In schizophrenia, treatment focuses on meeting both the physical and psychosocial needs of the patient based on his previous level of adjustment and his response to medical and nursing interventions. Treatment typically includes a combination of drug therapy, long-term psychotherapy for the patient and his family, vocational counseling, and the use of community resources
The primary treatment (for more than 30 years), antipsychotic drugs (sometimes called neuroleptic drugs) appear to work by blocking postsynaptic dopamine receptors. These antipsychotic drugs reduce the incidence of psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, as well as relieve anxiety and agitation. Other psychiatric drugs, such as antidepressants and anxiolytics, may also be prescribed to control associated signs and symptoms.