The patient must continue taking medication even when symptoms are gone,
otherwise they will come back.
The majority of patients come off their medication within the first year of treatment.
To address this, successful schizophrenia treatment needs to consist of a life-long
regimen of both drug and psychosocial support therapies.
The medication can help control the patient's hallucinations and delusions, but it
cannot help them learn to communicate with others, get a job, and thrive in society.
Although one may readily suggest that all a person with schizophrenia has to do is
"comply with treatment" and they will live a happy and productive life. Unfortunately,
impaired insight is one of the symptoms of schizophrenia.
The person with schizophrenia often does not have insight into their condition and,
as a result, does not believe that they are sick. This often contributes to noncompliance
with medication.