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Schizophrenia |
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What is
Schizophrenia |
Schizophrenia is an
illness, a medical condition. It affects the normal
functioning of the brain, interfering with a person's
ability to think, feel and act. Some do recover
completely, and, with time, most find that their
symptoms improve. However, for many, it is a prolonged
illness which can involve years of distressing symptoms
and disability |
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What are the symptoms of
Schizophrenia |
If not receiving
treatment, people with schizophrenia experience
persistent symptoms of what is called psychosis. These
include:
- Confused
thinking When acutely ill, people with psychotic
symptoms experience disordered thinking. The
everyday thoughts that let us live our daily lives
become confused and don’t join up properly.
- Delusions A
delusion is a false belief held by a person which is
not held by others of the same cultural background.
- Hallucinations
The person sees, hears, feels, smells or tastes
something that is not actually there. The
hallucination is often of disembodied voices which
no one else can hear. Other associated symptoms are
low motivation and changed feelings
Other associated
symptoms are low motivation and changed feelings |
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What causes
Schizophrenia |
The causes of
schizophrenia are not fully understood. They are likely
to be a combination of hereditary and other factors. It
is probable that some people are born with a
predisposition to develop this kind of illness, and that
certain things for example, stress or use of drugs such
as marijuana, LSD or speed can trigger their first
episode |
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How many people develop
Schizophrenia |
About one in a hundred
people will develop schizophrenia |
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