Develop a plan for relapse of schizophrenia

Your success in living with schizophrenia will hinge on your ability to stick with your treatment plan. Once your symptoms are well controlled, work with your health professional to develop a treatment plan to know what to do if you begin to show signs of relapse. You will need to rely on others to help you get through relapses and regain control over your symptoms. Therapy can help you learn how to follow your treatment plan and will improve the likelihood of treatment success.

A plan of action includes specific items that need to be addressed during relapse. It is important to consider all of your daily responsibilities when developing the plan, such as:

• Who will take care of the children (if there are any)?
• How are finances to be managed?
• What hospital do you prefer?
• Who needs to be notified of the relapse?

Plans of action can also include the following documents:

• An advance directive, which is written during remission from schizophrenia, describes your wishes for treatment during a relapse. An advance directive can be very useful, particularly when symptoms of fear, suspicion of others, or paranoia emerge.
• A durable power of attorney designates who will be in charge of making decisions when you are unable to make decisions for yourself. This document is especially helpful if schizophrenia symptoms cause you to refuse treatment during relapse when you would otherwise accept treatment during remission.
• A power of attorney for managing your financial records when you are unable to do so during relapse. You may want someone you trust to cosign important financial documents, such as credit card applications or mortgages, to protect yourself financially while you are having a relapse.