A 43-year-old member asked:
How bad does schizophrenia get?
3 doctor answers • 14 doctors weighed in
Dr. Glen Elliottanswered
Child Psychiatry 44 years experience
Horrible: Severe schizophrenia can destroy a person's life--and that of the family too. Some do not respond to any available treatments or have debilitating side effects from them. They can be constantly terrified, hounded by voices and hallucinations and plagued by horrific delusions of horrible things that are going to happen. It frequently is a chronic disorder, so improvements may be transitory.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Andrew Hoanswered
Psychiatry 31 years experience
Beyond psychosis: I agree completely with dr. Elliott that psychotic symptoms such as hallucination and delusions can be severe. Worst thing about schizophrenia is that even when hallucinations and delusions are resolved, lack of motivation and cognitive problems will remain debilitating. Rehabilitation is needed to address these problems even when psychotic symptoms have been controlled with medication.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Heather Luing commented
undefined 19 years experience
The longer schizophrenia goes untreated or inadequately treated, the more severe it is likely to become. This is why early treatment and delaying time to relapse is so important.
May 4, 2014
Dr. Andrew Berryanswered
Clinical Psychology 15 years experience
Schizophrenia : Imagine the worst nightmare you've ever had, and not being able to turn it off. Imagine having little to no access to competent care. The terror of schizophrenia cannot be overstated for those who suffer from it unchecked. How bad can it get? It can result in repeated violence and suicide.
3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 27, 2018
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