Schizophrenia is a prevalent mental disorder that is defined by unusual social skills and the inability to keep a firm grip on reality. Many young Americans in their early 20’s fall prey to the mind wrecking symptoms of schizophrenia. The effects are long term and can often last a lifetime.

About the condition  Schizophrenia affects the quality of a person’s life and can often lead to social alienation, failure to make a stable income, drug abuse, and suicidal tendencies. Understanding schizophrenia signs and seeking treatment as soon as this disorder starts to take hold of one’s mind is the key to treating this mental ailment.

The impact of schizophrenia  According to statistics, about 0.3-0.7% of people worldwide are afflicted by schizophrenia. 23.6 million cases of schizophrenia were reported globally in 2013, and only 20% of the population afflicted with this disorder can effectively deal with it. People who have schizophrenia often live shorter lives than the general population due to suicide or death caused by drug abuse and associated health problems. Homelessness and the inability to sustain an income that pays for the necessities of life are other reasons for shorter life spans among people with schizophrenia.

While there is no cure for this illness, schizophrenia signs and symptoms are treatable and antipsychotic medications are the accepted solutions by healthcare professionals.

Schizophrenia signs and symptoms

• Hallucinations are rightly associated with schizophrenia by laymen as these are the most common symptoms of this mental disorder.
• Hearing voices and being prone to delusions that are unrealistic and persecutory fall into the category of hallucinations suffered by those diagnosed with schizophrenia.
• Speech impairment and failure to process words and communicate freely is often a challenge for people with schizophrenia. This is just one facet of cognitive dysfunction that people with schizophrenia are prone to.
• Attention deficits, memory deficits, and learning disabilities are predominant schizophrenia signs. These are the primary reasons why people with schizophrenia, when untreated, often fail to sustain a job or education.

If you notice any of these schizophrenia signs in yourself or your loved ones for more than a month, it is imperative to seek immediate medical attention.