Schizophrenia affects approximately 1 percent of the population older than the age of 18, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This disorder impacts a person's ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy due to hallucination and delusions, think clearly and handle feelings. Many people with schizophrenia improve their quality of life with treatment.
Signs and Symptoms
The first signs and symptoms of this disorder usually appear in a person's teen years or early 20s, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations such as hearing voices, delusions such as paranoia, problems with thinking that make it difficult to speak and organize thoughts, and disorganized behavior. Also, someone with schizophrenia may isolate himself, lack motivation, seem unemotional and neglect personal hygiene.
Misconceptions
Some people have the misconception that schizophrenics are homeless people or need to be hospitalized. Some believe that most are dangerous. The American Psychiatric Association reports that many sufferers of this disorder live with their family, in group homes or on their own. Also, most people diagnosed with schizophrenia aren't dangerous. They're more likely to hurt themselves than others.
The term schizophrenia means "split mind," according to the Mayo Clinic, which leads to a common misconception that people with this disorder have multiple or split personalities. The term actually refers to a disruption in the person's mind or brain that causes issues with thinking and emotion.
Treatment
Treatment for schizophrenia consists of medication and psychosocial treatments. The National Alliance on Mental Health reports that antipsychotics are the most common form of medication prescribed to treat this disorder. Each person reacts differently to these medications, so many times it takes a couple attempts to find the right medication or combination of medication that is the most effective with the least amount of side effects.
Psychosocial treatments include social skills training, family therapy, vocational rehabilitation and individual therapy. There is a high risk of substance abuse among people who suffer from this disorder because they try to self-medicate. Therefore, substance abuse treatment might also be recommended.
Causes
Scientists and researchers aren't able to pinpoint one particular cause of this disorder. Genetics and environmental factors seem to contribute to the disease. Neuroimaging has shown that people with schizophrenia have different levels of the neurotransmitters, dopamine and glutamate, in their brains than people without the disorder. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that certain genes may increase a person's chances of developing schizophrenia.
Considerations
There is no cure for this disorder. Schizophrenia is a life-long illness, so anyone who suffers from it needs life-long treatment. The Mayo Clinic reports that symptoms often worsen over time and the person's ability to function normally deteriorates.
