What is Schizophrenia: Definition and 17 Discussions

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdrawal, decreased emotional expression, and apathy. Symptoms typically come on gradually, begin in young adulthood, and in many cases never resolve. There is no objective diagnostic test; the diagnosis is used to describe observed behavior that may stem from numerous different causes. Besides observed behavior, doctors will also take a history that includes the person's reported experiences, and reports of others familiar with the person, when making a diagnosis. To diagnose someone with schizophrenia, doctors are supposed to confirm that symptoms and functional impairment are present for six months (DSM-5) or one month (ICD-11). Many people with schizophrenia have other mental disorders, especially substance use disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive–compulsive disorder.About 0.3% to 0.7% of people are diagnosed with schizophrenia during their lifetime. In 2017, there were an estimated 1.1 million new cases and in 2019 a total of 20 million cases globally. Males are more often affected and on average have an earlier onset, although some large reviews have not found gender differences in the prevalence of the disorder. The likely causes of schizophrenia include genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors include a variety of common and rare genetic variants. Possible environmental factors include being raised in a city, cannabis use during adolescence, infections, the ages of a person's mother or father, and poor nutrition during pregnancy.About half of those diagnosed with schizophrenia will have a significant improvement over the long term with no further relapses, and a small proportion of these will recover completely. The other half will have a lifelong impairment. In some cases people may be repeatedly admitted to hospitals. Social problems such as long-term unemployment, poverty, homelessness, exploitation, and victimization are commonly correlated with schizophrenia. Compared to the general population, people with schizophrenia have a higher suicide rate (about 5% overall) and more physical health problems, leading to an average decrease in life expectancy by 20 years. In 2015, an estimated 17,000 deaths were linked to schizophrenia.The mainstay of treatment is antipsychotic medication, along with counseling, job training, and social rehabilitation. Up to a third of people do not respond to initial antipsychotics, in which case the antipsychotic clozapine may be used. In situations where doctors judge that there is a risk of harm to self or others, they may impose short involuntary hospitalization. Long-term hospitalization is used on a small number of people with severe schizophrenia. In some countries where supportive services are limited or unavailable, long-term hospital stays are more common.

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  1. L

    Medical Derealization parts of brain? (schizophrenia)

    I have read people with schizophrenia and DID may experience thinking that the world has become less real. Are certain parts of the brain acting up that could be making reality seem less real?
  2. O

    Is There a Link Between Schizophrenia and Physics Ability?

    I'm a therapist who in the past worked primary with people who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. I was thinking about the connection between people diagnosed with autism and math ability, and then thought about John Nash and his portrayal in "A Beautiful Mind." Some of the people I worked with...
  3. wolram

    Is TMEM108 Effective for Treating Schizophrenia in Humans?

    I have found this article about schizophrenia, It talk's about TMEM working on mice, I wonder if there is similar treatment for humans. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170118163751.htmMutations in a gene that should enable memories and a sense of direction instead can result in...
  4. wolram

    Living with Schizophrenia: Is it Fair to be Treated as a Guinea Pig?

    So I have been living with this (illness) for 8 years, I say illness because it is an illness not a Condition, people including psychiatrists class it as a condition that can be controlled by drugs, this is only partly true, I consider this unfair, I am not allowed to drive a vehicle or work...
  5. Charles Xavier

    Admissions Backing back on track after 16 years of mental issues

    Hi all, I graduated from university with a BSc in Physics (3rd class) in 2000. I was having some issues with depression then in my university years but I managed to graduate with a B average in my basic degree. In 2005, I was warded in a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed with schizophrenia. I...
  6. B

    Medical Schizophrenia, anti-psychotics and Physics PhD

    Well, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia almost three years ago during my Masters degree when I was homeless since I was too paranoid to live in a house/apartment. Since then I have been on heavy anti-psychotics, completed my thesis and now am at the end of my second year of PhD of a top...
  7. E

    Prolonged solitary confinement causes schizophrenia?

    I read an interesting bit in the magazine psychology today about how prison inmates who are kept in solitary confinement for very long periods of time (months/years on end) can develop severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia, delusions, as well as visual and auditory hallucinations. This can...
  8. jk22

    Medical Can Schizophrenia Affect Math Skills?

    I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when i was almost finishing my studies in physics. It took me 8 years to finish them. Then i had to stop and I am now living in a home for people with psychic diseases. Can schizophrenia impair math skills so that i had to stop or can math cause that disease ...
  9. nukeman

    What is the role of Glutamate in modulating Schizophrenia ?

    Hey all, Can anyone let me know what the main role of Glutamate is in modulating Schizophrenia? I can't seem to find a answer to this. Thanks!
  10. murshid_islam

    Medical A couple of questions about schizophrenia

    1. How common is schizophrenia among children (e.g. 10-15 year old or even younger)? 2. Does schizophrenia has any cure? Is there any instance of a person being fully cured of it? Thanks in advance!
  11. N

    Medical Why is Schizophrenia considered a disease?

    I was wondering, if Schizophrenia has to do with more than average neural connection-things (I'm no neuroscience major) wouldn't it be more of a blessing instead of a curse? Everyone looks down on it like the people will try to kill them for no reason. If they're something other than the...
  12. N

    Medical What is relation between dopamine and schizophrenia?

    Please teach me this: Are there any relation between dopamine and schizophrenia?What is the role of blood-brain barrier in protecting dopamine penetrate into ''system of nervous''(because it is seem to me dopamine cause schizophrenia).If the blood-brain barrier is not in good condition in the...
  13. rhody

    Creative minds 'mimic schizophrenia'

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10154775.stm" [Broken] and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine_receptor" [Broken] Hopefully this will generate some interesting discussion, zooby, fuzzy ? lurkers... Rhody...
  14. F

    Heritance percentage of schizophrenia?

    Hi I can't find the exact answer anywhere. What is the heritance percentage of the disease for children or grandchildren from a male person? So let's say "granddad" has the disease, what are the chances his grandson will inherit it? Yes, my grandfather had it, but I am not afraid of the...
  15. P

    Medical What are the chances I'll inherit schizophrenia from my father?

    Given that I'm not a psychologist or therapist, I don't know much about the disease or even his diagnosis, but he is paranoid and talks of his phone being tapped, hidden cameras, has grandiose ideas, claims experiencing things that could only be hallucinations, and makes illogical connections...
  16. A

    How could I know that I'm not suffering from Schizophrenia ?

    Am I I ? Am I I or in someone's fantasy ? Am I I or a part of someone who is imagining me ? Am I I or an imaginary part of a psycho ? How could I/yuo know that I'm not suffering from Schizophrenia ?
  17. J

    Medical Neuroprotection in schizophrenia

    I have schizophrenia, and apparently I am a long cycler. I developed it when I was 17, and it went into remission when I was around 21. It stayed as such and recently came back in the last few months now that I am 27. What all can I do to protect my brain, and encourage a neuroprotective...
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