To learn more about the New Canaan Urgent Assessment Program, visit its webpage.

Schizophrenia

Symptoms & Treatment

Schizophrenia is a severe and complex mental illness marked by characteristic changes in thinking, emotions and behavior.

Schizophrenia is characterized by a loss of appropriate emotional responses and may include loss of motivation. Delusions and hallucinations are common. Difficulties in organizing thinking and behaviors may make it difficult to carry out the usual activities of daily living. The person may believe that thoughts, sensations and actions are controlled by or shared with others. The person may find it difficult to act normally in social situations.

Mental health professionals are not certain what triggers schizophrenia, although it may have a genetic component. It affects both men and women equally. People with schizophrenia may also have problems with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. As with all mental illnesses, early identification and treatment enhance outcomes.

Symptoms
For a detailed list of symptoms, please visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Treatment
Silver Hill Hospital treats teens and adults who need treatment for schizophrenia. After an evaluation patients are placed on our inpatient unit for crisis stabilization and/or medication management. After inpatient treatment some patients move on to our 28-day Residential Program.

Resources

  • The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey through Madness, Elyn Saks
  • The Day The Voices Stopped: A Memoir of Madness and Hope, Ken Steele
  • Me, Myself and Them: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person’s Experience with Schizophrenia, Kurt Snyder

Get to Know Silver Hill Hospital

Our Clinicians

From their first day on campus through outpatient follow-up, Silver Hill patients receive thorough, clinically astute treatment from a staff of expert clinicians.

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Levels of Care

Silver Hill offers three levels of care: inpatient, residential and outpatient treatment. Take a look at these programs to see where you might fit in.

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What We Treat

Our broad range of services and therapies allow flexible treatment planning specific to each patient’s needs.

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