People with paranoid schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality. This can cause relationship problems, disrupt normal daily activities like bathing, eating, or running errands, and lead to alcohol and drug abuse in an attempt to self-medicate. Many people with schizophrenia withdraw from the outside world, act out in confusion and fear, and are at an increased risk of attempting suicide, especially during psychotic episodes, periods of depression, and in the first six months after starting treatment.
If you or someone you care about is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the U. While schizophrenia is a chronic disorder, many fears about the disorder are not based in reality. Most people with schizophrenia get better over time, not worse. Treatment options are improving all the time and there are plenty of things you can do to manage the disorder. Schizophrenia is often episodic, so periods of remission are ideal times to employ self-help strategies to limit the length and frequency of any future episodes.
Along with the right support, medication, and therapy, many people with schizophrenia are able to manage their symptoms, function independently, and enjoy full, rewarding lives. Fact: Multiple personality disorder is a different and much less common disorder than schizophrenia.
People with schizophrenia do not have split personalities. Fact: Schizophrenia is not rare; the lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia is widely accepted to be around 1 in Fact: Although the delusional thoughts and hallucinations of schizophrenia sometimes lead to violent behavior, most people with schizophrenia are neither violent nor a danger to others.
Fact: While long-term treatment may be required, the outlook for schizophrenia is far from hopeless. When treated properly, many people with schizophrenia are able to enjoy fulfilling, productive lives. In some people, schizophrenia appears suddenly and without warning.
But for most, it comes on slowly, with subtle warning signs and a gradual decline in functioning, long before the first severe episode. Often, friends or family members will know early on that something is wrong, without knowing exactly what.
In this early phase of schizophrenia, you may seem eccentric, unmotivated, emotionless, and reclusive to others. You may start to isolate yourself, begin neglecting your appearance, say peculiar things, and show a general indifference to life. You may abandon hobbies and activities, and your performance at work or school can deteriorate.
While these warning signs can result from a number of problems—not just schizophrenia—they are cause for concern. When out-of-the-ordinary behavior is causing problems in your life or the life of a loved one, seek medical advice. If schizophrenia or another mental problem is the cause, getting treatment early will help. However, the symptoms of schizophrenia vary dramatically from person to person, both in pattern and severity.
Not every person with schizophrenia will have all the symptoms, and the symptoms of schizophrenia may also change over time. Often, these delusions involve illogical or bizarre ideas or fantasies, such as:. These harassing delusions often involve bizarre ideas and plots e.
Delusions of reference — A neutral environmental event is believed to have a special and personal meaning.
For example, you might believe a billboard or a person on TV is sending a message meant specifically for you. Delusions of grandeur — Belief that you are a famous or important figure, such as Jesus Christ or Napoleon. Alternately, delusions of grandeur may involve the belief that you have unusual powers, such as the ability to fly. Delusions of control — Belief that your thoughts or actions are being controlled by outside, alien forces.
Hallucinations are sounds or other sensations experienced as real when they exist only in your mind. While hallucinations can involve any of the five senses, auditory hallucinations e.
These often occur when you misinterpret your own inner self-talk as coming from an outside source. A member of the CMHT team, usually a psychiatrist or a specialist nurse, will carry out a more detailed assessment of your symptoms. They'll also want to know your personal history and current circumstances. Sometimes it might not be clear whether someone has schizophrenia. If you have other symptoms at the same time, a psychiatrist may have reason to believe you have a related mental illness, such as:.
You may also be assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder , depression , anxiety and substance misuse.
As a result of their delusional thought patterns, people with schizophrenia may be reluctant to visit their GP if they believe there's nothing wrong with them.
It's likely someone who has had acute schizophrenic episodes in the past will have been assigned a care co-ordinator. If this is the case, contact the person's care co-ordinator to express your concerns. Those developing the disorder at a young age are more likely to go on to experience certain symptoms compared to those who develop it later. It is also thought that children may be less likely to experience paranoid delusions, which is the belief that others are out to harm you, than people who develop schizophrenia at an older age.
