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Schizophrenia INTRO Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling brain disease and is one of the most common mental illnesses. This disease affects about 1 of every 100 people, or 1% of the population (www.schizophrenia.com). Schizophrenia does not discriminate by race or culture. This disorder is found throughout the world and in all races and cultures. Schizophrenia affects men and women in equal numbers, yet men seem to develop schizophrenia earlier than women. The word schizophrenia comes from the Greek words meaning “split” and “mind” yet people with schizophrenia do not have split personalities as the meaning suggests (www.schizophrenia.com). The “split mind” definition refers to the way that people with schizophrenia are split off from reality, basically unaware of what is real and what is not real. SYMPTOMS People with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying episodes, also known as “psychosis”, of hearing internal voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. Their speech and behavior can be so disorganized that they may be incomprehensible or frightening to others, as well as themselves. Delusions are bizarre, false beliefs that seem real to the person with schizophrenia, but they are not real. Some examples of delusions a schizophrenic may experience are the belief that aliens or spies are controlling his or her behavior, mind and thoughts, or the belief that someone is “out to get them.” Schizophrenics may also experience hallucinations, which are unreal perceptions of the environment and disturbances in sensory perceptions, such as hearing voices, seeing lights, objects or faces, smelling things, or experience feelings that bugs are crawling on or under their skin. Some first warning signs of the onset of schizophrenia are: social withdrawal and/or isolation, excessive fatigue and sleepiness or an inability to sleep, deterioration of social relationships, inability to concentrate or cope with minor problems, apparent indifference, even in highly important situations, dropping out of activities, decline in academic and athletic performance, deterioration of personal hygiene, eccentric dress, frequent moves or trips or long walks leading nowhere, drug or alcohol abuse, undue preoccupation with spiritual or religious matters, bizarre behavior, inappropriate laughter, strange posturing, inability to express emotion, irrational statements, peculiar use of words or language structure, forgetfulness, and conversation that is not logical or coherent (www.world-schizophrenia.org).
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