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Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder affecting how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.  Schizophrenia usually starts between ages 16 and 30. It affects more males than females, and males often show signs earlier.  

Causes can include genes, brain chemicals, and stress. If someone has a family member with schizophrenia or thinks they might be at risk, they should be very careful about things that could trigger it, like using cannabis or other substances.  A person with schizophrenia sometimes hears or sees things that other people don’t see or hear.   This is very distressing and confusing for the person.  Someone with schizophrenia also struggles with organising their thoughts, expressing emotions appropriately, and finding motivation for daily tasks. This affects their ability to function in work, school, and relationships. 

It’s important to find out about the disorder early and start treatment soon to make things better and reduce its impact. To treat schizophrenia, a person needs both medicine and therapy (like talking therapy or occupational therapy). This helps them manage their symptoms and live a more stable and happy life. 

Common signs and symptoms of schizophrenia

There’s a range of signs and symptoms of schizophrenia, which can vary widely among individuals and may change over time. Here are some common signs and symptoms

Delusions 

  • Delusions are  ideas that a person strongly believes, even if there is proof that they are not true. For example, a person might think they are being hunted, controlled by outside forces, or have special powers.  

Hallucinations 

  • Hallucinations involve experiencing things that others don’t experience. There are different kinds of hallucinations which may occur, such as: 
  • Auditory hallucinations – hearing sounds that others don’t 
  • Visual hallucinations – seeing things that others don’t 
  • Olfactory hallucinations – smelling things that others don’t 
  • Tactile hallucinations – feeling things on the skin when others can’t understand why 
  • Gustatory hallucinations – tasting things that can’t be explained easily  

Disorganised thinking 

  • Disorganized thinking means having trouble organizing thoughts and speaking clearly. The person’s speech might be broken, go off-topic, or not make sense, making it hard for others to understand.  

Unusual motor behaviour 

  • This can include being very restless, making unexpected movements, not moving at all, moving too much without a reason, or having unusual body positions. 

Negative symptoms 

  • This can include showing fewer emotions, having trouble starting and continuing activities, talking less, or not feeling pleasure. 
     

Cognitive difficulties  

  • Some individuals with schizophrenia may experience problems with attention, memory, and executive functioning (planning and problem-solving). 
     

Social and occupational problems

  • Schizophrenia often makes it hard for a person to keep relationships, do well at work or school, or take care of themselves. 

To receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia, it's very important to note the following:

  • These symptoms must greatly affect how you relate to others, work, or other important parts of life.
  • Signs of the problem must last for at least six months without stopping.

Diagnosing schizophrenia requires very careful assessment by a qualified mental health professional, as other conditions or factors (such as substance-induced psychotic disorder) can sometimes present similarly but require different treatment approaches. 

Managing your schizophrenia

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