Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects thinking, emotions, relationships, and decision making. And because there’s no cure, getting your loved one the proper treatment early is the best way to improve his or her chances of managing the illness. Your loved one’s treatment will center on managing symptoms. To do that, he or she will probably need to take medication for an open-ended period of time, possibly even for life. Psychotherapy, a kind of talk therapy, will likely also be a big part of the plan.