Yes - antipsychotics are very important (probably for a long time). And yes - if a person is a zombie they probably have too high a medication level, or the wrong mediction.
Here is a survey that a forum member posted in our forums on this topic:
12 months isn’t that long for untreated psychosis. Sure a month or two would have been ideal, but I know people for which it was 10 years, with very bad outcome.
Its good your friend is getting treated now. Stand by him - its a hard illness.