Summary
- Schizophrenia can be managed.
- Antipsychotic drugs can increase risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental illness that affects millions of adults. It disrupts a person’s thinking, which can cause unusual outward behavior. The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. Schizophrenia has no cure, but its symptoms can be managed well with proper treatment. This is done through both drug and non-drug therapies.
Non-drug therapies include support groups, as well as one-on-one counseling. They are not to be used in place of drug treatment, but along with it. These talk therapies teach individuals how to better cope with and manage their illness. It means they will also be more likely to remain on their medication.
Drug treatment
Drug therapy helps deal with the positive symptoms of the illness. This refers to symptoms not found in people who are healthy. This includes hearing and seeing things that others do not. A person with these symptoms does not know what is real and what is false. Positive symptoms are also referred to as psychotic symptoms. Drugs used to treat them are called antipsychotics.
Antipsychotics
The first antipsychotic drugs came out in the 1950s. These conventional drugs gave new hope to individuals who had delusions and hallucinations. Later on, second generation atypical antipsychotics came out. These drugs are as effective as the first ones. Sometimes more than one antipsychotic drug may need to be tried. A person should work closely with her doctor to see which drug treatment works best.
Antipsychotic side effects
Like all medications, antipsychotics are not without side effects. These may include dizziness, drowsiness, and constipation. Dry mouth and blurred vision are also common. More severe problems involve muscle movement issues, such as stiffness and restlessness. One rare, but serious, movement disorder is tardive dyskinesia (TD) which cannot always be treated.
Second generation, atypical drugs can sometimes cause other severe side effects. Abdominal obesity and low HDL “good” cholesterol are two such issues. Others include a rise in blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and triglycerides. These risk factors combined are known as metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome
This is a group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Blood tests are needed in order to make a proper diagnosis. Having three or more of the following 5\five factors means you have metabolic syndrome:
- Excess stomach fat
- Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High triglycerides (fat in blood)
Treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes
Your doctor may put you on medication to control some of these risk factors. As with your antipsychotic drugs, these need to be taken exactly as prescribed.
Healthy lifestyles can go a long way in treating, or preventing, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This may require lifestyle changes in the following areas:
- Losing weight
- Exercising
- Eating a healthy diet
- Quitting smoking
Healthy weight
Keeping a healthy weight is a crucial part of controlling metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This can be helped by eating a heart healthy diet. This is a diet low in fat and salt. It includes whole grains, lean meats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Aerobic exercise is another great way to burn calories and help keep you fit. Talk to your doctor before starting any new physical activity.
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) will help you find your ideal weight range. This compares your weight with your height and measures total body fat. You can find out your BMI from your doctor, or from an online BMI calculator.
Your waist as well as your weight should be measured at each doctor visit. A guideline for a healthy waist measurement for women is less than 35 inches. For men it is less than 40 inches.
Further help and hope
People with schizophrenia can lead rich and rewarding lives. The key is to find the proper treatment and to stay on it. Healthy lifestyle changes, therapy, and family support also play vital roles in recovery. Long-term support is offered through self-help groups and rehab programs. These teach skills for coping with the illness and better managing life.
Resources
BMI calculator (NCEP)
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm
Metabolic Syndrome Fact Sheet
www.nami.org/factsheets/metabolicsyndrome_factsheet.pdf
NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a free, 10-week education course on the topic of recovery for any person living with a serious mental illness.
www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Peer-to-Peer
National Alliance on Mental Illness: ”Tell Me About Schizophrenia” video
www.nami.org/Videos/Tell-Me-About-Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia Digest is a magazine dedicated to hope, dignity, and support by providing information about schizophrenia for individuals, families, friends, and others.
www.szdigest.com
Schizophrenia for Dummies by Jerome Levine, MD and Irene S. Levine, PhD. For Dummies, 2008.
Understanding Schizophrenia and Recovery
www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=67729
Summary
- Schizophrenia can be managed.
