Hello Chandra,
As feelings develop between you and this man (if they indeed do), it is within your right to ask him if he he takes his meds every day as prescribed, has he been in a hospital, and what his symptoms were so you can be aware of what's going on if he decides to stop his meds, or starts acting not like his usual self.
95 percent of the people diagnosed with schizophrenia require life-long medication therapy, that's an estimate, but probably accurate.
Plenty of people enter into relationships with people who have paranoid schizophrenia.
I really must say, this is nothing you should take personally, but I tell everyone who writes in and uses shorthand, that we ARE NOT "paranoid schizophrenics." It is demeaning to identify a person by his or her symptoms. We are people and have lives apart from the illness. So please in the future, you may want to phrase any questions, "How do you enter into a relationship with someone who has schizophrenia?"
Though I'm personally upset to think people believe I and others are "paranoid schizophrenics," I am doing my best to let that reference slide.
The bottom line is, a person who has schizophrenia could be one of the most loving, giving people you'll ever meet. But you'll never know that if you "assume" certain things about people living with schizophrenia.
Treat him with dignity, know the facts about schizophrenia, and educate yourself.
I suggest you log on to the web site for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, www.nami.org
More than that, I urge you to read the SharePosts that people have written here, both the expert's blogs, and the community members' entries.
Respectfully,
cb