Schizophrenia has been described as the “worst disease” to afflict mankind. It causes psychosis, which is an abnormal state of mind marked by hyperarousal, overactivation of brain circuits, and emotional distress. An untreated episode of psychosis can result in structural brain damage due to neurotoxicity.
Research has shown that untreated schizophrenia can lead to neurological damage. Individuals dealing with schizophrenia may also have thoughts of harming themselves or others. Persistent paranoid delusions, especially when left untreated, may eventually lead someone to act on those thoughts.
Without proper treatment, a person with schizophrenia may have a lower life expectancy, an increased risk of health complications, and a higher risk of suicide.
Doctors also believe the brain loses tissue over time. And imaging tools, like PET scans and MRIs, show that people who have schizophrenia have less “gray matter” -- the part of the brain that contains nerve cells -- over time.
If left untreated, schizophrenia can worsen at any age, especially if you continue to experience episodes and symptoms. Typically, early onset schizophrenia in the late teens tends to be associated more with severe symptoms than later-life onset.
The peak age of onset of schizophrenia is 15 – 25 years in men and 20 – 30 years in women. It is often preceded by a prodromal phase of vague symptoms, some odd behaviours and a decline in functioning at school or work and interpersonally.
Although schizophrenia can occur at any age, the average age of onset tends to be in the late teens to the early 20s for men, and the late 20s to early 30s for women. It is uncommon for schizophrenia to be diagnosed in a person younger than 12 or older than 40.
It is not currently possible to diagnose schizophrenia using brain imaging alone. Instead, researchers look at abnormalities in the brain, which are common among people with schizophrenia and not common in people who do not have schizophrenia.
People with schizophrenia experience psychosis, which means they can have serious problems with thinking clearly, emotions, and knowing what is real and what is not. This can include hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations), and having very strange beliefs that are abnormal or not true (delusions).
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.
People with schizophrenia are more likely to develop alcoholism. This in turn can lead to long-term diseases such as high blood pressure, liver disease, and even some cancers. All of these conditions can affect your life expectancy.
Many people with schizophrenia suffer from anosognosia, which means they don't understand that they're sick—and, therefore, may not understand the need for treatment. Antipsychotic medication can cause side effects such as major weight gain, muscle spasms, and reduced sexual drive.
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition that can cause delusions, hallucinations, difficulty with thinking and concentration, disordered thinking, and lack of motivation. It is often disabling, as it causes people to interpret reality in an abnormal way.
The condition can occur as a result of genetic makeup or an alteration of the brain function due to unknown reasons. There is no absolute cure for schizophrenia, but it can be managed through organic medications. Treatment of schizophrenia without medication is primarily with psychotherapy.
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 often also experience persistent difficulties with their cognitive or thinking skills, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. At least one third of people with schizophrenia experiences complete remission of symptoms (1).
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.
Although studies on volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis in schizophrenia have shown relatively consistent results over several decades (7), diagnosing schizophrenia based on these findings is still challenging and has little clinical utility.
Residual Stage
This is known as the final stage of schizophrenia. These symptoms are very similar to those of the prodromal stage. Patients in this stage are often not seen to be psychotic, but their symptoms shift from positive to negative (i.e. they take something away from the person).
Overview of causes of death in schizophrenia patients
Although numerically CVD is the most common mortality cause in most studies, cancer is reported almost as frequently.
Dementia is commonly found in chronic schizophrenic patients who underestimate their ages by 5 years or more, a symptom known as “age disorientation”.