What Is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder which alters the way one views reality. In other words, it causes one to be unable to think, feel, and behave clearly. It is a chronic brain disorder. There are many different types of schizophrenia with it being characterized based on the symptoms a person experiences. The main types of schizophrenia are paranoid schizophrenia (characterized by delusions and hallucinations), catatonic schizophrenia (affects the way one moves), disorganized schizophrenia (disorganized behavior and speech), and residual schizophrenia (not currently experiencing prominent symptoms).

The exact causes of schizophrenia are currently unknown, but there are many suspected causes or contributing factors. Some contributing factors are likely environmental with malnutrition and exposure to viruses before birth showing increased rates of schizophrenia diagnoses. Issues with neurotransmitters, molecules that allow for communication in the brain, is another factor that likely increases the rate of schizophrenia diagnoses. Another notable factor is genetics. Schizophrenia is likely not caused by a single mutation but rather many mutations working to cause the disorder.