These problems can be very subtle, but in many cases may account for why a person with schizophrenia has such a hard time managing day-to-day life. For example, it may be hard to hold a phone number in memory. They may have trouble with 'working memory.' That is, they have trouble keeping information in mind in order to use it. In addition to positive and negative symptoms, many people with schizophrenia also have cognitive symptoms (problems with their intellectual functioning). Negative symptoms are the tendency toward restricted emotions, flat affect (diminished emotional expressiveness), and the inability to start or continue productive activity. Symptoms in schizophrenia are described as either 'positive' or 'negative.' Positive symptoms are psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and disorganized speech. In other words, having a psychotic symptom does not necessarily mean a person has schizophrenia. Psychosis is a symptom of many mental disorders. It may include such symptoms as delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (false perceptions), and disorganized speech or behavior. Psychosis can be defined as the inability to recognize reality. Schizophrenia is one of several 'psychotic' disorders. People with this illness periodically have difficulty with their thoughts and their perceptions. Schizophrenia may start as early as childhood and last throughout life.

In a vulnerable person, a stress (such as a toxin, an infection or a nutritional deficiency) may trigger the illness during critical periods of brain development. These genes probably affect the way the brain develops and how nerve cells communicate with one another.

In fact, so many problem genes have been investigated that schizophrenia can be seen as several illnesses rather than one. Scientists have identified several genes that increase the risk of getting this illness. The risk is as high as 65% for those who have an identical twin with schizophrenia.

The chance of having schizophrenia is 10% if an immediate family member (a parent or sibling) has the illness. Schizophrenia is surprisingly common, affecting 1 in every 100 people worldwide.Įxperts believe schizophrenia results from a combination of genetic and environmental causes. Although symptoms may vary widely, people with schizophrenia frequently have a hard time recognizing reality, thinking logically and behaving naturally in social situations. Schizophrenia is a chronic (long-lasting) brain disorder that is easily misunderstood.

Examples of flat affect