Schizophrenia is a mental illness involving severe distortions of perception, resulting in bizarre behavior. Symptoms fall into two categories that include negative and positive symptoms. To date, no alternative treatments have been approved for use on schizophrenia, though a few have shown promise in reducing side effects of antipsychotic medications or mildly improving symptoms of the illness.
Positive Symptoms
Positive symptoms are those that reflect an excess or exaggeration of normal functions.
Hallucinations are considered a positive symptom of schizophrenia. Common examples include hearing voices or perceiving smells that others do not. According to Schizophrenia.com, hallucinations may be experienced as events coming from external sources--such as a conversation between other individuals--or from an internal source, such as a "tape" playing inside the mind.
Delusions involve paranoia regarding events others would consider inconsequential, such as being bumped in the grocery store or receiving a friendly "hello" from a neighbor. Schizophrenics may interpret such events to be part of a government plot or another extreme scenario.
Disorganized speech--another common symptoms of schizophrenia--refers to the use of nonsensical sounds, words or phrases. It generally occurs when the language side of the brain is disturbed and is more severe when the patient is under stress. While not a direct symptom of schizophrenia, violent or aggressive behavior may occur as a result of hallucinations or delusions.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms are those that signify an absence of normal behavior. They include blank facial expressions, catatonia, monotone speech and an inability to act spontaneously. According to Schizophrenia.com, approximately 25 percent of schizophrenia sufferers experience severe and persistent negative symptoms, referred to as "deficit syndrome."
While positive symptoms may appear to be more damaging, negative symptoms are generally more difficult to treat. According to Harvard.edu, negative symptoms often don't respond well to antipsychotic drugs and make it impossible for schizophrenics to live independently.
Glycine
Glycine is a neurotransmitter required as a co-agonist for NMDA receptors in the brain. According to Acnp.org, supplemental glycine enhances NMDA function in some patients and is one of the few treatments to improve negative symptoms. These improvements typically last eight weeks after discontinuing glycine.
Like other alternative therapies, studies involving glycine also include use of antipsychotic medications, making it difficult to determine which improvements, if any, the compound is responsible for aiding.
DHEA
DHEA is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that serves as a precursor for the production of sex hormones. According to the Archives of General Psychiatry, DHEA supplementation led to improvement in negative symptoms such as depression when added to antipsychotic medications.
The recommended dose of DHEA as an adjunct for treating schizophrenia is 100 mg daily. However, further studies are needed before DHEA can be safely recommended for patients with this condition.
Warning
To avoid potentially life-threatening interactions, talk to your doctor before adding an alternative therapy to your treatment regimen. Never stop taking your prescribed medications abruptly, as this can lead to serious adverse side effects.
