Myth: Schizophrenia refers to a “split personality” or multiple personalities. Fact: Multiple personality disorder is a different and much less common disorder than schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia do not have split personalities. Rather, they are “split off” from reality.
People with this condition may experience periods of time when they feel disconnected from reality, usually experiencing a combination of hallucinations and delusions. People with schizophrenia often face stigma and misconceptions due to sensationalist media stories that portray people with the condition as dangerous.
They may seem like they've lost touch with reality, seeing or hearing things that aren't there or having beliefs that aren't supported by facts. They may also have a lack of personal insight that makes them unaware they have any symptoms at all.
Moderate to high quality evidence found more dissociation in people with schizophrenia than controls without schizophrenia. In those with schizophrenia, there was a medium-sized association between exposure to childhood adversity and more dissociation.
Social withdrawal
Schizophrenia can lead you to withdraw from socializing or that you isolate yourself in your home. This can be due to, for example, your hallucinations, thought disorders or lost social skills or fear of social contacts.
Episodic memory deficits are consistently documented as a core aspect of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia patients, present from the onset of the illness and strongly associated with functional disability.
Every person with schizophrenia will have a unique experience of the world, but there are common themes. Some schizophrenia symptoms that a person might experience include illogical thoughts, hallucinations, delusions, and unusual movements.
Many with schizophrenia experience themselves as having been diminished since the onset of their illness. In some sense or other, they find themselves less than they were, which is to say they feel less vital and less able to negotiate or even engage the world.
Some people with schizophrenia have an exaggerated opinion of themselves, sometimes called delusions of grandeur. They may think they're superior to others or have extraordinary abilities. They may also incorrectly believe they're very wealthy, smart, famous, or powerful.
Social Abilities and Social Withdrawal
Researchers have hypothesized that deficits in aspects of social cognition and social competence make it challenging for individuals with schizophrenia to understand and interact effectively with others, leading to aversive or discouraging experiences during social interactions.
Social withdrawal or asociality is one of the primary negative symptoms of schizophrenia and has a significant impact on functioning of the patient (Puig et al., 2008).
Depersonalization/ Derealization Disorder
People may feel as if they are outside their bodies and watching events happening to them. Derealization – experiences of unreality or detachment from one's surroundings. People may feel as if things and people in the world around them are not real.
Auditory hallucinations, “hearing voices,” are the most common in schizophrenia and related disorders. Disorganized thinking and speech refer to thoughts and speech that are jumbled and/or do not make sense. For example, the person may switch from one topic to another or respond with an unrelated topic in conversation.
Many schizophrenics feel they possess extraordinary powers, superhuman strength, or superior insights.
Never tell your loved one that their symptoms are “not true,” “not real,” “imaginary,” or all in their head. Aim to be nonjudgmental.
They may believe they're being chased, followed, watched, plotted against or poisoned, often by a family member or friend. Some people who experience delusions find different meanings in everyday events or occurrences.
Schizophrenia is a severe mental health condition that can involve delusions and paranoia. A person with paranoia may fear that other people are pursuing and intending to harm them. This can have a severe impact on their safety and overall well-being.
Someone might see lights, objects, people, or patterns. Often it's loved ones or friends who are no longer alive. They may also have trouble with depth perception and distance.
Speech may be mildly disorganized or completely incoherent and incomprehensible. Bizarre behavior may take the form of childlike silliness, agitation, or inappropriate appearance, hygiene, or conduct.
People with schizophrenia have trouble inferring other people's mental states. Eye-gaze direction is a ubiquitous social cue that we use to direct attention and infer what other people are thinking, what their intentions are.
People with schizophrenia experience difficulties in remembering their past and envisioning their future. However, while alterations of event representation are well documented, little is known about how personal events are located and ordered in time.
People with schizophrenia can have trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy, expressing and managing normal emotions and making decisions. Thought processes may also be disorganized and the motivation to engage in life's activities may be blunted.
The exact causes of schizophrenia are unknown. Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.
Studies show that certain brain chemicals that control thinking, behavior, and emotions are either too active or not active enough in people with schizophrenia. Doctors also believe the brain loses tissue over time.
For example, people may not dress according to the weather, (i.e., they may wear a heavy coat in the middle of summer), they may wear odd or inappropriate makeup, they may shout at people for no apparent reason, or they may mutter to themselves continuously, etc.