Schizophrenia is ranked 9th in the leading causes of disability in the world, according to the Global Burden of Disease Report. Early intervention can halt the natural progression of disease. The longer treatment is delayed, the more dabilitating the condition becomes.
Ignoring symptoms of psychosis could lead to complications and lessen likelihood of recovery. Higher doses of medication might be needed, resulting in unliveable side effects and a greater risk of drug-related weight gain.
Positive symptoms such as audiotory hallucinations, paranoia and delusions can be eased and in some cases stopped completely with early intervention. Negative symptoms such as lagging motivation and muted facial expressions are also more likely to improve with early intervention.
Seeking help from a liscensed doctor at the onset of sypmtoms is key in obtaining an accurate diagnosis and recieving early intervention as quickly as possible. The sooner someone can stop worrying in silence and start working towards recovery the better they will feel mentally and physically.
The famous Portland Intervention and Early Referral Program-treated individuals whose symptoms were mild before the symptoms became severe and chronic. When symptoms were treated before they advanced, psychosis rates fell 26 percent. Hospitalizations were lowered too.
The traditional method is that a person is treated only after they're had a full-blown psychotic episode. A NAMI survey indicated there's an 8.5 year delay between first experiencing schizophrenia symptoms and getting treatment. Thus in reality individuals aren't getting treated until their symptoms are entrenched and more difficult to treat.