- Antipsychotic drugs can increase risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental illness that affects millions of adults. It disrupts a person’s thinking, which can cause unusual outward behavior. The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. Schizophrenia has no cure, but its symptoms can be managed well with proper treatment. This is done through both drug and non-drug therapies.
Non-drug therapies include support groups, as well as one-on-one counseling. They are not to be used in place of drug treatment, but along with it. These talk therapies teach individuals how to better cope with and manage their illness. It means they will also be more likely to remain on their medication.
Drug treatment
Drug therapy helps deal with the positive symptoms of the illness. This refers to symptoms not found in people who are healthy. This includes hearing and seeing things that others do not. A person with these symptoms does not know what is real and what is false. Positive symptoms are also referred to as psychotic symptoms. Drugs used to treat them are called antipsychotics.
Antipsychotics
The first antipsychotic drugs came out in the 1950s. These conventional drugs gave new hope to individuals who had delusions and hallucinations. Later on, second generation atypical antipsychotics came out. These drugs are as effective as the first ones. Sometimes more than one antipsychotic drug may need to be tried. A person should work closely with her doctor to see which drug treatment works best.
Antipsychotic side effects
Like all medications, antipsychotics are not without side effects. These may include dizziness, drowsiness, and constipation. Dry mouth and blurred vision are also common. More severe problems involve muscle movement issues, such as stiffness and restlessness. One rare, but serious, movement disorder is tardive dyskinesia (TD) which cannot always be treated.
Second generation, atypical drugs can sometimes cause other severe side effects. Abdominal obesity and low HDL “good” cholesterol are two such issues. Others include a rise in blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and triglycerides. These risk factors combined are known as metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome
This is a group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Blood tests are needed in order to make a proper diagnosis. Having three or more of the following 5\five factors means you have metabolic syndrome:
- Excess stomach fat
- Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High triglycerides (fat in blood)
Treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes
Your doctor may put you on medication to control some of these risk factors. As with your antipsychotic drugs, these need to be taken exactly as prescribed.
Healthy lifestyles can go a long way in treating, or preventing, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This may require lifestyle changes in the following areas:
- Losing weight
- Exercising
- Eating a healthy diet
- Quitting smoking
Healthy weight
Keeping a healthy weight is a crucial part of controlling metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This can be helped by eating a heart healthy diet. This is a diet low in fat and salt. It includes whole grains, lean meats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Aerobic exercise is another great way to burn calories and help keep you fit. Talk to your doctor before starting any new physical activity.
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) will help you find your ideal weight range. This compares your weight with your height and measures total body fat. You can find out your BMI from your doctor, or from an online BMI calculator.
Your waist as well as your weight should be measured at each doctor visit. A guideline for a healthy waist measurement for women is less than 35 inches. For men it is less than 40 inches.
Further help and hope
People with schizophrenia can lead rich and rewarding lives. The key is to find the proper treatment and to stay on it. Healthy lifestyle changes, therapy, and family support also play vital roles in recovery. Long-term support is offered through self-help groups and rehab programs. These teach skills for coping with the illness and better managing life.
Resources
BMI calculator (NCEP)
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm
Metabolic Syndrome Fact Sheet
www.nami.org/factsheets/metabolicsyndrome_factsheet.pdf
NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a free, 10-week education course on the topic of recovery for any person living with a serious mental illness.
www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Peer-to-Peer
National Alliance on Mental Illness: ”Tell Me About Schizophrenia” video
www.nami.org/Videos/Tell-Me-About-Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia Digest is a magazine dedicated to hope, dignity, and support by providing information about schizophrenia for individuals, families, friends, and others.
www.szdigest.com
Schizophrenia for Dummies by Jerome Levine, MD and Irene S. Levine, PhD. For Dummies, 2008.
Understanding Schizophrenia and Recovery
www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=67729
Summary
- Schizophrenia can be managed.
