Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is categorized as a thought disorder that consists of symptoms revolving around a person’s ability to perceive reality as it is and/or a person’s mind creating visual sights or auditory sounds that aren’t there. Schizophrenia interferes with the way a person behaves, thinks, and feels, often resulting in the individual being prone to false, delusional beliefs about themselves or others. Schizophrenia may also make it difficult for an individual to concentrate, manage emotions, make decisions, or develop normal motivations, causing an individual to become unusually anxious, unresponsive, or withdrawn in social situations

The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. A combination of causes, such as genetics, brain chemistry and structure, stress, and psychoactive drugs such as LSD may contribute to the development of the disorder. Evidence also suggests that changes in body chemistry during puberty may also play a role. Researchers have recently theorized that there’s a link between schizophrenia and brain development problems that occur in fetuses when the pregnant woman contracts certain viruses (influenza, toxoplasmosis and rubella). Genital or reproductive infections present in the mother during conception may also increase the baby’s future risk of developing schizophrenia.