# What is Schizophrenia? - Brochure



## Retired (May 19, 2009)

What is Schizophrenia?
National Institute of Mental Health

Schizophrenia is a severe, lifelong brain disorder. People who have it may hear voices, see things that aren't there or believe that others are reading or controlling their minds. In men, symptoms usually start in the late teens and early 20s. They include hallucinations, or seeing things, and delusions such as hearing voices. For women, they start in the mid-20s to early 30s. Other symptoms include:

Unusual thoughts or perceptions 
Disorders of movement 
Difficulty speaking and expressing emotion 
Problems with attention, memory and organization
Behaviors that are early warning signs of schizophrenia include:

Hearing or seeing something that isn?t there 
A constant feeling of being watched 
Peculiar or nonsensical way of speaking or writing 
Strange body positioning 
Feeling indifferent to very important situations 
Deterioration of academic or work performance 
A change in personal hygiene and appearance 
A change in personality 
Increasing withdrawal from social situations 
Irrational, angry or fearful response to loved ones 
Inability to sleep or concentrate 
Inappropriate or bizarre behavior 
Extreme preoccupation with religion or the occult 
No one is sure what causes schizophrenia, but your genetic makeup and brain chemistry probably play a role. Medicines can relieve many of the symptoms, but it can take several tries before you find the right drug. You can reduce relapses by staying on your medicine for as long as your doctor recommends. With treatment, many people improve enough to lead satisfying lives.

National Institute of Mental Health has prepared a comprehensive brochure on schizophrenia.  You can view or download a PDF copy (25 page(s), 233 KBs) from the attachment to this post.

Information from NIMH is available in multiple formats. You can browse online, download documents in PDF, and order paper brochures through the mail.

Click HERE for more ways to get NIMH information or other forms of this brochure


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## Sara-Bella (Nov 8, 2009)

Can someone with schizophrenia have hallucinations they know are not perceived by others, or actually there?


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## Daniel (Nov 8, 2009)

Yes, I think that refers to the degree of insight one has during and after the hallucination:

Cognitive behavioural therapy with ... - Google Books


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## SilentNinja (Nov 8, 2009)

The early warning signs really scare me.. i can relate to 9 or so of them, but i guess some could come under Schizotypal as well?


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## Sara-Bella (Nov 8, 2009)

What about falling asleep or waking up in strange positions?


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## Andy (Nov 8, 2009)

SilentNinja said:


> The early warning signs really scare me.. i can relate to 9 or so of them, but i guess some could come under Schizotypal as well?



You may relate to a lot of the warning signs which can relate to schizotypal but I think there are certain degrees. Schizophrenics experiencing things severely.


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## Daniel (Nov 8, 2009)

Of course, none of these symptoms, including psychotic symptoms, are unique to schizophrenia. Psychosis can be caused by depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, drug use, etc.

For example, the prevalance of schizophrenia is one percent while the number of people who have experienced hallucinations is much, much higher:



> One study from as early as 1894[2] reported that approximately 10% of the population experienced hallucinations. A 1996-1999 survey of over 13,000 people[3] reported a much higher figure, with almost 39% of people reporting hallucinatory experiences, 27% of which were daytime hallucinations, mostly outside the context of illness or drug use. From this survey, olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) hallucinations seem the most common in the general population.
> 
> Hallucination - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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