Plain-language, educational articles on schizophrenia, psychosis, antipsychotic medications, and lived experience — by ColdAI.
When a person feels that their own arm is being moved by another agent, or that an emotion has been placed in them by an outside force, clinicians call it a delusion of control. It is one of the most distinctive experiences of psychosis.
Caregiver scenariosCaring for a parent with schizophrenia is different from caring for a parent with dementia or cancer. The illness may have shaped your entire childhood. The role reversal is layered.
ResearchPolygenic risk scores compress hundreds of small-effect schizophrenia variants into a single number. Useful in research, not yet ready for the clinic.
Medical comorbidityPeople with schizophrenia die 13 to 15 years earlier than the general population, on average — and the leading cause is cardiovascular disease, much of it preventable.
MedicationLumateperone is one of the newer antipsychotics on the market — approved in 2019. Its receptor profile is unusual, its side effect burden is generally lighter than many older agents, and the trade-offs are worth understanding.
TherapyMetacognitive Training is a manualised group programme that targets the thinking biases — jumping to conclusions, attributional bias, overconfidence — that drive much of psychotic thought.
MedicationLumateperone is the newest atypical antipsychotic on the market — metabolically light, gentle on prolactin, with a side-effect profile that looks favourable but has less long-term data than older agents.
TechnologyPhone reminders are not magic — but for the right person, the right app can meaningfully reduce missed doses. Here's what the evidence supports.
DifferentialThe 'split mind' translation of schizophrenia has fuelled a century of confusion with dissociative identity disorder. Here is what actually separates the two conditions.
Side effectsAkathisia is one of the most distressing antipsychotic side effects — and one of the most under-recognised. Knowing what it feels like is the first step in getting it treated.
Drug interactionsGrapefruit juice is the textbook example of a food-drug interaction. Several antipsychotics are affected — some seriously enough that the FDA label tells patients to avoid grapefruit entirely.
MedicationThioridazine was once one of the most prescribed antipsychotics in the world. Cardiac and ophthalmic safety concerns pushed it off the front lines starting in 2000, and it is now rarely used.
Side effectsDry mouth from antipsychotics is annoying but also a real risk for tooth decay. Here is what causes it and a practical menu of things that help.
StoryA composite story of finishing a college degree after a schizophrenia diagnosis — what worked, what did not, and what graduation actually felt like.
CaregiverChildren always notice when something is wrong. Honest, age-appropriate conversation about a relative's schizophrenia protects them more than silence ever can.
LifestyleSocial isolation is one of the strongest negative predictors of long-term schizophrenia outcomes. The interventions that help are simpler — and more important — than they sound.
Side EffectSeveral antipsychotics raise the hormone prolactin, which can disrupt periods, cause unwanted milk production, and affect sex drive. Most cases are manageable once recognised.
MedicationAkathisia — the inner restlessness caused by some antipsychotics — is one of the most distressing side effects in psychiatry. Propranolol is one of the few medications with reasonable evidence to treat it.
HallucinationsPerceptual distortions alter how real things look, sound, or feel. They are not hallucinations, and the difference matters for diagnosis and treatment.
SeasonsThanksgiving compresses family, food, alcohol, late nights, and political talk into one day. Here is how to plan ahead so the holiday does not destabilise your recovery.
MedicationAsenapine is unusual in two ways: it is dissolved under the tongue rather than swallowed, and it is also available as a transdermal patch. The route is the whole story.
Physical healthDental decay and tooth loss are quietly one of the most common physical-health problems in schizophrenia. The reasons are well understood — and so are the fixes.
StoryFor two years a kind, busy general psychiatrist told me I had anxiety and depression. The voices and the strange beliefs got louder. The day a different clinician asked one different question, everything moved.
MedicationHaloperidol is the textbook first-generation antipsychotic — effective, cheap, and unambiguously associated with movement-related side effects. Here's how to think about it in 2026.
Crisis & safetyAbout 5% of people with schizophrenia die by suicide, and many more attempt. The risk is not random; it follows patterns that can be assessed and reduced.
StorySix weeks of leave. A new medication. A new dose. And a conference room full of people on a Monday morning who knew I had been gone but did not know exactly why.
Medication managementAntipsychotics are sometimes prescribed to children and teenagers — for early-onset schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism-related irritability, and Tourette's. The decision deserves careful weighing.
Levels of carePHP gives you the structure of a psychiatric hospital during the day and the relief of going home at night. For many people with schizophrenia, it is the bridge between inpatient and the outside world.
WorkplaceDisclosing schizophrenia during a job interview is almost never required. Here is how to think through whether to share, when, and what protections you have under the ADA.
MindfulnessMindfulness is not a cure for schizophrenia, but a growing body of research suggests carefully adapted practice can help with stress, voices, and quality of life — for many, but not everyone.