What
is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia
is a chronic, severe, devastating, and disabling brain disease.
It’s the most chronic and disabling of the severe mental
illnesses. Approximately one percent of the population develops
schizophrenia during their lifetime. More than two million Americans
suffer from the illness every year. Schizophrenia affects men
and women with equal frequency, but the disorder often appears
earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties.
Women tend to be affected in their twenties to early thirties.
The first signs of schizophrenia often appear as confusing,
or even shocking changes in behavior. Coping with the symptoms
of schizophrenia can be especially difficult for family members
or friends who remember how involved or outgoing a person was
before they became ill.
 The
sudden onset of severe psychotic symptoms is referred to as
an acute phase of schizophrenia. Psychosis -- a common condition
in schizophrenia -- is a state of mental impairment marked by
hallucinations, which are disturbances of sensory perception,
and or delusions, which are false yet strongly held personal
beliefs that result from an inability to separate real from
unreal experiences. Less obvious symptoms, such as social isolation,
or unusual speech, thinking, or behavior, may precede, be seen
along with, or follow the psychotic symptoms.
People with
schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing
internal voices, or believing that other people are reading
their minds. They may think others are controlling their thoughts,
or plotting to harm them, they may seem very paranoid to you
-- and they most likely are. These symptoms may leave them fearful
and withdrawn.
Their speech
and behavior can be so disorganized that they may be very frightening
to others. Available treatments can relieve many symptoms, but
most people with schizophrenia continue to suffer some symptoms
throughout their lives. It's been estimated that no more than
one in five individuals recovers completely.
There is
hope for people with schizophrenia and their families. Research
is gradually leading to new and safer medications and unraveling
the complex causes of the disease. See part
four for more on possible causes and research.
Continue
>>
 To Schizophrenia Resource Center
Schizophrenia Basics
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