Schizophrenia: Understanding Your Illness

Lilly USA, LLC, developed the Neuroscience Treatment Team Partners (NTTP) program to provide useful tools and resources that can help support consumers in recovery. One of the tools the NTTP developed is the Schizophrenia: Understanding Your Illness program, which takes a consumer through the steps of education, working with a treatment team and recovery from schizophrenia. These and other topics are covered in eight sessions.

In the first session the group/individual covers symptoms, common feelings, promotion of recovery, signs of relapse and how to handle emergencies. In the next session there is a more in-depth look at symptoms, managing these symptoms and treatments for relief of symptoms.

An introduction of what comprises a treatment team, roles of the members and who should be involved is the next area of study.  The information moves on to establishing personal goals and the skills needed to achieve and maintain these goals.

Medication is discussed to provide information on its role, how it works, possible side-effects and the advantages of taking medications daily. There is conversation about why people do not want to take medications and how taking medications correctly can help an individual in achieving his or her expressed goals.

Early warning signs and common causes of relapse are discussed in detail. Managing a relapse in five easy steps is discussed along with reducing risk. It is followed with discussion on skills that can reduce stress and prevent crisis.

The primary goal is to give the consumer the tools for recovery from schizophrenia, to become educated and empowered, and to be able to take charge of his or her life and treatment.

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