Schizophrenia Treatment Center

Schizophrenia Treatment Center in Orange County, California

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Compassionate Care For Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental disorder characterized by recurring psychosis. This psychosis produces delusions and hallucinations, breaking one away from reality. This break from reality disrupts a person’s daily life, affecting their ability to live a satisfying life.

A proper treatment plan for a person with schizophrenia can help mentally ground them to reality, supporting a more enjoyable way of life. The nature of the disease most commonly merits lifelong mental health care. Early treatment may also prevent the further development of symptoms, improving long-term outcomes for their mental health condition.

Understanding Schizophrenia Treatment

Schizophrenia requires a person-centered, warm, structured approach from licensed, empathetic professionals. We at D’Amore Healthcare pride ourselves on sympathetically treating patients with human dignity as we cater to the unique needs of each patient.

Initiating treatment for those who suffer from schizophrenia is often a tough hurdle. As the sufferers increasingly alienate and guard themselves against others, they may increasingly oppose treatment as well. Sometimes, these people are involuntarily hospitalized, where they are then stabilized. This can be an opportunity for advocating treatment for their mental health issue.

D’Amore Healthcare’s Orange County Schizophrenia Treatment Center is there for those first steps. Our compassionate staff is ready for the next call, prepared to listen and develop a comprehensive plan that is effective and utilizes all available resources.

Residential Treatment For Schizophrenia

Utilizing a combination of therapy, medication, and daily support is the most effective way to improve the lives of those with schizophrenia. Residential-inpatient Treatment is widely regarded as the most effective approach in treating most mental health conditions because patients have access to all these options.

D’Amore has dedicated itself to becoming the best residential mental health center in Orange County, CA, providing leading services and treatments.

A person diagnosed with a psychological disorder like schizophrenia can benefit greatly from:

Education

Helping them understand their condition and themselves better, allowing for a greater sense of awareness and control.

Psychotherapy

Helping one comprehend problematic behavior and thought patterns, turning them into productive responses.

Medication

Helping chemically stabilize one’s brain, greatly increasing the effectiveness of psychotherapy and lowering symptom severity.

Structure

Giving patients’ lives a predictable framework for consistent improvement. This also includes establishing boundaries, helping avoid problematic situations.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Providing patients with the skills and awareness needed to land and maintain a job.

Care

Though cliché, things like affection and positive reinforcement are another driver towards betterment and happiness.

There is hope for anyone who will follow our evidence-based program. Treating individuals up to 6 months in our treatment programs prepares the patient for meaningful relationships, independence, relapse prevention, and self-respect.

The difference between a facility like D’Amore and a psychiatric hospital is that our psychiatric center provides subacute, or residential, care to patients who voluntarily request treatment. Whereas a psychiatric hospital primarily provides an acute level of care, also called inpatient hospitalization, for patients who voluntarily or involuntarily require treatment for mental illness.

Diagnosing Schizophrenia

Complete, proper diagnosis of schizophrenia will take more than a one-day examination. Multiple tests over a long period will provide the most accurate diagnostic results. Our team of doctors and nurses are able to detect behavior, cognitive or insight impairment, preferences, needs, slight changes, strengths, mood, and abilities in our patients in our 24-hour setting.

Just as there are many causes for runny nose, there are many causes of psychosis — a sign of schizophrenia. This is part of the reason why symptoms must be present for at least six months for a medical doctor to diagnose schizophrenia. For example, a doctor must be able to rule out substance use as an inducing factor.

Procedures that contribute to a proper diagnosis include:

A Physical

To check for related complications and other problems.

Psychiatric Evaluations

To explore one’s hallucinations, delusions, and speech.

Health History

Including mental and medical history as well as family history.

Time and experience may further reveal one’s schizophrenic condition to our psychologists, psychiatrists, and clinicians. The team at our Orange County mental health facility may be able to make sense of a patient’s condition for their loved ones and family, relaying relative information.

Schizophrenia Facts & Causes

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric illness that results in a combination of hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior, disorganized speech, impaired cognition, and “negative symptoms.” These symptoms can be heavily disabling. Some symptoms may come and go, while some may always be present.

A negative symptom or more can typically start affecting people in their twenties. Men usually have an earlier onset than women. It is less likely that teenagers may be diagnosed as some of the early signs are not untypical during the average development of a teenager. Teens are also less likely to have severe delusions and visual hallucinations.

There is no single cause for the development of schizophrenia, but evidence suggests it is heavily influenced by genetics, provoked by environmental and behavioral factors. Scientists have narrowed down schizophrenia to the top 10 genes influencing schizophrenic symptoms the most, though another 30 or so have smaller links to the mental illness. This discovery may lead to improved health care services in the future.

