By Faozat Aragbaiye

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Chizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects how people think, feel, and perceive. The hallmark symptom of schizophrenia is psychosis, such as experiencing auditory hallucinations (voices) and delusions (fixed false beliefs).
Schizophrenia can occur in men and women of all ages. Men often develop symptoms in their late teens or early 20s. Women tend to show signs in their late 20s and early 30s.
Causes
The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. Medical researchers believe several factors can contribute, including:
*Genetics (heredity): Schizophrenia can run in families, which means a greater likelihood to have schizophrenia may be passed on from parents to their children.
*Brain chemistry and circuits: People with schizophrenia may not be able to regulate brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that control certain pathways, or “circuits,” of nerve cells that affect thinking and behavior.
*Brain abnormality: Research has found abnormal brain structure in people with schizophrenia. But this doesn’t apply to all people with schizophrenia. It can affect people without the disease.
*Environment: Things like viral infections, exposure to toxins like marijuana, or highly stressful situations may trigger schizophrenia in people whose genes make them more likely to get the disorder. Schizophrenia more often surfaces when the body is having hormonal and physical changes, like those that happen during the teen and young adult years.
Other risk factors for schizophrenia may include:
exposure to toxins or a virus before birth or during infancyhaving an inflammatory or an autoimmune disease using mind-altering drugs high stress levels
*Symptoms of schizophrenia Symptoms of schizophrenia may include the following:
*Early symptoms
Symptoms of this disorder commonly show up in the teenage years and early 20s. At these ages, the earliest signs may get overlooked because of typical adolescent behaviors.Early symptoms include:
isolating oneself from friends and family changing friends or social groups a change in focus and concentration sleep problems irritability and agitation difficulties with schoolwork, or poor academic performance
*Positive symptoms “Positive” symptoms of schizophrenia are behaviors that aren’t typical in otherwise healthy individuals. These behaviors include:Hallucinations. Hallucinations are experiences that appear real but are created by your mind. They include seeing things, hearing voices, or smelling things others around you don’t experience. Delusions. A delusion occurs when you believe something despite evidence or facts to the contrary.
Thought disorders. These are unusual ways of thinking or processing information. Movement disorders. These include agitated body movements or strange postures.
*Negative symptoms
*Negative symptoms of schizophrenia interrupt a person’s typical emotions, behaviors, and abilities. These symptoms include: disorganized thinking or speech, where the person changes topics rapidly when speaking or uses made-up words or phrases trouble controlling impulses odd emotional responses to situations
a lack of emotion or expressionsl loss of interest or excitement for life social isolation
trouble experiencing pleasure difficulty beginning or following through with plans
difficulty completing normal everyday activities *Cognitive symptoms Cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia are sometimes subtle and may be difficult to detect. However, the disorder can affect memory and thinking.
These symptoms include: disorganized thinking, such as trouble focusing or paying attention poor “executive functioning,” or understanding information and using it to make decisions problems learning information and using it lack of insight or being unaware of their symptoms
*Diagnosis
There is no diagnostic test to assess for schizophrenia. A doctor will diagnose it by observing how the person behaves. They will also ask about their history of physical and mental health. That said, they may recommend some tests to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms, such as a tumor, brain injury, or another mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder.
Diagnostic criteria
To diagnose schizophrenia, a doctor will use the criteriaTrusted Source from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. This manual provides criteria for diagnosing a wide range of mental health conditions.
According to the criteria, a person must have at least two of the following symptoms for a month: delusions hallucinations disorganized speech grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
negative symptoms, such as lack of speech, emotional flatness, or lack of motivation At least one of these must be 1, 2, or 3.
They must also experience considerable impairment in their ability to function in school or at work, to interact with others, or to carry out self-care tasks, and they must have symptoms that persist for 6 months or more. The symptoms must also not be due to another health condition, a prescribed medication, or the use of other substances.
*Treatment
Schizophrenia is a lifelong condition, but effective treatment can help a person manage the symptoms, prevent relapses, and avoid hospitalization. Each person’s experience will be different, and a doctor will tailor the treatment to suit the individual.
Some potential treatment options include:
*Antipsychotic drugs. These can be for daily use or for less frequent use if the person opts for injectable medications, which can last up to 3 months between injections (depending on the medication). *Counseling. This can help a person develop coping skills and pursue their life goals.
*Coordinated special care. This integrates medication, family involvement, and education services in a holistic approach.
*Psychosocial therapy: While medication may help relieve symptoms of schizophrenia, various psychosocial treatments can help with the behavioral, psychological, social, and occupational problems that go with the illness. Through therapy, patients also can learn to manage their symptoms, identify early warning signs of relapse, and come up with a relapse prevention plan. Psychosocial therapies include:
Rehabilitation, which focuses on social skills and job training to help people with schizophrenia function in the community and live as independently as possible
Cognitive remediation, which involves learning techniques to make up for problems with information processing. It often uses drills, coaching, and computer-based exercises to strengthen mental skills that involve attention, memory, planning, and organization.
Individual psychotherapy, which can help the person better understand their illness, and learn coping and problem-solving skills Family therapy, which can help families deal with a loved one who has schizophrenia, enabling them to better help their loved one Group therapy/support groups, which can provide continuing mutual support
* Outlook for People With Schizophrenia.
With proper treatment, most people with schizophrenia can lead productive and fulfilling lives. Depending on how severe the condition is and how well they get and stick with treatment, they should be able to live with their families or in community settings rather than in long-term psychiatric hospitals. Ongoing research on the brain and how brain disorders happen will likely lead to more effective medicines with fewer side effects.
*Prevention
There’s no known way to prevent schizophrenia. But early diagnosis and treatment can help avoid or ease frequent relapses and hospitalizations, and help cut the disruption to the person’s life, family, and relationships.