is long-term medication always the answer?

Recovery from first-episode psychosis (FEP) often brings a sense of relief, but it also raises a challenging question. After a period of experiencing hallucinations, delusions, paranoia or disorganised thinking, medication can help restore stability. Sleep improves. Thinking becomes clearer. Many people return to school or work, rebuild relationships, and start feeling like themselves again. Then, just as symptoms subside, doctors and patients face an important decision: should antipsychotic medication be continued, reduced or stopped?

Traditional medical advice has favoured continuing antipsychotic medication as these drugs are highly effective at reducing symptoms of acute psychosis. Research consistently shows…