Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that causes abnormalities in thinking, behavior, and emotion. It is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Symptoms are categorized as positive (e.g. hallucinations, delusions) or negative (e.g. reduced speech, emotional expression) and can be triggered by stress, trauma, substance abuse, and family history. Treatment involves medication and therapy to help patients manage symptoms and rebuild their lives.

2.  Schizophrenia is a mental
disorder that affects one’s ability
to communicate, function in
society, differentiate between
reality and their delusions or
hallucinations and can turn their
lives upside down
 It is caused by genetics,
substance abuse, environmental
changes and traumatic events
and can drastically change
one’s life
 These causes must be combined
in order to trigger the illness

3.  When the illness has been triggered symptoms are
categorized into positive and negative symptoms.
 Positive symptoms are abnormal thoughts or
behaviors such as delusions or hallucinations.
Negative symptoms are normal emotions and
behaviors that are reduced by schizophrenia such
as lack of an emotional expression and impaired
speech

4.  Genetics leave one predisposed to
schizophrenia
 When a family member has
schizophrenia, the other family members
face the same risk
I.e. First cousins share 12.5% of genes
therefore if one has schizophrenia the
others face a 2% chance of developing
schizophrenia

5.  Moving to an unfamiliar environment, like
college, can trigger a schizophrenic
outbreak
 This is due to how much stress it can put
on someone, as well as, them being
nervous about being away from home

6.  Embarrassing or traumatic events, like,
peeing in their pants or sexual abuse can
also lead to psychosis, the abnormal
condition of the mind, or other symptoms
of schizophrenia, such as, paranoia and
hallucinations

7.  If a woman gets a virus during
pregnancy or has complications while
giving birth, it can cause problems with
brain development for the child, which is
a factor that can lead to schizophrenia

8.  One hypothesis states that an
imbalance in neurotransmitters;
dopamine, seretonin GABA
and Glutamate can effect
schizophrenia by increasing
symptoms
i.e. Increased dopamine levels
can cause hallucinations
 People with schizophrenia also
have a smaller hippocampus,
prefrontal cortex and abnormal
development or poor function
in these areas

9.  Substance abuse is
common for people with
and even without
schizophrenia
 40-70% of people with
schizophrenia abuse
substances
 The most common
substances abused are
alcohol, tobacco and
cannabis
 These substances can
cause schizophrenia,
worsen it and take people
away from their symptoms

10.  When one does not have
schizophrenia, cannabis can
bring out symptoms because
it can cause hallucinations
 When one has schizophrenia,
it can worsen symptoms
because it causes higher
relapse rates, more frequent
hospitalization periods and
criminal behavior

11.  For schizophrenic patients, substance
abuse can free them from their
symptoms
 This gives them a more peaceful
existence while enduring schizophrenias
most painful symptoms

12.  Symptoms of schizophrenia can
take over a patients life
 Symptoms can cause a patient
to lose their job, friends and
family
 There are many positive and
negative symptoms and some
damaging ones include;
delusions, hallucinations, alogia
and flat affect

13.  Positive symptoms, such as,
Hallucinations and delusions can ruin a
schizophrenia patients life
 Hallucinations include such things as
envisioning police cars and delusions
include believing the government is
out to get you
 These delusions and hallucinations can
take over your life by becoming all you
can think about, making you neglect
other aspects of your life, such as,
relationships, work or school work

14.  Other symptoms include trouble focusing
on tasks and daydreaming which can
cause loss of jobs and a drop in
academic performance

15.  Alogia and Flat affect are
examples of negative
symptoms
 Alogia causes one to have
impaired speech and flat
affect causes a lack of an
emotional expressions
 Both of these symptoms can
cause isolation and feeling
removed from society due to
not being able to respond to
social cues

16.  It is important for schizophrenic patients
to get treatment
 It can help schizophrenic patients rebuild
their lives and survive in society

17.  Treatment includes,
medication, and different forms
of therapy (Group, or one-on-
one)
 The best form of treatment is to
pair therapy with medication
 The goal of treatment is to
rehabilitate those with
schizophrenia by making them
functional members of society
(getting skills to get a job) and
prevent relapses (keep them
out of hospitals)

18.  Schizophrenia is the most
damaging mental illness
 It is very important to take
preventative measures to keep
aware and away from things that
cause schizophrenia especially if
you are predisposed to it, as well
as, seek proper treatment if you
have the illness

19.  Malchow, Berend, et al. "Cannabis Abuse And Brain Morphology In
Schizophrenia: A Review Of The Available Evidence." European Archives Of
Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience 263.1 (2013): 3-13. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 2 May 2014.
 Ming T. Tsuang William S. Stone, Stephen V. Faraone, “Genes,
Environment and Schizophrenia.” (1995) The case for heterogeneity in the
etiology of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research. Web. 8 May 2014
 Snyder, Kurt, Me, Myself and Them. (2007) Oxford University Press,
Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016