Plain-language, educational articles on schizophrenia, psychosis, antipsychotic medications, and lived experience — by ColdAI.
Constipation from antipsychotics is more than an inconvenience — with clozapine in particular it can progress to ileus and bowel obstruction. Daily prevention is the key.
Side EffectTardive dyskinesia (TD) — involuntary movements caused by long-term antipsychotic use — is one of the most feared side effects of these medications. New treatments have changed the picture significantly.
MedicationAbilify Maintena delivers a month of aripiprazole in one injection — an LAI option for patients who tolerate aripiprazole well and want monthly dosing for adherence support.
OverviewSchizophrenia is highly heritable — but no single gene 'causes' it. A clear-eyed look at the genetic evidence as it stands in 2026, and what it does and doesn't mean for families.
Therapy modalitiesCOGPACK, BrainHQ, CIRCuiTS and similar digital tools have made cognitive remediation more accessible than ever. The evidence is real but conditional — they work best when integrated into a wider rehabilitation plan, not as stand-alone games.
Rating scalesSchizophrenia has historically been measured by clinicians, not patients. Newer self-report scales — CAPE, PQ-B, BAVQ-R, QPR — are changing that and giving patients a real seat at the measurement table.
Levels of careACT brings the clinic to the person — a multidisciplinary team that meets clients in their homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces. For some people with schizophrenia, it is the difference between repeated hospitalisations and a stable life.
Brain circuitsThe default mode network is the brain's self-referential, mind-wandering circuit. In schizophrenia, it shows hyperconnectivity at rest and fails to deactivate during tasks, contributing to symptoms.
Expressive therapiesAnimal-assisted therapy is more than visiting dogs in a hospital. It is a structured intervention with goals, planning, and a credentialed handler — and the evidence in schizophrenia is small but encouraging.
HousingPermanent Supportive Housing combines an apartment lease with voluntary, individualised services. It is one of the best-evidenced housing models for people with serious mental illness.
Caregiver scenariosWhen one spouse becomes the primary caregiver for an ill relative, the marriage can quietly become a casualty. The repair is possible — and easier earlier than later.
TherapySocial skills training has been part of schizophrenia care since the 1970s. The modern versions are more sophisticated than role-play caricatures suggest — and the evidence remains solid.
StoryA composite reflection on a decade of life after a schizophrenia diagnosis. The dramatic part was the first year. The interesting part was everything since.
CaregiverUS health insurance for psychiatric care is a maze. Here is the practical map — Medicaid, Medicare, private plans, parity, and where to push when you hit walls.
RecoverySocial skills training breaks down the small components of social interaction — eye contact, conversation, conflict — and rebuilds them through practice. It has 50 years of evidence behind it.
Co-occurringEating disorders in schizophrenia are more common than once thought, often atypical in presentation, and complicated by antipsychotic-related appetite changes. They deserve specific attention.
LifestyleFor many people with schizophrenia, faith is both a profound source of strength and a place where symptoms appear. Here is an honest look at the relationship.
TherapyNormalising places psychotic experiences on a continuum with ordinary human experience — not to minimise them, but to reduce the secondary suffering of feeling alien.
Side EffectWeight gain is the most common reason people stop their antipsychotic — and one of the most preventable. Here's what actually works.
ProfileJohn Charles Martin Nash, the son of Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash Jr., was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his twenties. The family's experience illustrates the genetic dimension of the illness.
DiagnosisMRI and PET scans show real differences between groups of people with and without schizophrenia, but they cannot diagnose any individual. Here is what imaging can and cannot do.
TechnologyDigital therapeutics are software you can be prescribed. The category is small, the evidence is mixed, and the path to mainstream use has been bumpy.
Crisis & safetyPeople with serious mental illness are far more likely to be killed in police encounters than the general population. Practical preparation can change outcomes.
DifferentialPsychosis in an older adult can be late-onset schizophrenia, a dementia, delirium, or several other conditions. The differences guide treatment.
Special populationsOrgan transplant recipients with schizophrenia are a small but real population. Their care requires close coordination between psychiatry and transplant medicine — especially around drug interactions and adherence.
Medication managementA stomach bug or a bad case of flu can interrupt a stable medication routine. Here is how to handle it without destabilizing weeks of psychiatric stability.
FAQSchizophrenia in men typically begins in the late teens or early twenties, with more prominent negative symptoms and higher rates of substance use than in women. Treatment principles are similar, but presentation differs.
StoryMy psychiatrist of eight years gave me two months' notice that she was leaving practice. I was furious, scared, and — eventually — better off.
HallucinationsHallucinations at the edge of sleep are common in healthy people and usually mean nothing. Knowing how they differ from the hallucinations of psychosis prevents a lot of unnecessary alarm.
Drug interactionsAcetaminophen — Tylenol or paracetamol — is one of the most common over-the-counter medications and is generally safe to combine with antipsychotics. The nuances mostly involve dose limits and liver health.