Early Symptoms Schizophrenia

According to the National Institute on Mental Health, schizophrenia affects 1.1 percent of the United States' population age 18 and older. An individual with schizophrenia will behave differently from the norm. Typically, she will exhibit subtle warning signs to indicate that she is developing the disease.

Defining Schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia is a mental illness that distorts an individual's way of acting and thinking and his view of the world. He has a distorted sense of reality, resulting in a blurring of the distinction between what is real and what is imagined. This often creates confusion and fear in him, causing him to isolate himself from the real world. Schizophrenia tends to strike during the teen years or in early adulthood. Men are usually afflicted by age 25; women by age 30. Schizophrenia can affect an individual for the first time during middle age or at a later stage.

Misconceptions

• Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder. A schizophrenic suffers from a fractured sense of reality and is not a split personality. Another misconception is that schizophrenia is a rare disease; 1 in 100 people stands the chance of developing schizophrenia. Schizophrenics are often viewed as dangerous, but most schizophrenics are not violent or harmful. There is also the myth that schizophrenics cannot be helped; with proper treatment a schizophrenic can lead a meaningful life.

Early Signs

• Although schizophrenia will appear suddenly in some individuals, most people experience symptoms that develop slowly. The warning signs are at first subtle, with functional abilities slowly decreasing. Often, friends of the schizophrenic will notice a shift in her behavior, but are unable to pinpoint the true nature of the problem. The early signs of schizophrenia will show the victim being isolated, acting strangely, losing interest in formerly pleasurable activities and hardly displaying any emotion. Additionally, school and work are adversely affected, and appearance is often neglected. Other early signs include withdrawal from society, mistrust, laughing or crying at inappropriate moments, depression, insomnia or oversleeping, incoherent and erratic speech, over-sensitivity to criticism and forgetfulness.

Delusions and Hallucinations

• One of the most common characteristics of schizophrenia is delusion. When undergoing delusions the schizophrenic feels constantly persecuted, as though others are trying to harm him. He may also have delusions of grandeur, adopting a "God-like" persona. Another characteristic is hallucinations, where he feels and sees things that are present only in his mind.

Types of Schizophrenia

• The three main types of schizophrenia are paranoid, disorganized and catatonic schizophrenia. During paranoid schizophrenia, the victim displays ridiculous and unrealistic beliefs and a suspicious mind-set. Disorganized schizophrenia tends to develop gradually and is seen as the victim retreating into his fantasy world. An individual with catatonic schizophrenia will have episodes in which he exhibits decreased mobility (statue-like state) or behaves excitedly.