Paranoid Schizophrenia - Alternative Drugs and Advice?

[King Otoss]

I have a very good friend who has been diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia for a couple of years now and has been prescribed with various anti-phycotic pills (as he puts it...) he's never said adsactly what they are though....

Anyways things have gone really bad for him after a recent phycotic episode which has left him homeless after arguing with family and they have booked him into some sort of mental institution, informerly so he doesnt have to be there but its shelter at the end of the day....

This guy is a really good person, i've known him for years but about 5 years ago he moved around 5 hours drive away on the other side of the UK with his family and this is when his real problems started....
I had no idea things had got this bad but now I do, I want to try to understand his situation and try and help him get through life the best he can...

He suffers from extreme paranoia and as he puts it he hears voices telling him to do bad things (but not always bad)

I think all this could have been elevated by situations he has had to deal with in life and ABUSING various recreational drugs....

Anyways he has to take "anti-phycotic pills" on a daily basis just to feel some what normal...

The thing I'm worried about is, are these pills doing him anygood in the long term Phycologically and Physically?? Will he ever be able to live a normal life without drugs?

Do these types of drugs have a negative effect on your physical health like pain killers do?

If so are there any natural drugs that he could take INSTEAD to help his phycological problems?

Is there any advice you could give me to help understand his problem and advice on how I could help him (bearing in mind that we live 5 hours apart)

Also does anyone have any advice for him on what to do next? He is moving into a bedsit/hostel soon but he's never had to depend on him self to live and I think living alone could be a big problem for him....he doesnt have many good friends where he lives that look out for him....
He knows I'm always there for him but with the distance between us its hard to give him the help he needs....at the moment were on the phone to each other daily and I think just having someone he trusts to talk to helps greatly....

Any advice would be much apreciated....

Cheers
King Otoss