Living with schizophrenia

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects the way a person thinks, acts, and feels.

• Can interfere with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions, and relate to others
• Affects around 2.8 million adults in the U.S.
• Each person’s experience is different; people are typically diagnosed in their late teens to early twenties, with women generally experiencing symptoms later than men

What causes schizophrenia?

No one thing causes schizophrenia, but scientists believe it’s a mix of different factors.

• A family history of schizophrenia can mean you have a higher chance
• Differences in your brain chemistry can be an added risk
• Stressful life events or use of certain substances, especially when you’re young, can be factors
• Sometimes, factors during pregnancy or after having a baby can also play a role. Post-partum schizophrenia is a rare but severe medical emergency

How is schizophrenia diagnosed?

Doctors who work in mental health will look at an array of clinical tests that may include the following:

• A mental health expert, like a psychiatrist, will ask you many questions about how you feel and what you experience
• Doctors can check for specific signs, like seeing or hearing things that aren’t real, having mixed-up thoughts, having difficulty with normal daily activities, and withdrawal from social life
• These signs need to be present for a certain amount of time, usually at least 6 months
• Doctors also make sure your symptoms aren’t caused by other health problems or medicines