Schizophrenia

A beautiful image of a woman standing in front of a golden brain surrounded by hundreds of colored cables

  • Schizophrenia is a complex set of symptoms that affects how patients interact with the world and people around them. Patients may experience hearing voices when there is no-one in the room, or feeling paranoid that certain everyday objects carry a special meaning. This often leads to patients feeling very afraid and behaving strangely in efforts to protect themselves. It can impact their ability to work or to go to school, even to maintain friendships and relationships.

  • Working with a doctor who has experience and expertise in treating anxiety is the best start.

    There are many medical causes for these symptoms and it is important to see a doctor who can complete a medical evaluation to rule out another medical condition, which can be treated. When other causes have been excluded, an experienced psychiatrist can help work with you to make a personalized, focused treatment plan to address these debilitating symptoms and help you to move forward with life.

    Treatment commonly involves a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

    We know from extensive research that the best treatment plan is one that is tailored to each patient’s unique symptoms and circumstances. As well as an in depth psychiatric evaluation, Dr. Kennedy will use a number of scientifically validated tools to measure the severity of your symptoms and to track your progress through the course of treatment.

  • The National Institute of Mental Health has provided a patient information guide to Schizophrenia.

    Click here to download this guide, free of charge, direct from their website.

    (Dr. Nigel I. Kennedy MD PhD is not responsible for the content of external websites)

As a specialist psychiatrist, Dr. Kennedy has extensive clinical experience in treating schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. Treatment commonly involves medication management to treat the symptoms of anxiety and psychotherapy to identify and treat any underlying psychological issues that may be contributing to symptoms. The first session is an extensive evaluation to confirm the diagnosis and to explore options for treatment. Click here to arrange a brief courtesy call or to schedule an appointment.