Schizophrenia and Anxiety: 8 Tips To Help

Anxiety is a common mental health symptom of schizophrenia. About half of people with schizophrenia experience anxiety as one of their symptoms.

Researchers have found that about 40 percent of people with schizophrenia are also diagnosed with a separate anxiety disorder.

The good news is there are steps you can take to manage your anxiety and improve your quality of life and overall well-being while living with schizophrenia.

How Anxiety and Schizophrenia Are Linked

Researchers believe schizophrenia and anxiety are often linked because the brains of people with schizophrenia handle fear and anxiety differently. In schizophrenia, a part of the brain called the amygdala, which processes emotions, may overreact to things that aren’t actually dangerous. This can make everyday situations feel stressful or overwhelming.

At the same time, the amygdala may not communicate well with the part of the brain that helps control emotions (the prefrontal cortex). This can make it harder to calm down or manage anxious feelings.

Research also shows that people with schizophrenia and anxiety may have different patterns of blood flow and brain activity, keeping the brain in a more alert or “on edge” state. These differences help explain why anxiety is so common in people with schizophrenia.

The Difference Between Anxiety and Paranoia

Anxiety can be hard to distinguish from paranoia (intense feelings of persecution, mistrust, or suspicion), another common symptom of schizophrenia. Both involve:

• Worry
• Fear of threat or harm
• Behavior to avoid perceived threats

While these are distinct thought processes, anxiety can morph into paranoia.

The difference? Someone with social anxiety may fear interacting with a group because they feel like people will laugh at them. Someone with paranoia may fear the same group, but they might also think that group will harm them in some way.

Anxiety can make it hard to function around other people. Uncontrolled anxiety in schizophrenia has been linked to higher rates of:

• Substance and alcohol misuse
• Hospital stays
• Self-harm
• Lower quality of life and self-esteem

That’s why it’s so important to find the right tools to manage your anxiety.

What Anxiety Looks Like in Schizophrenia

Anxiety may look different at various ages and stages of schizophrenia. Children with anxiety may appear very shy, fearful, and uncomfortable with new situations. During the teen years, anxiety may lead to extreme shyness or avoidance of school and social events.

Children and teens with high levels of anxiety seem to be at higher risk of developing more serious mental health conditions like psychosis (loss of touch with reality), so it’s important to discuss symptoms of anxiety with your child’s healthcare provider if you’re concerned.

In adulthood, social anxiety is by far the most common type of anxiety disorder in people with schizophrenia, according to a 2025 review. This is followed by general anxiety, phobias (extreme fear of specific things), and panic.

8 Tips To Help Manage Anxiety With Schizophrenia

Most people, whether they have a mental health condition like schizophrenia or not, find that it takes some time to find the right combination of self-help tools that help them manage their anxiety.

While it’s not always easy to change your habits, it can be worth it to try self-care strategies to help manage your symptoms. Here are eight tips for managing anxiety with schizophrenia.

1. Manage Stress With Mindfulness Activities

Stress is a known trigger for the type of severe anxiety that leads to psychosis. Activities that help you reduce stress levels can be beneficial. Mindfulness is one strategy to help you break unproductive “worry loops” and feel more focused and in control.

Focused Breathing

Focused breathing is a quick and simple way to help lower stress. Here’s how you do it:

1. Stop what you’re doing and sit or stand still.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Take a long, deep breath in through your nose.
4. Breathe out slowly through your mouth.

Slow Your Roll

Slowing down and grounding yourself in the moment can ease some of the stress.

Here’s one method to help ground yourself:

1. Turn off your phone and other electronic devices.
2. Pay attention to your environment.
3. Use your senses to notice any sights, smells, sounds, or tastes around you.
4. Try counting three of each: sights, sounds, smells, and textures around you.

Scan Your Body

Scanning your body can help boost your energy, improve your mood, and make you feel more in control. Here’s how to do it:

1. Find a quiet place.
2. Notice how your body feels.
3. Mentally scan your body from your head to your feet, focusing on each part as you go.

