Wellness is essential to mental health recovery when you’re living with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Work with your doctor and treatment team to create a plan for overall wellness and talk about what might work for you.
Get yearly checkups and laboratory tests to identify changes in your health. People taking antipsychotic medication should have blood work to check for cholesterol, lipids, and triglycerides, as well as a diabetes test at least once a year, or more often if in a high-risk group.
Developing healthy habits can help you feel more stable and improve your mental health.
Stress is a part of life, but too much stress can affect your body and make you feel run down. It is important to understand the cause(s) of your stress and find ways to help manage it, such as:
Using drugs and alcohol can worsen your mental health symptoms and increase the chance of relapse or other physical health conditions. Talk to your treatment team about available substance abuse programs and how you can get help.
Not having a safe and comfortable place to live can contribute to health problems and make it difficult to stay on track with your recovery. Talk to your treatment team to find supportive housing in your area that meets your needs.
Connecting with others and developing positive relationships can help improve your mood and well-being.