What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a biological illness caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. These chemical imbalances affect neurotransmitters —the substances which carry messages within the brain and other parts of the nervous system. One neurotransmitter involved is dopamine which has many activities in the brain and may play an important role in producing psychotic symptoms. Another brain chemical which may be involved is serotonin .
Some people are born with susceptibility to developing symptoms of schizophrenia. Sometimes that susceptibility is genetic—it runs in families. About 1 out of 100 people or about 3 million people in the United States are diagnosed with schizophrenia. The first symptoms usually appear between the teens and mid-30s, but they can begin earlier or later in life.
As with any illness or disorder, symptoms can vary between individuals, but symptoms commonly are grouped into three categories:
Positive symptoms are called that because they are added to what other people experience in everyday life, such as
- believing that ordinary things have special meaning just for them (referential delusions)
- the idea that they are being persecuted (paranoid delusions)
- the idea that something is very wrong with their bodies (somatic delusions)
- auditory hallucinations—hearing voices or sounds
- visual hallucinations—seeing things other people don't see
- hallucinations involving feeling or smelling things that other people don't experience.
Negative symptoms have to do with things that should be there, but are missing. Negative symptoms take away the person's interests, motivation, and abilities. Some of these symptoms may be not showing emotions, lack of motivation, not experiencing pleasure, and no social interests.
Cognitive symptoms include problems with concentration, attention, and learning. Schizophrenia can make it harder to think clearly, but it is very different from having a low IQ. These problems are somewhat like having a learning disability and may include trouble concentrating, trouble learning new information, and trouble planning and thinking things through.
Treatment . People with schizophrenia almost always need medication to help control their psychotic symptoms. They help control the hallucinations, delusions, and some of the thinking problems that are part of the illness. There are a number of these antipsychotic medications available and it often takes a while for the doctor and patient to find the right combination for each individual. Taking medications as prescribed is critical to improvement. Any changes in symptoms or possible side effects to the medications should be discussed with the doctor.
In addition, rehabilitaion programs can help people with schizophrenia get better. The support of family and friends also is important. People with psychiatric disabilities need this support and also other support for their condition. Without treatment schizophrenia can be disabling.
For more information or help with mental health concerns, contact the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or www.nami.org