Since the cause of paranoid schizophrenia is still unknown, the focus of treatment is to control symptoms. There is no cure but, with proper treatment, the condition can be managed.

Patients are usually treated as outpatients. However, they can be treated in a hospital if they experience acute symptoms, such as severe delusions or hallucinations, serious suicidal thoughts or an inability to care for themselves.

The most common treatment for schizophrenia is antipsychotic medication. Patients respond differently to medications, so sometimes several different drugs must be tried before finding the appropriate one. Although medication is effective in controlling symptoms, relapses can occur if patients stop taking them. Patients with schizophrenia sometimes stop taking medications because they feel better, forget to take them or take them sporadically because they think regular use is not important.

In addition to medication, patients with schizophrenia are sometimes treated with psychosocial rehabilitation (therapy that involves both social and psychological behavior). Research has shown that patients treated with rehabilitation and medication are better able to manage their illness.

Some psychosocial treatment techniques include rehabilitation, which emphasizes social and vocational training to help patients live and work in the community, and illness management skills, which teach patients how to recognize signs of relapse and plan accordingly.

In addition, cognitive behavior therapy may be used for patients who still experience symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia after taking medication.