Schizophrenia (mate wairua tuakoi) is a mental health condition that causes repeated episodes of psychosis. This can impact how you see things, think, feel and behave.
It is not exactly known how or why schizophrenia develops, but it is generally accepted that a combination of factors plays a role. Some people may be more vulnerable than others.
Things that may increase the risk of developing or triggering schizophrenia include the following:
- Genetics – relatives of a person who suffers from schizophrenia may be slightly more vulnerable than others. However, most people who have a relative with schizophrenia do not develop the condition themselves.
- Life events – your childhood experience, including abuse and trauma, can be an important factor.
- Stress – it is most often during big life changes or after serious events that people experience the first signs of schizophrenia.
- Drug abuse – certain drugs, particularly
Sometimes symptoms come on quickly, but mostly people’s behaviour changes gradually. Early changes may include:
- having trouble keeping up at school or work
- isolation from friends and whānau
- giving up hobbies or activities
- hearing sounds, like voices, that others can’t hear
- getting a bit paranoid.
Not everyone who has some or all of these symptoms สมัคร UFABET วันนี้ รับเครดิตฟรีสำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ will go on to develop schizophrenia, but these symptoms may be a warning sign. Recognising that something is not right and getting help early can help you get better faster.
The symptoms of schizophrenia vary between people and you may have different symptoms at different times. Three different types of symptoms are commonly reported:
- psychotic symptoms – also called ‘positive’ symptoms because they are new and unusual
- mood and motivation symptoms – also called ‘negative’ symptoms because they refer to the loss of normal behaviours and emotions
- thinking and memory problems – also called ‘cognitive’ symptoms.
Positive symptoms may include the following
- Hallucinations – you may hear, see, taste, smell or feel things that are not there. Hearing voices no one else can hear is the most common hallucination. The voices may threaten, frighten or command you to do harmful acts. Some people hear reassuring or neutral voices.
- Delusions – you may develop unusual and strongly held beliefs. You may think you have special powers, that you are being watched or spied upon or that your thoughts are being shared with others. Such delusions cannot be changed by logical argument or evidence that supports a different point of view.
- Disordered thoughts – you may have trouble connecting ideas into a logical sequence or may jump rapidly from one topic to another, which makes it difficult to hold a conversation. This may also be accompanied by inappropriate emotional responses (where your words and moods do not match), and you may laugh when speaking of a serious or frightening event.