what is schizophrenia ?

 WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA?

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning, and can be disabling. People with schizophrenia require lifelong treatment.

WHO DOES IT EFFECT?

1. Schizophrenia typically starts at different ages, depending on sex. It usually starts between ages 15 and 25 for men and between 25 and 35 for women. It also tends to affect men and women in equal numbers.
2. Schizophrenia in children, especially before age 18, is possible but rare. However, these cases are usually very severe. Earlier onset tends to lead to a more severe, harder-to-treat condition.
3. About 20% of new schizophrenia cases occur in people over age 45. These cases tend to happen more in women. Delusion symptoms are stronger in these cases, with less-severe negative symptoms and effects on the ability to think and focus.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA?

Schizophrenia usually happens in stages, with different symptoms and behaviors depending on the stage.

• Onset (prodrome). This is an early phase that happens before a person develops more severe symptoms. It can include social withdrawal, anxiety, lack of motivation and neglect of personal hygiene.

• Active. This is when psychotic symptoms take full effect. Another term for this is “psychotic break,” where a person shows a disconnection from reality. That includes showing at least two of the five main symptoms listed immediately below.

• Residual. People in this stage still have some schizophrenia signs and symptoms, but they’re not as severe. Odd beliefs, lack of motivation, decreased feelings of enjoyment or pleasure, limited speaking and reduced emotional expression tend to be the most noticeable effects. Many people often improve to the point where they seem mostly or fully recovered. However, this is usually temporary, and symptoms of schizophrenia will return as a person goes back into the active stage of the condition.

WHAT ARE THE EARLY SIGNS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA?

The early symptoms of schizophrenia, which happen in the onset (prodrome) stage, usually aren’t severe enough for a schizophrenia diagnosis but are still a cause for concern. This stage sometimes happens quickly, only taking weeks before moving to the next stage.

The most common symptoms or changes in this stage include:

• Changes in emotional state. People in this phase often are afraid, suspicious or feel paranoid.

• Changes in how they relate to others. They also often stop socializing and stop talking to or spending time with friends and family.

• Changes in behavior. They may struggle with thinking and focusing, aren’t motivated to study or work and their emotions are less visible.

WHAT ARE THE ACTIVE STAGE OF SYMPTOMS?

The active stage is when the five main symptoms of schizophrenia are most likely to happen. Those symptoms can include a combination of the following:

• Delusions. These are false beliefs that a person won’t change even when there’s plenty of evidence that those beliefs are wrong. An example of a very severe delusion would be that someone is controlling what you think, say or do.

• Hallucinations. These are things that don’t exist, but you still think you can see, hear, smell, touch or taste them. Hallucinations in schizophrenia (and the related spectrum of conditions) are usually things you can hear, especially hearing voices.

• Disorganized or incoherent speaking. People with schizophrenia often have trouble organizing their thoughts while speaking. They may have trouble staying on topic, or it can be so severe that you can’t understand them because their sentences are jumbled or incoherent.

• Disorganized or unusual movements. This symptom can take various forms, from childish and silly movements to abrupt, upset movements. It can also include catatonic behavior, where a person doesn’t react as expected to the world around them. They might hold a certain pose (even an uncomfortable one), not respond to people speaking to them or might start moving around excessively for no obvious reason.

• Negative symptoms. These refer to decreases in certain behaviors, not symptoms that are bad. Negative symptoms usually involve a decrease in emotion in a person’s facial expressions, how they speak (such as with a flat and emotionless voice), and fewer or no gestures with their hands or other parts of their body. They also involve a lack of motivation, especially when they don't want to socialize or do things they ordinarily enjoy.

The exact cause of schizophrenia isn’t known. But like cancer and diabetes, schizophrenia is a real illness with a biological basis. Researchers have uncovered a number of things that appear to make someone more likely to get schizophrenia, including:

• Genetics (heredity): Schizophrenia can run in families, which means a greater likelihood to have schizophrenia may be passed on from parents to their children.

• Brain chemistry and circuits: People with schizophrenia may not be able to regulate brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that control certain pathways, or "circuits," of nerve cells that affect thinking and behavior.

• Brain abnormality: Research has found abnormal brain structure in people with schizophrenia. But this doesn’t apply to all people with schizophrenia. It can affect people without the disease.

• Environment: Things like viral infections, exposure to toxins like marijuana, or highly stressful situations may trigger schizophrenia in people whose genes make them more likely to get the disorder. Schizophrenia more often surfaces when the body is having hormonal and physical changes, like those that happen during the teen and young adult years.

A chemical imbalance in the brain

Schizophrenia appears to develop when there is an imbalance of the neurotransmitter dopamine and possibly serotonin in the brain.