Schizophrenia: causes and symptoms

Schizophrenia is a disease that afflicts the brain. It can be very chronic and disabling to the patient and emotionally devastating to the friends and relatives of the schizophrenic person. However, it must be remembered that schizophrenia has a biological cause, and is not a personality disorder. The right treatment may help those suffering from schizophrenia to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

What causes schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia does run in families. People who have a close relative suffering from the disease are more likely to develop it themselves.

Scientists are still trying to figure out whether schizophrenia is associated with some imbalance in the chemical systems in the brain or whether it may be the result of a physical abnormality in the brain.

What are the signs and symptoms?

There are certain symptoms that are most commonly associated with the disease. These are called positive symptoms and denote the presence of grossly abnormal behaviour. They include thought disorder, delusions and hallucinations.

Thought disorder refers to a decreasing ability to think clearly and logically. On account of this, the patient begins to engage in language that makes no sense. Gradually, their friends and family find it difficult to understand them.

A schizophrenic person also begins to harbour delusions that people have been conspiring against him, that they want to harm them. Or else he may believe that everyone else around him can hear his thoughts. The person finds it difficult to distinguish between real and unreal experiences.
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