating complex underlying mental health disorders.
Treatments Options
Our programs provide world-class, evidence-based treatment for substance abuse, dual diagnosis, and mental health conditions, all within boutique, supportive environments. With expertly trained staff and personalized treatment plans, you can trust that choosing one of our facilities means receiving the highest standard of care tailored to your unique needs.
Inpatient Program
Partial Hospitalization
Intensive Outpatient
Outpatient Treatment
Supportive Housing
Aftercare
Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse
As with other mental health disorders, schizophrenia tends to be linked with a higher risk of addiction. It’s estimated that around 50% of people with schizophrenia also have a history of substance abuse.
Substances don’t cause this psychiatric disorder but can trigger it and worsen symptoms. It’s also possible that when someone has existing schizophrenia risk factors, they can develop active symptoms with prolonged substance use. Substances frequently abused by people with schizophrenia include alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines.
There are similar symptoms between a substance use disorder and schizophrenia, which can make it hard to diagnose co-occurring disorders.
Substance use can begin as a way to self-medicate and deal with the symptoms of schizophrenia. It can also occur because of overlapping risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry and structure, and environmental factors.
Symptoms of addiction to drugs or alcohol include:
- Compulsive substance use
- Continuing to use substances even though it’s causing harm
- Developing a tolerance and needing larger doses of drugs or alcohol to get the desired effects
- Cravings when not using the substance
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Wanting to stop or cut down but not being able to
- Ensuring a supply of the drug is maintained
- Spending a lot of money on the substance
- Not meeting other obligations
- Engaging in risky behaviors to get the drug or when using it
Outwardly, some of the things that may be noticeable to others when someone is experiencing addiction include:
- Neglected appearance and hygiene
- Physical health issues
- Problems at work or school
- Financial problems
- Behavior changes
People with co-occurring, complex disorders affecting their mental health require specialized treatment. If addiction is treated without treating underlying co-occurring mental health conditions, the risk of relapse is much higher.
Centric Behavioral Health offers schizophrenia treatment in Florida as part of our addiction treatment programs. Our schizophrenia treatment is a dual diagnosis, simultaneously treating substance abuse disorders for the best long-term recovery outcomes.
Finding Addiction and Schizophrenia Treatment
A dual-diagnosis treatment program will treat schizophrenia and addiction simultaneously rather than as two entirely separate conditions. Many people will begin a dual diagnosis treatment program with medical treatment. This is when substances leave a person’s body, and then once that happens, their treatment team can better assess their symptoms and determine the next steps of their personalized plan.
Schizophrenia can be treated with certain medications, including antipsychotics. Antipsychotic medications can keep symptoms under control when caused by brain chemical imbalances. Along with medication, different types of therapy are also part of a dual-diagnosis treatment program. Family therapy may be part of a treatment plan, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) often is too. During CBT, you learn how to identify your thought or behavioral patterns and how they contribute to addiction and schizophrenia.
You can learn coping mechanisms and strategies that will allow you to build and follow healthy habits after you leave the treatment center. Our schizophrenia treatment is entirely built around the individual because each person will have unique needs.
Regardless of the specifics of a treatment plan, our goal is recovery. That means recovery from schizophrenia and addiction, so clients can live self-directed lives. Whether you’re looking for addiction and schizophrenia treatment for yourself, or a loved one, we can help. Contact Centric Behavioral Health to learn more about our dual diagnosis programs, including inpatient and outpatient rehab.
Contact us today to learn more about our expert programs and how we can help you find long-term healing today.