Finding Help

Caregivers: Be Ready For a Relapse

If your loved one has schizophrenia, it’s important to be prepared in the event a relapse or acute psychotic episode occurs. Unfortunately, relapse among people with schizophrenia is common. Encouraging your loved one to take his or her antipsychotic medications regularly can greatly reduce the risk of relapse, but it isn’t foolproof. Having a crisis plan in place is necessary to ensure that if an event happens, your loved one gets the help he or she needs.

What You Need To Know About Mental Illness

Every year, one in four Americans suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder that interferes with their ability to function at work or school or in their daily lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Some people may have more than one mental disorder.

Yet many of those with a mental disorder don't seek treatment. Nearly 30 percent of people surveyed in 2006 by the American Psychological Association said they wouldn't go to a mental health professional because they didn't think treatment would help. Others who don't get help because they don’t recognize the symptoms. Yet others may not seek treatment because they can't afford it. The unfortunate result can be a worsening of symptoms and, in some cases, suicide.