Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Schizoaffective and schizophrenia disorders are both psychotic disorders with symptoms that revolve around a person’s ability to perceive reality as it is and/or a person’s mind creating visual sights or auditory sounds that aren’t there. Schizophrenia interferes with how a person behaves, thinks, and feels, often resulting in the individual being prone to false, delusional beliefs about themselves or others. Schizophrenia may also make it difficult for an individual to concentrate, manage emotions, make decisions, or develop normal motivations, causing them to become unusually anxious, unresponsive, or withdrawn in social situations.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, schizoaffective disorder affects about 0.3% of the population. Men and women experience schizoaffective disorder at the same rate, but men often develop the illness at an earlier age. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates approximately 1.1% of American adults will be diagnosed with schizophrenia sometime in their lifetime. Schizophrenia can occur at any age but tends to occur in the late teens to the early 20s for men, and the late 20s to early 30s for women. It is uncommon for schizophrenia to be diagnosed in a person younger than 12 or older than 40.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Symptoms will vary in each individual, but common symptoms include:
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Disorganized thinking – a person switches very quickly from one topic to another
- Feelings of sadness/emptiness, feelings of worthlessness, or other symptoms of depression
- Manic behavior, including feelings of euphoria, racing thoughts, and increased risky behavior
How We Treat Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Our treatment environment is firmly rooted in our Social Integration Model™, which aims to encourage positive social functioning. Our individualized treatment plans are customized based on client’s individual needs; no two treatment plans are the same. We aim to assist in relieving the stress that comes from assimilating back into everyday life and help our clients achieve the highest levels of functioning and independence once they leave treatment. Our treatment for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders includes:
- Multiple levels of care, which are designed to provide the ideal level of support to help clients reach their full potential.
- Our Social Integration Model™ during which we teach skills in individual and group therapies, and then help clients put them into practice during on- and off-site activities.
- Client assessments throughout treatment to advocate for the proper length of treatment to ensure the best chance for recovery.
- In tandem with our Social Integration Model™, we use multiple therapeutic modalities including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), art therapy, family therapy, and others.