Although psychotherapy may be helpful for schizophrenia, medication is often essential to
schizophrenia treatment. Abilify can help improve the
symptoms of schizophrenia. It also helps to prevent schizophrenia relapses (worsening of schizophrenia). However, the drug is not a cure for schizophrenia.
Abilify is also approved to treat acute episodes of mania or mixed episodes (which involve symptoms of both mania and depression). The medicine is also approved for continued use once the acute episode has improved.
For most people,
antidepressants can work wonders for
depression treatment. However, some people do not respond adequately to antidepressants, even if different antidepressants are tried. In such situations, medications may be given to boost the effects of the antidepressant. This is known as augmentation. Abilify is approved for augmentation treatment (along with antidepressants) for the treatment of major depression.
Abilify has also been approved to treat irritability associated with autism in children age 6 through 17. In some children with severe behavioral problems due to autism,
antipsychotic medications like Abilify may be necessary. Abilify certainly will not cure autism, but it can help calm irritable behaviors such as aggression toward other people, deliberate self-harm, temper tantrums, and abruptly changing moods.
(Click Abilify Uses for more information on what Abilify is used to treat, to learn more about these various mental illnesses, and for a list of possible off-label uses for this medicine.)
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