Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. Their perception of reality is somewhat shattered and can often lead to a loss of contact with reality. Victims of this disease often see or hear things that aren’t there, speak in strange ways, believe that someone could be out to harm them, or feel like they are being watched/ followed. As a result, schizophrenia makes it difficult to manage everyday life. Many people suffering may withdraw for the outside world or act out in confusion and fear. Schizophrenia tends to be more severe in men than in women and the earlier it is seen, the more severe it is in the future.
No one knows how long schizophrenia has been around but it is said that the disease has been around since the late middle ages, yet no one is clear when it was first discovered. Records from the ancient world are sketchy because the mental illness was not always considered an illness but mystical forces at work. While clear cases of schizophrenia are seen in the sixteenth century it can be disputed due to similar illnesses. Torrey believes, the first unmistakable descriptions of schizophrenia appeared only in the early nineteenth century when Englishman John Haslam and Frenchman Philippe Pinel described people with schizophrenia-like symptoms. Though still today there is controversy on when this disorder was first seen, either in the nineteenth or early twentieth century.
Schizophrenia can
Cited: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=8805 http://www.drstubbeman.com/psychosis-treatment http://www.helpguide.org/mental/schizophrenia_symptom.htm http://www.netplaces.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-basics/a-brief-history-of-schizophrenia.htm