ScHizOphReNia: thE PsychoTIc DiseaSe

What is Schizophrenia??
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking with significant social or occupational dysfunction.

What cause Schizophrenia??
Studies suggest that genetics, early environment, neurobiology, psychological and social processes are important contributory factors; some recreational and prescription drugs appear to cause or worsen symptoms.

What are the signs and symptoms??!
#Depending on the individual, a person diagnosed with schizophrenia may experience hallucinations (most commonly hearing voices),

#Delusions (often bizarre or persecutory in nature), and disorganized thinking and speech.

#The latter may range from loss of train of thought, to sentences only loosely connected in meaning, to incoherence known as word salad in severe cases. There is often an observable pattern of emotional difficulty, for example lack of responsiveness or motivation.

#Impairment in social cognition is associated with schizophrenia, as are symptoms of paranoia, and social isolation commonly occurs. In one uncommon subtype, the person may be largely mute, remain motionless in bizarre postures, or exhibit purposeless agitation; these are signs of catatonia.

# Disorganized speech, which is a manifestation of formal thought disorder

#Grossly disorganized behavior (e.g. dressing inappropriately, crying frequently) or catatonic behavior

#Negative symptoms: Blunted affect (lack or decline in emotional response), alogia (lack or decline in speech), or avolition (lack or decline in motivation)

#If the delusions are judged to be bizarre, or hallucinations consist of hearing one voice participating in a running commentary of the patient's actions or of hearing two or more voices conversing with each other, only that symptom is required above. The speech disorganization criterion is only met if it is severe enough to substantially impair communication.

#Social/occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care, are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset.
Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms (or less, if symptoms remitted with treatment).

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia#Signs_and_symptoms

***Okay, why am i reading bout dis???confusing isnt it. doesnt even related to my field. a person i know might be inherited this mental illness. I'm just trying to understand why she's acting so strange.