Can Someone With Schizophrenia Live Alone?

Finding a place of your own can be a meaningful milestone, especially for someone living with schizophrenia. While the journey toward independent living comes with challenges, it can also represent freedom, growth, and a sense of normalcy that can lead to a fulfilling life. With the right tools, many people with schizophrenia can and do live alone successfully.

Whether it’s your first time moving out or you’re returning to independence after a period of illness, the ability to live alone depends on a variety of individual, medical, and situational factors. When deciding whether living alone is right for you, it’s important to consider your symptom stability, support systems, and access to resources.

This article explores everything you need to know about living alone with schizophrenia, including what barriers you might face, how to build the strongest possible safety net, and when other living arrangements may be a better fit.

Challenges of Living Alone With Schizophrenia

Living alone with schizophrenia is possible — but it may come with challenges. Understanding these difficulties ahead of time can help you plan and stay safe.

Symptoms

Schizophrenia can affect how a person thinks, feels, behaves, and connects with others. While symptoms vary from person to person, certain ones can make living alone especially tough, including:

• Delusions or paranoia — Distrust of yourself or others can make it harder to seek help when you need it.
• Disorganized thinking — Trouble organizing thoughts can affect paying bills, managing appointments, and doing everyday chores.
• Negative symptoms — Lack of motivation, reduced pleasure, and social withdrawal may lead to neglected hygiene, missed meals, or a neglected living space.
• Cognitive difficulties — Memory and attention issues can interfere with taking medications or following a daily routine.

“Without motivation and drive, tasks such as getting dressed, cleaning up, eating food, and taking medications can become extremely challenging,” explained Dr. Robert Channon, board-certified psychiatrist and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He retired in 2024 after more than 40 years treating people with severe mental illness in Chicago.

If these symptoms are untreated or not well managed, they can increase the risk of unsafe situations like leaving the stove on, forgetting to lock doors, or neglecting hygiene and health needs. That’s why consistent treatment, strong routines, and a good support network are essential for people living alone with schizophrenia.

Access to Support

Living alone does not mean doing everything alone. In fact, having a strong network of support is critical for people with schizophrenia who want to live independently. These supports can come from many sources, including family, friends, community resources, and professional mental health services.

Naomi Frisch, a senior occupational therapist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, notes that many barriers to independent living come from outside the person’s own abilities. These systemic barriers include:

• Shortage of affordable housing — Safe, affordable housing can be scarce, and waitlists for subsidized housing programs can be long.
• Underfunded mental health systems — Community mental health programs are often stretched thin, leaving gaps in services like case management.
• Transportation challenges — Limited or expensive public transportation can make it hard to reach appointments, supermarkets, or community activities.
• Social stigma — Misunderstanding about schizophrenia may cause landlords, employers, or even neighbors to treat people unfairly or discriminate against them, which can increase loneliness and isolation.

Still, Frisch has seen many individuals with schizophrenia thrive in their own homes with the right safety net. “They tend to have a lot of community support, so either family in their house or family nearby, and they tend to have access to material and social resources,” she explained.

Tips and Strategies for Living Alone with Schizophrenia

If you want to live alone, there are practical ways to make it safer and more manageable.

Stick to Your Treatment Plan

People who have less severe schizophrenia symptoms are more likely to live independently than those who have more severe symptoms. You can reduce the severity of your symptoms by following a treatment plan that works for you. This includes:

• Taking antipsychotic medication as prescribed
• Attending therapy or psychiatric appointments
• Checking in regularly with your mental healthcare team

Dr. Channon recommended using a pill organizer or medication reminder apps to help stay on track. If transportation is a barrier, work with your healthcare provider or a case manager to plan for rides to appointments and medication refills.

Create a Support Network

Even if you live alone, you don’t have to go through daily life alone. Build a list of trusted people to contact, including:

• Family or close friends
• A therapist or psychiatrist
• A case manager
• Neighbors

Peer support groups can also be an important resource for people with schizophrenia to receive a unique kind of support and understanding from others living with the condition.

Regular check-ins with your support system, whether in person, by phone, or virtually, can help you feel more connected and catch any early warning signs of relapse.

Use Practical Tools

If staying organized is hard for you, there are many tools that can help. For example, you might set up automated bill pay to avoid missed payments, and use calendars or to-do lists — either digital or on paper — to keep track of appointments, tasks, and reminders.

Creating routines for meals, bathing, cleaning, and enjoyable activities can bring structure to your day and help lower stress.

Connect With Community Resources

Many communities offer support services for people with serious mental illness. Some mental health programs offer case management, home visits, and transportation assistance. These services can assist with managing bills, shopping, and getting to medical appointments — helping you stay healthy and independent.

For example, the MBI Health Services Assertive Community Treatment (MBI ACT) program offers services and support for those with serious mental illness. Programs like this can reduce the risk of needing to be admitted to a hospital and can support your overall quality of life.

When Living Alone May Not Be the Best Fit

Living alone is not the right choice for everyone living with schizophrenia, especially during periods of instability. For example, living alone may not be the most comfortable or safe choice for people with frequent or severe symptoms or those recovering from a recent episode.

Additionally, if someone frequently forgets to take their medication, has trouble caring for their hygiene, or feels unsafe when alone, other living arrangements may fit their situation better.

In these cases, supported housing or group homes may offer the right balance of independence and assistance. Options include:

• Shared housing with roommates or family members
• Supported housing programs that offer help with meds, meals, and housekeeping
• Group homes where staff can assist as needed

These living arrangements can provide stability while still allowing you to practice skills. They may even be a good stepping stone for independent living later on.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MySchizophreniaTeam is the site for those with schizophrenia and their loved ones. On MySchizophreniaTeam, people come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with different mental health conditions.

What does your living situation look like while living with schizophrenia? What tips do you have for others who are seeking independence while living with schizophrenia? Share your experience in the comments below.