How to Identify Schizophrenia Symptoms & Mental Health Treatment Options Available

Are you concerned about schizophrenia symptoms in yourself or a loved one? This confusing disorder can wreak havoc on a person’s daily life. On average, men typically show signs of the condition in their early 20s, while for women, symptoms appear in their late 20s or early 30s. While there is no cure for this mental disorder, much can be done to manage the symptoms of schizophrenia. Learning about schizophrenia and how it’s treated can go a long way toward helping yourself or a loved one control symptoms and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Schizophrenia Symptoms

Like many other mental illnesses, schizophrenia includes a spectrum of related conditions, such as borderline schizophrenia, acute schizophrenia, and catatonic schizophrenia. To be diagnosed with the disorder, patients typically must experience at least two of the following symptoms for at least 6 months:

• Delusions are false beliefs that interfere with a person’s ability to concentrate and think clearly. People who are delusional cannot change their thinking even when presented with information that contradicts it.
• Hallucinations– hearing voices and seeing or smelling things that no one else can detect– seem like reality to the person experiencing them.
• Disorganized thinking makes it difficult to remember things. Anosognosia (lack of insight) is common, so people with schizophrenia are usually unaware they have it.
• Negative symptoms minimize an individual’s ability to function, causing them to appear emotionally disconnected and even to speak in a monotone voice. Negative symptoms, such as difficulty following through with activities or maintaining relationships, can be confused with clinical depression.