There are many common symptoms of schizophrenia. Research has found that both positive and negative symptoms exist. Some common symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, problems in thinking, lack of motivation, moving slowly, and social isolation, lack of interest or initiative, change in affect (Csernansky 2002). The positive symptoms are delusions- false beliefs that are not logical and have no basis in reality, and hallucinations- hearing or seeing things that are not real. Other senses such as touch, taste, or smell may also be affected. Negative symptoms include disorganized thinking, abnormal behavior, and speech- jumping from one top

There are medications used for treating schizophrenia labeled Antipsychotics. New “atypical medications tend to have fewer side effects than the “typical” or older group of antipsychotic medications. These medications are not addictive. Medications seem to relieve the symptoms common with schizophrenia. The most commonly antipsychotic drugs used are phenothiazines chlorpromazine (Thorazine), thioridazine (mellaril), trifluoperazine (stelazine), and fluphenazine (prolixin), and haloperidol (Haldol). No one knows exactly how these drugs work, but they seem to block the dopamine receptors in the brain. The reduced dopamine activity seems to ease the acute signs of schizophrenia, such as the positive symptoms. When certain chemicals in your brain are not balanced you may not have the symptoms. Medications change the levels of these chemicals in your brain to help relieve the patient’s symptoms (Whitehorn 2002). When brain chemicals are balanced the patient will feel better, think more clearly, and function more normally. It may take the patients body a while to adjust to medication in its system. The human body and the brain require time to adjust to the changes that the medication causes. At first, the patient may experience uncomfortable side effects. These side effects often get better and with time the body and brain adjust to the medication. Medication itself is not sufficient in meeting the needs of a patient with schizophrenia. Drug therapy must be accompanied with some type of pschoeducational program to help the patient learn to cope with everyday activities. The patient and health care provider talk and decide the medication that is best for the specific patient (Gunasekara 2002).

Many patients experience side effects, but they are manageable. If the patient has side effects, it is important that the patient does not stop taking the medication because the symptoms are likely to return. It is important that the patient talks t

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