Schizophrenia typically develops during early adulthood. Its onset is characterized by changes in behavior and a deterioration in functioning in daily life. The most common earliest signs are:. Not everyone will experience these early warning signs at the same time in their lives. According to some studies, these prodromal symptoms can be present for years. While the exact cause of the disorder is unknown, schizophrenia has a strong genetic component and is highly heritable.
Having a family member with schizophrenia increases your risk of developing the disease. These risk factors will be taken into account regarding a diagnosis if you are thought to be experiencing these early warning signs of schizophrenia.
The majority of early warning signs for this age group are the same as for people who develop schizophrenia at early adulthood. However, there are some differences.
A study has reported that men who develop schizophrenia over the age of 35 tend to have fewer negative symptoms during the early warning stage. Specifically, the study found that they were less likely to experience social isolation and difficulties with concentration. Some scientists think that those who develop schizophrenia later in life will experience less disorganized thinking and negative symptoms. Symptoms usually start to develop in early adulthood, between late adolescence and the early 30s.
The disorder typically becomes evident slightly earlier in men than in women. Symptoms often emerge between late adolescence and the early 20s in men and between the early 20s and the early 30s in women.
If the disease is diagnosed prior to the age of 18, it is referred to as early onset schizophrenia EOS. EOS is rare, with an estimated prevalence of 0. Rarer still, the disease can develop in very young children. This is called childhood-onset schizophrenia COS , when the disease is diagnosed before the age of It is thought to be extremely uncommon that COS develops before the age of Some scientists have identified this as a subtype of schizophrenia called late-onset schizophrenia LOS.
Women are more likely to be in this group than men. Symptoms typically develop in menopause , between ages 44 and 49 years old. However, even for women, it is still more common for schizophrenia to develop in early adulthood than at this age. In the early stages of schizophrenia, the disorder can be confused with others, including depression. This is because the majority of the most common early warning signs for schizophrenia are also the most common initial symptoms for moderate to severe depression.
It is not until positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thoughts and speech are experienced that schizophrenia can be more easily distinguished from mood disorders such as depression. People with schizophrenia may experience suicidal thoughts.
The risk of suicide for those with schizophrenia is higher for men and for those that develop the disease at a young age. Depression has been identified as a major risk factor for suicide among those with schizophrenia. Having other disorders that are highly prevalent among those with schizophrenia, such as substance use disorder, also increase the risk of suicide.
Substance abuse, in general, is linked to poor outcomes in terms of recovery. With any condition, it's essential to get a comprehensive medical evaluation in order to obtain the best diagnosis. For a diagnosis of schizophrenia, some of the following symptoms are present in the context of reduced functioning for a least 6 months:.
The hallucination is very real to the person experiencing it, and it may be very confusing for a loved one to witness. The voices in the hallucination can be critical or threatening.
Voices may involve people that are known or unknown to the person hearing them. People who have delusions often also have problems concentrating, confused thinking, or the sense that their thoughts are blocked. Negative symptoms often include being emotionally flat or speaking in a dull, disconnected way.
People with the negative symptoms may be unable to start or follow through with activities, show little interest in life, or sustain relationships.
Negative symptoms are sometimes confused with clinical depression. People with the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia often struggle to remember things, organize their thoughts or complete tasks.
Diagnosing schizophrenia is not easy. Sometimes using drugs, such as methamphetamines or LSD, can cause a person to have schizophrenia-like symptoms. The difficulty of diagnosing this illness is compounded by the fact that many people who are diagnosed do not believe they have it.
Lack of awareness is a common symptom of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and greatly complicates treatment. While there is no single physical or lab test that can diagnosis schizophrenia, a health care provider who evaluates the symptoms and the course of a person's illness over six months can help ensure a correct diagnosis. The health care provider must rule out other factors such as brain tumors, possible medical conditions and other psychiatric diagnoses, such as bipolar disorder.
To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, a person must have two or more of the following symptoms occurring persistently in the context of reduced functioning:. Delusions or hallucinations alone can often be enough to lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
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