2000- New medications that have become available within the past decade have dramatically improved the prognosis for people with schizophrenia, according to Barry Guze, M.D., director of UCLA's Adult Psychiatry Hospital Service.
Schizophrenia refers to a number of illnesses with similar features.
Other common symptoms include lack of motivation and a deterioration of social functioning. Although there is no cure for schizophrenia, people with the disease can function well with only minor assistance if they are treated promptly and properly, says Dr. Guze. You want to keep each episode as brief and as mild as possible to have the best long-term outcome. In the past, drug treatments for schizophrenia had unpleasant side effects, including muscle rigidity and an involuntary movement disorder. The new medications, called atypical antipsychotics, are much more benign.