Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Schizophrenia

• Have you treated many patients with schizophrenia?
• What type of schizophrenia do I have?
• Could my symptoms be due to any other condition?
• Is my condition serious?
• What is the best treatment for me now?
• How long will I have to take medication? What are the side effects? What happens if I react badly to the medicine?
• How long does the medicine take to work?
• How will I feel when the medicine is working?
• Will I need psychosocial therapy?
• What is my prognosis? What are the chances of a complete recovery?
• Will I have to continue treatment for the rest of my life?
• What should I expect as I get older?
• Will I be capable of working or returning to my old job?
• Who will evaluate the level of my impairment in different areas? Will they be able to help me improve?
• What are the chances of passing this condition down to my children? Should anyone else in my family be tested? Is anyone else in my family at high risk for schizophrenia?
• Am I at risk for developing any related medical conditions? Which ones?
• Who should I call if I notice any change or any new symptoms?
• What is the chance that I will experience a relapse? Will I need to be hospitalized? What are the signs I should look for?
• What can I do to prevent a relapse?
• Sometimes I have thoughts about suicide - should I be concerned? Should I tell anybody?
• How can my family help me?
• How can my family get help if my condition becomes difficult for them to cope with?
• How can I find out what benefits I'm entitled to from medical insurance, social security, or other government and local agencies?
• How can I find out about support groups or programs for vocational training?
• How much of my rehabilitation program will be covered by my health insurance?
• Is it safe for me to drive?
• Do you think I can live independently or do I need to be in a supervised setting?
• Do you know of any clinical trials for the treatment of schizophrenia that may be relevant to my condition?