While the illness can be greatly associated with genes, this doesn’t always mean it is inherited. Chromosomal deletions or duplications along several chromosomes can contribute to schizophrenia. Inheritance patterns are typically unknown for schizophrenia, though the risk for developing it is somewhat higher in those with family members who have the condition.

Other factors do contribute as well. They can include exposure to viruses, malnutrition before birth, and certain drug use.

Symptoms Of Schizophrenia

Every person with Schizophrenia is unique, but they often share common symptoms. These symptoms can fall into the following four categories:

Positive Psychotic Symptoms:

Visual and auditory hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, and distorted perceptions or beliefs.

Negative Symptoms:

An inability or decreased ability to make plans, express themselves, express emotions, or experience pleasure.

Disorganization Symptoms:

Disorganized thoughts causing confusion, abnormal behavior, trouble speaking clearly, or trouble thinking logically.

Impaired Cognition:

Synaptic misfires and confusion can lead to problems with focus, memory, and declining education or work performance.

Signs Of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia can show itself in many different ways. The most noticeable sign may be the expression of hallucinations, however, other signs may point to the illness:

Social withdrawal and reduced speech

Persistent sad or anxious mood

Low self-esteem or grandiosity

Fatigue

Loss of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities

Feelings of worthlessness and guilt

Irritability

Restlessness or erratic movement

Loose associations of speech

Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts

Appetite and weight fluctuations

Helping A Loved One With Schizophrenia

Living with a loved one who is diagnosed with Schizophrenia can be challenging. If you have a friend or family member with Schizophrenia, you may be struggling with the illness just as much as they are. When supporting a loved one with a mental health disorder, it is common to feel fearful, guilty, angry, and frustrated. While these feelings are natural, you don’t have to suffer through them. Being unable to heal your loved one can make you feel helpless, but help is out there if you seek it. There are support groups available to help you work through these difficult emotions.

Here are some tips for helping someone with Schizophrenia:

Remain Calm

Remember that your loved one with Schizophrenia is experiencing hallucinations and delusions that seem real. Try to stay calm and explain your perspective. Be respectful, but maintain boundaries.

Offer Options

You might see more positive results if you allow your loved one with Schizophrenia to have some control over the situation. For example, you can offer to let them help pick out their doctor or give them a choice of doctors.

Take Medication as Prescribed

When they are feeling good, people with Schizophrenia often think that they can stop taking their medication. Help your loved one to take their medication regularly.

Be Mindful of Your Limitations

It’s not all on your shoulders. Remember to take care of yourself. Be realistic about the amount of support you can provide. There are professionals and support groups available to you.

Avoid Drugs & Alcohol

Mood Altering substances can worsen the symptoms of Schizophrenia and cause psychosis.

Schizophrenia FAQS

What is Schizophrenia?

The mental disorder schizophrenia affects a person’s ability to think, feel, and behave clearly. Schizophrenia’s exact cause is unknown, but genetics, environment, and altered brain chemistry and structure may contribute. Symptoms of schizophrenia include disorganized speech or behavior, disorganized thoughts, and decreased participation in daily activities.

What Causes Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is unknown to have an exact cause. According to research, a combination of physical, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors can contribute to the development of the condition. A stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode in some people prone to schizophrenia.

What Does Schizophrenia Mean?

There is a breakdown in the relationship between thought, emotion, and behavior in schizophrenia, resulting in faulty perception, inappropriate behavior and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and mental fragmentation as a result.

When Does Schizophrenia Develop?

It is more common for schizophrenia symptoms to appear in people in their mid-20s to late 20s, although it can start later, up to their mid-30s, as well. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is considered early onset when it appears before the age of 18. The onset of schizophrenia in children younger than age 13 is extremely rare.

What are Signs of Schizophrenia?

Hallucinations
Confused thoughts
delusions
Disorganized motor functions
Paranoia
Social isolation

How is Schizophrenia Diagnosed?

Schizophrenia is typically diagnosed if you’ve experienced multiple symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, hearing voices, incoherent speech, or negative symptoms, such as a flattening of emotions.

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Clinically Reviewed By:

Valerie Matweeff, ACSW

Valerie has worked in the medical field for over 8 years and the past 4 years has worked in mental health as a school counselor at an elementary school, therapist at a nonprofit for women and children and a therapist at nonprofit working with homeless adults who suffer from Schizophrenia and Bipolar. Valerie received her MSW at USC and is currently working towards her LCSW.