What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder which has manifested itself throughout history. Schizophrenics often hear voices. The voices can vastly differ from person to person. For some, the voices command some sort of behavior or make extreme criticism of the person and their actions. Schizophrenia can make a person extremely paranoid, believing that others mean to hurt them or that things in their environment mean to hurt them. For example, a schizophrenic may believe that people are trying to control them, steal their thoughts or harm them physically.

Some schizophrenics exhibit delusions. A delusion is a fixed false belief that defies any sense of reality that someone might suggest to the schizophrenic. Delusions of grandeur are common. That is when the person believes they are some famous person, religious figure or prophet. Delusions also manifest as a person believing they have special powers or abilities such as mind-reading.

Treatment for schizophrenia has improved vastly over the years. The new generation of anti-psychotics produce useful effects and for the most part limit the debilitating effects of the older drugs used for treatment. While drugs are certainly a keystone in treatment of schizophrenia, there are other treatments which have proven valuable in helping people with this disorder to have a higher quality of life. Rehabilitation programs can give the sufferer a new career and give them confidence as well. Also, psychotherapy is an essential part of treatment. There are many types of psychotherapy, including cognitive behavior therapy that can help the schizophrenic learn to differentiate between what is real and what is not.