Services

Schizophrenia

If you think you may have schizophrenia or already have a diagnosis, we can help. Find out more about the services we offer below.

Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis. This means the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe long-term mental health condition. It causes a range of different psychological symptoms.

Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis. This means the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.

Symptoms of schizophrenia

Symptoms of schizophrenia include:

hallucinations – hearing or seeing things that don’t exist
delusions – unusual beliefs not based on reality
muddled thoughts based on hallucinations or delusions
changes in behaviour

Some people think schizophrenia causes a “split personality” or violent behaviour. This is not true.

The cause of any violent behaviour is usually drug or alcohol misuse.

Read about symptoms of schizophrenia.

Getting help

Our teams and services

Further help and support

News

Treatment options

Living with a mental health condition

Other conditions & services

Getting help

If you’re experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia, see your GP as soon as possible. If your GP agrees, they will refer you to our services so you can be assessed and given help and support. The earlier schizophrenia is treated, the better.

There’s no single test for schizophrenia. It’s usually diagnosed after an assessment by a mental health care professional, such as a psychiatrist.

Treatment for schizophrenia

How we may help, and some of the treatments on offer.

Schizophrenia is usually treated with a combination of medication and therapy tailored to each individual. In most cases, this will be anti-psychotic medicines and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

People with schizophrenia usually receive help from a community mental health team, which offers day-to-day support and treatment.

Many people recover from schizophrenia, although they may have periods when symptoms return (relapses). Support and treatment can help reduce the impact the condition has on daily life.

Read about treating schizophrenia.

Living with schizophrenia

If schizophrenia is well managed, it’s possible to reduce the chance of severe relapses.

This can include:

recognising the signs of an acute episode
taking medication as prescribed
talking to others about the condition

There are many charities and support groups offering help and advice on living with schizophrenia. Most people find it comforting talking to others with a similar condition.

Read about living with schizophrenia.