Tampa’s Best Schizophrenia Treatment Center & Hospital

Learn More About Treatment for Schizophrenia in North Tampa

Schizophrenia is a complicated illness to cope with as the symptoms make it difficult to tell the difference between what is real and what is not. If you’ve been diagnosed with schizophrenia, you may not understand why others don’t hear or see the same things as you. Perhaps your beliefs cause distress or you fear others are intending you harm. It may seem your thoughts are confused, that you have difficulty managing your emotions, and you cannot relate to loved ones any longer. You may be having difficulty functioning in day-to-day life and are experiencing employment problems, financial hardship, or have no access to housing or health services.

We are here to tell you the staff at North Tampa Behavioral Health Hospital can help you learn to manage your problems. Our staff is dedicated to assisting you in your recovery through compassionate care and support and we have helped many others learn to lead normal lives.

How to Convince a Loved One to Seek Treatment for Schizophrenia

Often, family members of individuals with schizophrenia notice that their loved one appears lucid some of the time. Those in the midst of a psychotic episode may experience paranoia and fear of others. Often, it is family or friends who first notice the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Though you likely feel a multitude of emotions when attempting to help your loved one, you may not recognize the emotional toll on the entire family. This is why it is important to make sure that, in addition to focusing on having your loved one cared for, the family as a whole has supportive outlets and community resources in Tampa to rely upon to help each member with their own adjustment to the person’s disorder.

Sometimes family members may not be aware of the nature of the problem. Some early signs to look for in someone who may be developing the disorder include:

• Continued sense of tension, anxiety, or agitation over small things
• Insomnia
• Inability to concentrate
• Social withdrawal
• Alteration in personality

As time goes on, the signs of schizophrenia will be more readily apparent as they become more bizarre and lack the feel of reality.

Those with schizophrenia have better outcomes when intervention is begun early. Often friends and family need to take a highly active role in helping someone with schizophrenia seek the care they need at a mental health treatment center or psychiatric hospital. Since the person believes that their delusions and hallucinations are real, they see no need for intervention. If your loved one refuses treatment, additional family education and support can help you better determine how to approach your loved one to encourage them into treatment. There are many mental health professionals, advocacy groups, and community resources in Tampa that provide a wide array of services.

Why Consider Inpatient Treatment at North Tampa Behavioral Health

When your loved one becomes acutely psychotic, it is best to help them seek care at a schizophrenia treatment center. At this stage, the individual may be out of control with their behavior and thought processes. Without proper treatment they will likely continue to get worse. Mental health hospitals ensure the individual’s safety and conduct comprehensive evaluations to determine the best course of action. Generally, treatment involves use of an antipsychotic medications which controls the psychotic symptoms, disordered thinking, disturbed behavior, mood alterations, aggression, or agitation generally exhibited by individuals with this disorder.

Our schizophrenia treatment center strives to determine what lead to the onset of the acute episode in order to help prevent relapse. The goal of inpatient care is stabilization and returning the person to their highest level of functioning as quickly as possible. Inpatient treatment centers usually incorporate family therapy, consultation, and supportive care as schizophrenia has long-lasting effects on the quality of life of those around them. Given that schizophrenia is a life-long disorder of the brain, treatment professionals recognize the need to establish a detailed discharge plan that outlines the steps to take once the individual leaves our center.

Our Rehab Program’s Philosophy and Benefits

As the best schizophrenia treatment center & hospital in Tampa, we approach each person who comes to us for help as a unique individual with needs that require a personalized approach. We will always treat you with respect and dignity. We are dedicated to assessing your difficulties; we listen carefully and take what you have to say seriously. Our staff is accepting and nurturing; we will provide support to help you work through your current difficulties. We know your life experiences differ from those around you and understand the importance of focusing on each person as a whole. You bring a number of strengths and resources to our program and we will help you utilize them in your healing process.

Types of Therapy We Use to Treat Schizophrenia

At our treatment center in Tampa, we use a variety of techniques to help you begin your healing process. After conducting a complete assessment, obtaining your views and perspectives, and gathering information on what you hope to accomplish during your stay with us, your treatment team will work with you to determine the most effective treatment plan. This may include the use of medications to help you think more clearly and decrease mood-related symptoms such as anxiety, fear, or depression.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the basis for many techniques used by our counselors. This approach may be employed to help you identify maladaptive thought patterns and replace them with more adaptive ways of thinking.

Group therapy has proven essential in the helping those experiencing difficulties related to schizophrenia. We offer process groups, psycho-educational, and skills-focused groups such as relationship building. Groups allow you to share your experiences with those who are also going through similar treatment at our center.

We know that schizophrenia affects the entire family and strongly encourage family involvement. Your treatment plan will likely include a family consultation aimed at discovering and providing suggestions for repairing relationships with family members. We will help each family member understand the cause of your difficulties and how they can support you during your healing process.

Continuing Care – What Comes Next?

At North Tampa Behavioral Health Hospital, we make sure you have a comprehensive plan for the next step in your recovery process as discharge approaches. Some people feel it is important to remain in a highly-structured environment to maintain their focus, opting to join a residential treatment center. Others may be feel ready to return home in the evenings but feel a structured outpatient program will help them continue their progress. Depending on the number of hours of services needed, a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) or an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) may work best. Depending on how much additional supportive intervention necessary, some men or women may be ready to resume their responsibilities and continue their treatment on an outpatient basis in the Tampa community.