Schizophrenia Manual

 There are few good all-inclusive books about schizophrenia; That being said, I find the book Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers to be a great book for anyone who would like more information about schizophrenia.

It is very well-written and has a lot of suggestions for additional readings. It is written by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, an accomplished psychiatrist and researcher who specializes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Brain-Training: Cognitive Enhancement

There has been a growing effort to learn about cognition in schizophrenia and how to improve cognitive deficits. The cognitive deficit of schizophrenia is heterogeneous (it appears different across individuals; there are individual differences), however, it can be severe enough that individuals need treatment. The cognitive impairment of individuals with schizophrenia (as well as other cognitive disorders) could be greatly improved with cognitive training. The idea of brain plasticity is a relatively new one, but a very exciting area of research. When I worked in a psychiatric rehabilitation program, I constantly reminded members that "brain training" is very real and very possible. You can change your brain; you can improve your functioning voluntarily with an effortful push.

Here is an article written last year about brain training video games designed for schizophrenia:

http://www.nature.com/news/treating-schizophrenia-game-on-1.10126

I personally believe these treatments are valuable and important. Skeptics do not see the relevance of video games as treatment, but here is how I think of it: These games are designed to improve cognitive control, attention, and neural functioning in general. This type of improvement can be thought of as triggering the root of more important and more relevant functions, such as social cognition, problem solving, and concentration. Neurons are the cells that make up the brain, therefore, if we improve neural functioning, overall functioning may improve.

These treatments are too new to know how effective they are, but I think it is worth researching. The current treatment programming may not be perfect yet, but it is exciting to think that one day we can have one that really works.

Schizoaffective Disorder Documentary

Here is a short documentary (23:43) about a man's recovery from Schizoaffective disorder. Schizoaffective disorder is similar to schizophrenia, but with a mood component. It seems to be a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The documentary is a wonderful and honest view of the struggles and symptoms of this disorder, as well as a glimmer of hope from someone who has experienced recovery himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIfw-ljOQGg