2. Build Exercise Into Your Routine

Getting your body moving is especially helpful for managing stress and anxiety. The best exercise is the one you will make a regular and consistent part of your routine. For some people, that may be gardening, walking, biking, or playing with their children.

The important thing is to start slowly and build toward your goals.

You can even combine mindfulness with physical activity. Mindful walking is a simple technique to help manage anxiety — all you have to do is walk slowly and notice how every step feels. Pay attention to your senses and what you feel, see, and hear as you walk.

Some studies show that yoga helps people with schizophrenia feel less negative emotions and less distress.

A member of MySchizophreniaTeam said, “Over the past few weeks I have been slowly adding physical exercise into my daily regimen. I started by walking a little every day. Now I typically walk at least three miles every morning. Half of that is spent getting centered and planning out my day at a casual stroll. The other half I alternate between power walking and fast walking every couple of minutes.”

3. Practice Yoga

Yoga is a type of exercise from ancient India that combines movement with breathing exercises. Many people — not just those with schizophrenia — practice yoga to reduce anxiety.

A 2021 study found that a small group of young people ages 15 to 24 with schizophrenia or psychosis reported feeling calmer, more relaxed, more content, less tense, and less worried after six weeks of 50-minute yoga sessions.

4. Talk With Your Doctor About Medicines for Anxiety

In addition to needing medicines to control hallucinations and other symptoms, people with schizophrenia may also need to take a separate type of drug to combat anxiety.

Your doctor may prescribe a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). In fact, 31 percent to 38 percent of people taking an antipsychotic drug also take an antidepressant to control their anxiety.

If you feel like your medicines aren’t working or are causing unwanted side effects, don’t stop taking them. Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about your treatment plan, and they can help make adjustments to meet your goals.

5. Make Time for Your Hobbies

Immerse yourself in activities such as art, music, sports, games, or spending time in nature. Aside from being enjoyable, these activities can help you change your focus from worry to relaxation, purpose, and control.

6. Adjust Your Diet

Anyone who eats to self-soothe knows that some foods can make you feel calmer, but did you know that what you eat can make you more anxious too? Changing your eating habits won’t cure anxiety, but certain changes can help reduce those feelings:

• Stay hydrated — Even mild dehydration can make you feel more anxious.
• Reduce or avoid caffeine — Drinks such as coffee, tea, sodas, and power drinks contain caffeine that may make you feel jittery or nervous.
• Try to eat well-balanced meals — Get enough protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. This will help you feel fuller, longer, more energetic, and calmer.

7. Give Talk Therapy a Chance

A type of talk therapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) was originally developed to help people with anxiety and is now the gold standard for managing symptoms of schizophrenia. CBTp focuses on finding the stress management techniques that work for you.

This type of therapy teaches “helpful thinking,” which is a way to recognize how your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions are connected, and to learn more helpful ways to respond to those thoughts.

People with schizophrenia who use CBTp often:

• Have fewer symptoms and hospital stays
• Are more likely to take their medicines consistently
• Experience better overall functioning

8. Build a Support Group You Trust and Lean on Them

Self-help groups, or support groups, offer several benefits for people living with schizophrenia and their loved ones. The symptoms of schizophrenia can leave a person feeling isolated and lonely.

Self-help groups provide interaction with others who face the same stigma and discrimination. Your medical team may be able to suggest a local or online group.

These groups also give members a chance to be helpers and not always the people being helped, which can be empowering and help build self-esteem.

Laughing with loved ones can be healing. A member of MySchizophreniaTeam said, “Humor really helps improve the mood for the day. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes we have a delightful conversation!”

Join the Conversation

On MySchizophreniaTeam, people share their experiences with schizophrenia and anxiety, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

What self-help tips help you manage your anxiety? Let others know in the comments below.