Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that still leaves many mental health professionals confused, curious and ever-studying. It’s a complex disorder that looks a little bit different in each person, but almost always takes a toll on the individual’s health and overall quality of life.

With the way this disorder impacts the structure and function of the brain of the individual, it affects just about every area of the person’s life. Routine tasks like going to the grocery store or going to work can feel disorienting and overwhelming. 

When left unassisted, the cognitive challenges can progress to the point of the person needing help from others to go through each day and can result in the development of additional illnesses, mental or physical.

That’s why in this article, we’re going to walk you through what schizophrenia looks like daily, as well as provide several tips to make living with this disorder easier.

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that’s characterized by severely influencing a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. 

These individuals often find themselves constantly navigating a reality they aren’t even sure is real. Between the cognitive dysfunction and altered perceptions they experience, it can be difficult for them to distinguish their hallucinations and delusions from reality.

The types of delusions in schizophrenia will vary per person; while some experience more positive illusions, others hallucinate frightening circumstances. Substance-induced schizophrenia — when the disorder or symptoms have become exacerbated by substance use — can be dangerous, as it can trigger risky or outright dangerous behavior in the individual due to the combined mental instability.

How does schizophrenia affect daily life?

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder, one that doesn’t manifest the same in every person.

Depending on the exact factors that contributed to the development of the disorder, as well as the current factors that are lending to the exacerbation of symptoms, it will impact people and their lives differently. 

Some of the most common ways schizophrenia can affect daily life include:

• Causing hallucinations and delusions
• Memory, focus and productivity challenges
• Difficulty making decisions or problem-solving
• Feeling isolated and withdrawing from friends and family
• Challenges articulating thoughts and communicating clearly
• Occupational and educational impact
• Difficulty maintaining personal hygiene and other daily routines
• Increase in drug or alcohol use to cope with symptoms

Living with schizophrenia can be a challenging experience, one that can take a serious toll on a person’s life, even wreaking havoc on their job, school and relationships. 

Seeking professional help for schizophrenia (or suspected schizophrenia) is always recommended, but there are steps you can begin taking at home today to ease the symptoms.

Coping with schizophrenia

When it comes to living and coping with schizophrenia, there are multiple steps you can begin taking at home to reduce the effects of your symptoms, as well as improve your overall health.

1. Improve your diet and nutrition

Studies reveal that the majority of people struggling with schizophrenia have poor diets, eating large amounts of high-inflammatory foods that largely contribute to neurochemical imbalances. 

High-inflammatory foods include refined flour (white pasta and bakery items), sugar, processed meat (hot dogs, lunch meat), vegetable oils, and artificial dyes and flavorings. Reduce your consumption of these, and increase your intake of whole foods: grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, wild-caught fish, and organic fruits and vegetables. 

2. Learn stress reduction techniques

Educating yourself about stress management, as well as learning a variety of stress-reducing techniques you can incorporate into your daily life can alleviate anxiety and overwhelm. Some of these techniques include journaling, mindfulness, deep breathing exercises and muscle relaxation.

Commit to trying each one for a full month to see which practices work best for you; you might find that one or several of the above are effective, or you may discover your own along the way.

3. Stay active (go outside!)

Regular physical activity, as well as consistent time in nature, have both been shown to greatly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia in individuals, as well as improve overall mental health. 

If you’re feeling unmotivated at the thought of going to your local gym, that’s okay; maybe gyms aren’t your thing. You can get a few weights and a yoga mat and create a little home gym; you can also go on long walks, sign up for a dance class, or practice bodyweight-only exercises. Try out a few different forms of activity, and see which ones you like best!

4. Seek professional help

Many home, natural remedies can be greatly beneficial in the reduction and easing of symptoms of schizophrenia, but they are still not equal to the support and care of professional treatment.

We know reaching out for help can feel like a big first step, and questions about the unknown can be difficult to tackle, but we’re here to help you in every way we can. 

Reach out today

Here at Tapestry, our mission is to help men and women of all ages heal from various mental and behavioral challenges they’re facing in their lives. 

Recognizing that no two people are alike, we’ll work closely with you from our very first conversation, through every step of treatment, all the way through your aftercare plan. You deserve to live your healthiest life, and we’re here to help you achieve it.

Send us a message or give us a call today at 828-490-4032 to get started.