Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder characterized by an inability to distinguish between reality and non-reality. It can cause hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. While the exact causes are unknown, genetics and environmental factors like viral infections during pregnancy may play a role. It is treated with antipsychotic drugs and therapy. With treatment and support, many people with schizophrenia can lead normal, happy lives.

1. Schizophrenia

2. What Is Schizophrenia?
• Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder
• It is classified separately from other disorders because it
is not easily categorized as an anxiety or mood disorder
• Schizophrenia is characterized by the inability to
separate reality from and a non-reality
• Schizophrenia patients often experience non-existent
stimuli that create perceptions of things that do not exist,
such as voices
• Symptoms may include: flat effect (exhibiting no
emotion), delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized
thinking

4. Causes of Schizophrenia
• No one knows the exact cause of schizophrenia, but
multiple possible factors have been discovered
• Genetics appear to play a part; someone is more likely to
develop schizophrenia if they have an identical twin
with schizophrenia than if they have a fraternal twin
with schizophrenia
• Women infected with the influenza virus during their
pregnancy are more likely to give birth to children who
will develop the disorder
• Schizophrenics’ brains also contain largerfluid-filled
areas than their healthy brain counterparts

5. The left brain is diagnosed
with schizophrenia. The brain
on the right is healthy. The
schizophrenic’s fluid-filled
areas are larger.
Johan and Ad van Bennekom are
identical twins, both diagnosed
with schizophrenia.

6. Types of Schizophrenia
• There are five types ofschizophrenia:
– Catatonic – little to no movement, possibly a vegetative state
– Disorganized – common archetype of schizophrenia;
disorganized thinking, flat effect, inappropriate emotions or
behavior
– Paranoid – common archetype of schizophrenia;delusions,
hallucinations, false beliefs of grandeur
– Residual – long-term schizophrenia where most symptoms have
disappeared, negative symptoms (detractions from normal
behavior) often remain such as flat effect or a refusal to talk
– Undifferentiated – does not fit in one of the above categories
because the patient suffers from symptoms of multiple types

8. Schizophrenic Delusions
• A delusion is afalse belief
• Some common schizophrenic delusions include:
– Being cheated
– Being harassed
– Being poisoned
– Being spied upon
– Being plotted against
• Most delusions are very grandiose and involve the
patient at the center of some large plot or scheme

9. Schizophrenic Hallucinations
• A hallucination is a nonexistent stimulus that is perceived
as real
• The most common schizophrenic hallucination is hearing
voices, however the patient may also have visual
hallucinations where they see a person or object that
does not exist
• Hallucinated voices often interact with the patient:
– By commenting on their behavior
– By ordering them to do things
– By warning of impending dangers
– By talking to other voices about the patient

11. Treating Schizophrenia
• Antipsychotic drugs have been effective in treating the
symptoms of schizophrenia
• Unfortunately, these drugs can also have some mild side
effects including drowsiness, weight gain, jitters,
movement problems, and muscle contractions
• A possible long-term side effect of antipsychotic drugs is
a condition called tardive dyskinesia where patients will
develop uncontrollable movements
• Another treatment is atypical antipsychotic drugs which
have less side effects and can better treat patients not
treated effectively by the normal drugs
• Therapy and counseling are also effective in improving
behavior as well as creating a system of support for the

14. How Do People Live With Schizophrenia?
• Many people diagnosed with schizophrenia are still able
to live normal, happy lives
• For those diagnosed with the disorder, it is very
important that they continue to take their medication
and abstain from drugs and drinking
• One man diagnosed with schizophrenia presents this
optimistic picture of living with his disorder:
"Those early years when you are first diagnosed are very hard. Many
people are very surprised by the illness and don't know what to do.
Many refuse medicines. But as time goes on, most people learn what
works. They find their best medication. They find a way to live that is
satisfying and doesn't stress them too much. They learn not to drink too
much alcohol, and to take care of themselves. The find a good doctor,
and often others help them, such as friends, priest, or counselor. People
make a decent life for themselves. They find love, ,they find work....it

15. Famous People With Schizophrenia
John Nash – Nobel Prize
winner
Syd Barret – guitarist for
Pink Floyd
Mary Todd Lincoln–
wife of Abraham
Lincoln

16. A BeautifulMind
• The movie, A Beautiful Mind, was created based on the life of
schizophrenic John Nash
• The movie drew the audience into Nash’s delusions, with the
imagined people and conspiracies seeming to be completely real
• Half-way through the movie, Nash is diagnosed with schizophrenia
and his delusions are revealed to the audience
• The movie then documents Nash’s struggles with his disorder and
his coming to terms with it
• In the end, Nash is able to live with his schizophrenia and becomes
a professor at Princeton as well as the recipient of a Nobel Prize for
one of his economic theories
• The movie creates a decent portrayal of schizophrenia and helps
viewers understand how reality can become so mixed up in the
mind of a schizophrenic

17. Nash’s two main
delusions as seen in
the movie

19. Schizophrenia Trivia
• Schizophrenia, along with depression, is one of the only
disorders known to exist in every culture and society
around the world
• Schizophrenia affects men and women equally, but it is
usually diagnosed earlier inmen
• Schizophrenia has received a significant stigma in
history and in modern society, further facilitating social
withdrawal among schizophrenics
• Although seemingly primitive, electroconvulsive
therapy has proven to be safe and effective in treating
sever cases of schizophrenia

20. Bibliography
• Psychology, 8th Edition by David Meyers
• https://health.google.com/health/ref/Schizophrenia
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia
• http://schizophrenia.emedtv.com/schizophrenia/types-
of-schizophrenia.html
• http://www.schizophrenia.com/family/FAQgen.htm#pro
gnosis
• http://www.disabled-
world.com/artman/publish/famous-schizophrenia.shtml
• A BeautifulMind