Sticking to the treatment plan is important and may bring benefits sooner than expected. “Some people might notice an effect from the medications right away — within days,” says Bruce Bassi, MD, a psychiatrist based in Chicago. Look for these clues to help you determine if treatment is working.
1. Hallucinations and Delusions Occur Less Frequently
Hallucinations describe sensations that aren’t really there, and delusions are beliefs and thoughts that may seem irrational to others, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
“For some individuals living with schizophrenia, they might not understand their hallucinations or delusions are symptoms of their diagnosis,” says Dr. Frank. “The easing of such symptoms could be the first time a person understands the full scope of their schizophrenia.” He adds that with medication specifically, these symptoms are often the first to subside.
2. You’re Sleeping Better
As treatment starts to work and hallucinations and delusions become less frequent, you may notice less psychological distress in general and greater mental clarity, says Frank, which can allow you to relax and sleep more easily.
3. Tough Days Don’t Get to You as Easily
When you’re living with untreated schizophrenia, you may find it difficult to handle challenging situations and regulate your emotions, which can lead to behavioral outbursts. Treatment can help lessen intense emotions, especially those around delusional thoughts, says Bassi.
“Through the combined efforts of therapy and medications, individuals living with schizophrenia can learn the necessary skills for managing emotional reactivity and how to challenge distressing thoughts and beliefs,” he says. With practice, it becomes easier to handle tough days — a sure sign that treatment is helping.
4. You Have More Energy
In addition, some medications can make you feel even sleepier when you first start taking them, but this tends to be a temporary side effect. Once your body has adjusted to a new medication, the symptoms of schizophrenia that drain your energy should improve, giving you more energy overall.
5. It’s Easier to Focus
Bassi, who treats people with schizophrenia in an inpatient setting, says he also notices that his patients can focus on questions and answer them more logically after a few weeks of treatment.
6. You Want to Be Around People Again
Bassi says getting back into the social game may come with some adjustment and anxiety at first. “Allow yourself to see how socialization affects other parts of the mental illness, such as hallucinations,” he says. “Some individuals find that talking to other people is very helpful to lessen and distract them from the voices in their head.”
7. Your Loved Ones Notice You’re More Expressive
Prior to starting treatment, some people with schizophrenia speak in a monotone voice and have a blank facial expression much of the time.
This type of symptom can take longer — often months — to improve, says Bassi. But after some time, your friends and family may tell you they’ve noticed a change in your voice and expression, which means treatments are helping.
8. It’s Easier to Take Care of Yourself
With the boost in energy that tends to result from treatment, you may notice you can perform daily tasks more easily. Bassi says treatment can lead to fewer distracting thoughts, an improved ability to stay on task, and a better ability to take care of yourself.
Once you realize you want to brush your hair, cook a meal, or take a shower again, you can feel confident that schizophrenia treatment is starting to work.
The Takeaway
- Schizophrenia treatment often takes time, with some people noticing improvement within days or weeks, while others may take months to a year to find the right combination of medication and therapy.
- Signs that treatment is working can include fewer hallucinations and delusions, better sleep, greater emotional control, more energy, improved focus, a renewed interest in socializing, a more expressive voice, and an easier time managing daily self-care tasks.
- Although medication side effects can make treatment challenging, consistently following a treatment plan can lead to steady improvements in symptoms and overall functioning.
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