Schizophrenia was first identified more than a century ago, but we still don't know its exact causes.
It remains one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized illnesses today.
So, let's walk through what we do know — from symptoms to causes and treatments.
Schizophrenia is considered a syndrome, which means it may encompass a number of related disorders that have similar symptoms but varying causes.
Every person with schizophrenia has slightly different symptoms, and the first signs can be easy to miss — subtle personality changes, irritability, or a gradual encroachment of unusual thoughts.
Patients are usually diagnosed after the onset of psychosis, which typically occurs in the late teens or early twenties for men and the late twenties or early thirties for women.
A first psychotic episode can feature delusions, hallucinations, and disordered speech and behavior.
These are called positive symptoms, meaning they occur in people with schizophrenia but not in the general population.
It's a common misperception that people with schizophrenia have multiple personalities, but these symptoms indicate a disruption of thought processes, rather than the manifestation of another personality.
Schizophrenia also has negative symptoms, these are qualities that are reduced in people with schizophrenia, such as motivation, expression of emotion, or speech.
