Schizophrenia

SchizophreniaSchizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 1% of people worldwide.People with schizophrenia often have hallucinations, which are false perceptions that occur when a stimulus is not actually present.Types of hallucinations include auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations.Auditory hallucinations are the most common and may be experienced as hearing people talking.Auditory hallucinations can be stressful to the person experiencing them.For example, the voices may cause difficulty with concentration, they may insult the person experiencing them, or they may tell the person to do something that the person does not want to do.Delusions are another common symptom of schizophrenia.Delusions are false beliefs that are held even though there is evidence that they are not true.Like hallucinations, delusions have the potential to be quite distressing to the person experiencing them.One type of delusion is a paranoid delusion, in which a person believes that they are being persecuted.For example, the person may believe that someone is attempting to stalk or poison them.Other symptoms of schizophrenia include disorganized speech, poor hygiene, decreased motivation, difficulty expressing emotions, and decreased interest in socializing with friends and family.Cognitive symptoms, such as those that interfere with working memory, frequently cause disability.People with schizophrenia can experience symptoms of mania, depression, or anxiety.Additionally, people with schizophrenia may have problems with using illicit drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.Symptoms associated with other psychiatric disorders as well as use of illicit substances tend to worsen schizophrenia.