Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic and disabling disease of the brain. It is estimated that close to 1 percent of the US population will develop some form of schizophrenia during their lifetime. It is possible for both men and women to develop the disease, but it is seen more often in men in their twenties to early thirties.

The symptoms of this illness can often be terrifying to the individual as they often suffer from such things as hearing voices in their head which nobody else can hear, believing that others are reading their minds and knowing their inner thoughts, controlling their thoughts and plotting against them. This often causes them to be misunderstood, fearful, withdrawn from society, and even frightening to other people.

Schizophrenia is a long lasting illness and if found all over the world. Due to its severity it can cause a high amount of disability. There are some treatments for the disease and if these treatments are followed regularly can help in controlling the disease. However, not all patients respond to the treatments and even those that do often see other side effects. Each individual can respond differently to each treatment.

Substance abuse is often confused with schizophrenia. Often schizophrenics appear that they are “high” on drugs, when in fact they are not. However, most researchers believe that many schizophrenics often abuse alcohol or drugs. The effects of drugs can be very negative and often reduces the effectiveness of medical treatments. Suicide is also a major problem with schizophrenics as they have a higher rate of suicide than the general population.

Medical professionals still do not yet fully understand all of the causes of schizophrenia, but the outlook for this illness has improved over the past 20-25 years. There is still no cure or fully effective treatment, but individuals with the disease can still live full and independent lives.