- Antipsychotic drugs can increase risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental illness that affects millions of adults. It disrupts a person’s thinking, which can cause unusual outward behavior. The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. Schizophrenia has no cure, but its symptoms can be managed well with proper treatment. This is done through both drug and non-drug therapies.
Non-drug therapies include support groups, as well as one-on-one counseling. They are not to be used in place of drug treatment, but along with it. These talk therapies teach individuals how to better cope with and manage their illness. It means they will also be more likely to remain on their medication.
Drug treatment
Drug therapy helps deal with the positive symptoms of the illness. This refers to symptoms not found in people who are healthy. This includes hearing and seeing things that others do not. A person with these symptoms does not know what is real and what is false. Positive symptoms are also referred to as psychotic symptoms. Drugs used to treat them are called antipsychotics.
Antipsychotics
The first antipsychotic drugs came out in the 1950s. These conventional drugs gave new hope to individuals who had delusions and hallucinations. Later on, second generation atypical antipsychotics came out. These drugs are as effective as the first ones. Sometimes more than one antipsychotic drug may need to be tried. A person should work closely with her doctor to see which drug treatment works best.
Antipsychotic side effects
Like all medications, antipsychotics are not without side effects. These may include dizziness, drowsiness, and constipation. Dry mouth and blurred vision are also common. More severe problems involve muscle movement issues, such as stiffness and restlessness. One rare, but serious, movement disorder is tardive dyskinesia (TD) which cannot always be treated.
Second generation, atypical drugs can sometimes cause other severe side effects. Abdominal obesity and low HDL “good” cholesterol are two such issues. Others include a rise in blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and triglycerides. These risk factors combined are known as metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome
This is a group of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Blood tests are needed in order to make a proper diagnosis. Having three or more of the following 5\five factors means you have metabolic syndrome:
- Excess stomach fat
- Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High triglycerides (fat in blood)
Treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes
Your doctor may put you on medication to control some of these risk factors. As with your antipsychotic drugs, these need to be taken exactly as prescribed.
Healthy lifestyles can go a long way in treating, or preventing, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This may require lifestyle changes in the following areas:
- Losing weight
- Exercising
- Eating a healthy diet
- Quitting smoking
Healthy weight
Keeping a healthy weight is a crucial part of controlling metabolic syndrome and diabetes. This can be helped by eating a heart healthy diet. This is a diet low in fat and salt. It includes whole grains, lean meats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Aerobic exercise is another great way to burn calories and help keep you fit. Talk to your doctor before starting any new physical activity.
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) will help you find your ideal weight range. This compares your weight with your height and measures total body fat. You can find out your BMI from your doctor, or from an online BMI calculator.
Your waist as well as your weight should be measured at each doctor visit. A guideline for a healthy waist measurement for women is less than 35 inches. For men it is less than 40 inches.
Further help and hope
People with schizophrenia can lead rich and rewarding lives. The key is to find the proper treatment and to stay on it. Healthy lifestyle changes, therapy, and family support also play vital roles in recovery. Long-term support is offered through self-help groups and rehab programs. These teach skills for coping with the illness and better managing life.
Resources
BMI calculator (NCEP)
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm
Metabolic Syndrome Fact Sheet
www.nami.org/factsheets/metabolicsyndrome_factsheet.pdf
NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a free, 10-week education course on the topic of recovery for any person living with a serious mental illness.
www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Peer-to-Peer
National Alliance on Mental Illness: ”Tell Me About Schizophrenia” video
www.nami.org/Videos/Tell-Me-About-Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia Digest is a magazine dedicated to hope, dignity, and support by providing information about schizophrenia for individuals, families, friends, and others.
www.szdigest.com
Schizophrenia for Dummies by Jerome Levine, MD and Irene S. Levine, PhD. For Dummies, 2008.
Understanding Schizophrenia and Recovery
www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=67729