Chances are you’ve seen it before. A man with aluminum foil on his head so that Martians can’t read his mind. Or the woman on the bus hearing the voice of God telling her she is a vile and disgusting person. These people may be displaying symptoms of a startling disorder known as Schizophrenia.

Affecting approximately 1% of the population, Schizophrenia is characterized by problems with their thinking, odd speech and behavior, and inappropriate emotions. Two key symptoms are Hallucinations and Delusions.

Hallucinations are the experiencing imaginary things as if they are real. They can be seeing things, hearing things, smelling, tasting, or touching things – all of which are not there. Sometimes the hallucinations are pleasant, but often they are very disturbing to the person. Typical hallucinations are things like seeing spirits or hearing voices from people who are not there.

Delusions are beliefs that are unrealistic, bizarre, and not shared by others of the same culture. They can be things like the belief that the CIA is watching them through the television or that doctors are putting poison in their medication.

Not all people with Schizophrenia look the same. Some people may be very emotional and some may appear to have no emotions at all. Some may talk quite convincingly about conspiracy theories, others can talk a great deal but the words may not make any sense (often called “world salad”), and some may say nothing at all, even when asked a question.

Schizophrenia can disrupt a person’s perception of the world, the way he or she thinks, speaks and moves, and almost every aspect of daily functioning. And despite important advances in treatment, a complete recovery is rare.

The causes for schizophrenia are not clearly known. Genes appear to be responsible for making some people vulnerable, other biological factors such as brain development may also play a role, and environmental factors such as high stress may trigger the onset of the illness.

Treatments can vary but most people with schizophrenia take a type of medication called neuroleptics (meaning “taking hold of nerves”). Also called “antipsychotics”, these drugs can help them think more clearly and reduce hallucinations and delusions. Other treatments may be social skills training to help them better cope with other people and the world around them.

And, of course, individual and group therapy are often a part of treatment. Family therapy can be especially helpful for the patient’s loved ones to both teach them skills to help the patient and to help themselves cope with the stresses such as relapse.

Individuals with schizophrenia face enormous challenge including discrimination. But with proper mediation and treatment, they can often go to school, work, and have healthy relationships with others.
For more information about schizophrenia and how you can help, please go to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (or NAMI) at HYPERLINK “http://www.NAMI.org” www.NAMI.org.

I am Dr. Greg Cason for WebiHealth.com your source for health tips, medical answers and your overall guide to wellbeing.

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