Overview

Schizophrenia is a disease that disrupts how your brain works and may change your ability to enjoy life, express emotions, or function. It is uncommon in teens. It can be related to these symptoms:

• Delusions. These are beliefs that are not real.
• Hallucinations. These are things that you may see or hear, usually voices or sounds, that are not really there. Hallucinations can also be tactile. This is the impression that something is touching you when, in fact, nothing is there.
• Paranoia. This is feeling suspicious or afraid often that others are lying, cheating, using you, or trying to harm you.
• Behaving strangely.
• Wanting to keep to yourself.
• Slowing movements or changes in your facial expression or speech. This is usually speech or expression that are flat.
• Trouble speaking in a way that others understand, or trouble understanding what others are saying.
• Depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts.
• Not caring about personal hygiene or your appearance.

Schizophrenia can be treated. You may need lifelong treatment with medicines prescribed by your healthcare provider and counselling. This helps keep the disease under control. Treatment makes it possible for people to live well with schizophrenia and minimize how it affects their lives.

When schizophrenia is not treated, the risks are higher for suicide, a hospital stay, and other problems.

How can you care for yourself at home?

Follow your treatment plan

• Take your medicines exactly as prescribed and tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including vitamins and supplements. Some medicines can interact with one another and change the way they work in your body. Call your healthcare provider or nurse advice line if you think you are having a problem with your medicine. When you feel good, you may think that you do not need your medicines, but it is important to keep taking them as scheduled.
• Go to your counselling sessions. Call and talk with your counsellor if you cannot attend or do not think the sessions are helping. Do not just stop going.
• Go to any skill training your healthcare provider recommends. This may include training for social or job skills.
• Go to a support group. A support group gives you the chance to talk with others who are going through the same things you are.
• Work with your family or close friends. They can help you get the right treatment, deal with your symptoms, and manage your daily activities.
• Learn about schizophrenia. This can improve the quality of your life and the lives of those who care about you.
• Learn how to recognize the first signs of symptoms returning or getting worse after you have been doing better. Signs could include not wanting to do things with others and having problems concentrating. Have a plan to deal with returning symptoms and get help right away.
• Help yourself by focusing on your recovery goals and learning to see schizophrenia as one part of your life, not your entire life.
• If you or someone you know talks about suicide, self-harm, or feeling hopeless, get help right away. Call the Alberta Health Services Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642 or Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566, or go to www.crisisservicescanada.ca for more information.

Live a healthy lifestyle

• Do not drink alcohol, use cannabis, or use illegal drugs. These substances can make your symptoms worse and can interfere with the medicines prescribed to treat schizophrenia. Having problems with drugs or alcohol makes treating schizophrenia harder. If you have problems with drugs or alcohol, you need to treat both that problem and schizophrenia to help yourself get better. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have this kind of problem.
• Get plenty of exercise every day. Go for a walk or jog, ride your bike, or play sports. Regular activity can help with managing symptoms and weight gain, which can be a side effect of some medicines.
• Where possible, decrease the stress in your life.
• Get enough sleep. Sleep and having a good bedtime routine can help decrease, stabilize, and manage your symptoms.
• Eat a balanced diet. This helps your body deal with tension and stress. Whole grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and protein are part of a balanced diet.

Where to get help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

If you or someone you know talks about suicide, self-harm, a mental health crisis, a substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress, get help right away.

• Call the Alberta Health Services Mental Health Helpline any time, day or night, at 1-877-303-2642.
• Call Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645 (4 p.m. to midnight ET).
• Kids or teens can call Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
• Go to the Talk Suicide Canada website at https://talksuicide.ca or the Kids Help Phone website at https://kidshelpphone.ca for more information.

Consider saving these numbers in your phone.