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Schizophrenia

schizophrenia
                                By: Abe Jacobs

                                Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder. It is a disease that makes it difficult
                                for a person to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to
                                think logically, to have normal emotional responses to other, and to behave
                                normally in social situations. People with schizophrenia may also have
                                difficulty in remembering, talking, and behaving appropriately. Schizophrenia
                                is one of the most common mental illnesses. About 1% of the world
                                population has schizophrenia. In the United States, there are about 2.5 million
                                people with the disease. Schizophrenia is the cause of more hospitalizations
                                than almost any other illness. Schizophrenia most commonly begins between
                                the ages of 15 and 25. Although it strikes men and women equally, the
                                symptoms may appear later in women than in men. Very rarely, the
                                symptoms of schizophrenia can appear before the age of 12. Childhood
                                schizophrenia has a more chronic disease course and involves poor early
                                language development. People with schizophrenia can have a variety of
                                symptoms. Sometimes, these symptoms come on suddenly. Usually, though,
                                the illness develops slowly over months or even years. At first, the symptoms
                                may not be noticed or may be confused with those of other conditions. For
                                example, people with schizophrenia may feel tense, be unable to...