Behavioral Health Conditions

Schizophrenia

Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary; may be unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal emotions in social situations. Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe and disabling brain disorder that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, is estimated to affect between 0.25 and 0.64 percent of Americans.

  • Hearing or seeing something that isn’t there
  • A constant feeling of being watched
  • Peculiar or nonsensical way of speaking or writing
  • Strange body positioning
  • Feeling indifferent to very important situations
  • Deterioration of academic or work performance
  • A change in personal hygiene and appearance
  • A change in personality
  • Increasing withdrawal from social situations
  • Irrational, angry or fearful response to loved ones
  • Inability to sleep or concentrate
  • Inappropriate or bizarre behavior
  • Delusions—false ideas—individuals may believe that someone is spying on him or her, or that they are someone famous
  • Hallucinations – seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing or smelling something that doesn’t really exist
  • Disordered thinking and speech
  • Individuals may make up their own words or sounds
  • Social withdrawal
  • Extreme apathy
  • Lack of drive or initiative
  • Emotional unresponsiveness