Schizophrenia is a mental condition that affects individual thinking and behaviors. Hallucination, delusion, and distorted thought-process affect the person’s ability to differentiate between reality and imagination. Caregivers, close friends, and other family members may struggle along with the patient. However, the family members must be mindful and support the patient to enhance their quality of life. The ways that can help the patient become proactive, productive, and healthy are:
- Encourage them to Seek Professional Help: Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia require therapeutic intervention and medications to manage the symptoms. However, patients may require reminders to set an appointment with a healthcare provider. Close friends and caregivers should encourage the patient to consider therapy without making them uncomfortable. Friends and family must remain distant and stop interfering without the guidance of the therapist. The patient may feel agitated and stop taking their medication. It can further worsen the symptoms.
- Monitor the Intake of Medications: Patients with schizophrenia struggle to differentiate between reality and imagination, which can cause them to miss their dosage. Without medications, the symptoms of schizophrenia worsen, and health deteriorates. Hence, caregivers should remain vigilant of the timings and appropriate dosage of the medications to improve their overall functioning.
- Stop them from Consuming Alcohol and Illicit Drugs: Alcohol dependence and consumption of illicit drugs correlate with mental and physical health complications. Therefore, caregivers should keep their houses clean of drugs and alcohol. Also, the therapist, close friends, and family members shul associate alcohol with negativity to modify the behavior. The negative association will help them eradicate the use of alcohol from their lifestyle. It allows them to manage the symptoms of schizophrenia effectively.
- Understand the Symptoms: Caregivers should understand schizophrenia symptoms and the cause. The awareness helps them remain in touch with the latest research and treatment options, which will help the patient effectively manage their symptoms.
- Help them Manage Anxiety and Stress: Patients with schizophrenia should live in a calming environment. The chaos and noises can cause relapse. Therefore, the caregivers and other family members should build a healthy, safe, and soothing environment to help the patient function adequately.
- Help them Have a Healthy Body Weight: The medications for schizophrenia cause weight gain. Weight gain can lead to various physical health problems and deteriorate the quality of life. Therefore, parents, friends, and family members should provide support. The support and encouragement allow the patient to get into a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in physical activities and eating healthy enables the patient to manage the body weight and avoid further complications.
- Intervene, if Necessary: Some patients refuse to seek medical attention, which can worsen the physical and mental symptoms of schizophrenia. In such cases, the caregivers should use force to help them go to the hospital.
- Help them Stay Socially Active: Schizophrenia causes patients to become socially isolated. Mental illness affects intrapersonal skills. Thus, family members should organize social events to help them enhance their social skills and reduce the risk of further complications.
Family members of schizophrenic patients can connect with a competent and reliable specialist through Fitcy Health. The platform provides information on affordable specialists available in UAE.
