Schizophrenia is one of the most difficult mental health disorders an individual can experience. Individuals will often observe reality in a distorted way, leading to distrust amongst others and within themselves. If you have schizophrenia, it’s crucial to establish safety within yourself in order to begin the process of healing.
A Highly Personal Disorder
In 2009 Clara Kean published an article in Schizophrenia Bulletin based on her own experiences with the disorder. She argues that schizophrenia is “fundamentally a self-disturbance and not simply a biochemical imbalance.”
Kean says that many psychiatrists view schizophrenia as a “disorder of thought and perception that has a strong biochemical basis” and prescribe medication to ease symptoms. While medications can certainly help, they don’t get to the root of the experience as highly personal, “unchangeable and irreplaceable by any physical treatment.”
Schizophrenia and Disconnection From Self
One of the most frightening feelings that come along with schizophrenia is the sense of losing oneself. This mental state can cause an individual to doubt themselves and their own reality, resulting in deeper disconnection.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), schizophrenia “usually involves delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that don’t exist), unusual physical behavior, and disorganized thinking and speech.”
Creating Safety Within Yourself
People who experience schizophrenia have paranoid thoughts, hear voices, and believe that someone is controlling their minds or trying to cause them harm. They’re often left feeling unable to protect themselves or control what happens in their life.
Creating safety within yourself and deep, inner healing is crucial in overcoming schizophrenia. It’s important to put yourself back in the driver’s seat and create an atmosphere where you feel like you’re in control.
Daily Habits and Strategies
Getting yourself into a daily routine can help you find balance and stability. SAMSHA suggests various coping strategies that you can use day-to-day in your journey of healing. These strategies include:
- Staying focused on your treatment goals and sticking to a plan
- Awareness of warning signs and triggers that can lead to symptoms
- Physical health and self-care, like healthy eating, exercise, and regular sleep
- Abstinence from drugs and alcohol
- Relaxation and stress management techniques like tai-chi, meditation, and yoga
- Joining support groups with other people who understand what you’re going through
Schizophrenia Treatment
Treatment for schizophrenia can vary greatly depending on the treatment center. Since no two individuals are the same, it’s important to find individualized care that works best for your unique situation.
At The Guest House, our aim is to help you create a strong foundation of self-love, self-acceptance, and safety from within. We believe in empowering you to take charge of your own journey and care for yourself with methods that work best for you.
Our program has a heavy focus on mental health issues, substance use disorders (SUDs), and underlying trauma. It’s certainly not easy to face any of these conditions on your own. At The Guest House, you’ll find a vast network of support to help you through your journey.
Traditional Treatment
Traditionally, schizophrenia has been treated with medication and psychiatric care. At The Guest House, you will find psychiatric treatment to help you manage your symptoms, along with a wide variety of therapeutic modalities to help you go even deeper and re-discover yourself.
Individual Therapy
Many people experiencing schizophrenia have an internal dialog that they can’t “turn off.” This is where talk therapy comes in to help you process your thoughts and feelings out loud.
Individual therapy at The Guest House will give you a chance to speak one-on-one with a highly trained professional to help you work through your condition in an individualized fashion. We aim to provide a safe space to help you explore yourself while keeping you on track with your goals and intentions for treatment.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is one of the most popular forms of mental health treatment. At The Guest House, we believe that words and human connection can help you heal on a much deeper level.
If you’re struggling with schizophrenia, you may have lost trust in yourself and those around you. Our group therapy program will help you re-establish trust in others as you lift the burden of carrying your condition on your own.
Holistic Care
While traditional medication can alleviate symptoms on the surface, it’s still important to explore other methods that will help you rebuild a safety net within yourself. At The Guest House, you will find a large variety of treatments and modalities to help you heal your mind, body, and soul together as one.
Many people with schizophrenia have also experienced trauma. Methods like somatic therapy, acupuncture, and conscious connected breathwork can help you release trauma as stuck energy in the body and re-establish safety within yourself.
Mind-Body Practices to Establish Safety Within Yourself
At The Guest House, you’ll also find a diverse assortment of mind-body practices like meditation, yoga, and regular exercise. These activities can help you tune out your outside environment and find safety within yourself through your inner world.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, research findings suggest that “several mind and body practices are helpful for a variety of conditions.” Mind-body practices teach you how to go within and release internal chatter. They also help you tune into the present moment instead of succumbing to fear of the outside world. No matter what your unique condition looks like, The Guest House will help you begin your journey of healing.
Schizophrenia is one of the most difficult mental health disorders to live with. This condition can lead to hallucinations, delusions, and a loss of self-control. In order to begin healing, it’s crucial to create a solid foundation of self-love and acceptance. At The Guest House, our aim is to help you re-discover yourself and find safety within yourself through our various programs and therapeutic modalities. We offer traditional treatment like talk therapy, medication, and psychiatric care to help alleviate symptoms. These treatment options should be used together with our various modalities of holistic care, like meditation, yoga, and somatic healing. For more information, give us a call today at (855) 483-7800.