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Schizophrenia Overview

Schizophrenia symptoms include distorted thoughts and hallucinations. Usually starting in young adulthood, schizophrenia can also cause the sufferer to feel frightened and paranoid. To make a schizophrenia diagnosis, a psychiatrist evaluates symptoms, tests, and medical history, and prescribes medications and possibly psychotherapy (or other types of talk therapy) for proper schizophrenia treatment. New research is helping us understand this disorder better.

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Schizophrenia Linked to Early Death
The mortality rate among schizophrenics is four times higher than in the general population, with suicide being the number one cause of death followed by cancer.

Mental Health and Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others. People with schizophrenia -- the most chronic and disabling of the major mental illnesses -- often have problems functioning in society, at work, at school, and in relationships. Schizophrenia can leave its sufferer frightened and withdrawn. It is a life-long disease that cannot be cured, but usually can be controlled with proper treatment.

Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not a split personality. Schizophrenia is a psychosis, a type of mental illness in which a person cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. At times, people with psychotic disorders lose touch with reality. The world may seem like a jumble of confusing thoughts, images, and sounds. The behavior of people with schizophrenia may be very strange and even shocking. A sudden change in personality and behavior, which occurs when people lose touch with reality, is called a psychotic episode.

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