Here’s what you should know about the 3 phases of schizophrenia and the symptoms of each.
“The journey through these phases varies for each person and may cycle, depending on the response to treatment and external stressors,” says Michael Kane, MD, a psychiatrist and the chief medical officer at Indiana Center for Recovery.
Here’s what to know about each phase of schizophrenia.
The prodromal phase is the first phase of schizophrenia. Mild symptoms may appear during the prodromal phase. “The prodromal phase is the early stage, where the signs are subtle, often confused with general mood or behavioral changes,” says Dr. Kane.
“The prodromal phase can be difficult to recognize in oneself, and it's usually family members who might notice a change first,” says Bruce Bassi, MD, a psychiatrist based in Chicago.
“Recognizing the signs in the prodromal phase and getting help before the active phase fully develops can reduce the intensity of symptoms and improve the person’s quality of life in the long term,” says Kane. But “it’s a bit tricky to diagnose [schizophrenia] at this stage since the signs are not as clear. In my opinion, families should be particularly observant here, because these early signs often get missed.”
Once you receive treatment and it begins working, you may enter the residual phase of schizophrenia.
“The residual phase also tends to develop slowly as symptoms become less intense, though they may never completely go away,” says Kane.
How long this phase lasts may vary from person to person and often depends on treatment. If your treatment is effective, you can remain in the residual phase for a long time. But it’s possible to cycle back to the active phase. This is known as a relapse.
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Angela D. Harper, MD, is in private practice at Columbia Psychiatric Associates in South Carolina, where she provides evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy for adults.
A distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Harper has worked as a psychiatrist throughout her career, serving a large number of patients in various settings, including a psychiatric hospital on the inpatient psychiatric and addiction units, a community mental health center, and a 350-bed nursing home and rehab facility. She has provided legal case consultation for a number of attorneys.
Harper graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a bachelor's degree and cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, where she also completed her residency in adult psychiatry. During residency, she won numerous awards, including the Laughlin Fellowship from the American College of Psychiatrists, the Ginsberg Fellowship from the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training, and resident of the year and resident medical student teacher of the year. She was also the member-in-training trustee to the American Psychiatric Association board of trustees during her last two years of residency training.
Harper volunteered for a five-year term on her medical school's admission committee, has given numerous presentations, and has taught medical students and residents. She currently supervises a nurse practitioner. She is passionate about volunteering for the state medical board's medical disciplinary commission, on which she has served since 2015.
She and her husband are avid travelers and have been to over 55 countries and territories.
Abby McCoy is an experienced registered nurse who has worked with adults and pediatric patients encompassing trauma, orthopedics, home care, transplant, and case management. She is a married mother of four and loves the circus — that is her home! She has family all over the world, and loves to travel as much as possible.
McCoy has written for publications like Remedy Health Media, Sleepopolis, and Expectful. She is passionate about health education and loves using her experience and knowledge in her writing.
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