How to Recognize Schizophrenia

The diagnosis of schizophrenia is a complex clinical process that has previously been the subject of much controversy. You cannot diagnose schizophrenia on your own, but must consult a clinical professional such as a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. Only a mental health professional can accurately diagnose schizophrenia. However, if you suspect you have schizophrenia, there are some features that can help you get a better look at schizophrenia and determine if you are at risk.

Table of Contents

Identify Specific Symptoms

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Distinguish specific symptoms (Criterion A). To diagnose schizophrenia, the mental health clinician first looks for symptoms that fall into five of the following “groups”: delusions, hallucinations, disordered speech and thinking, and disordered motivated behavior disordered or abnormal (including psychological disturbances), and negative symptoms indicating reduced behavioral expression. ^{[1] X Research Sources}^{[2] X Research Sources}

You must have at least 2 or more symptoms. Each symptom must have occurred for a significant period of time in the 1-month cycle (less if the symptom has been treated). At least one of the symptoms must be in the category of delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Recognize delusions. A delusion is an irrational belief that often arises when a person perceives some threat, but all others do not perceive the threat. The illusion persists despite evidence that it cannot be true. ^{[4] X Research Sources Miyazono, K. (2015). Delusions as harmful malfunctioning beliefs. Consciousness and Cognition, 33, 561–573.}

There is a difference between delusion and doubt. Many people sometimes have irrational suspicions, such as that a co-worker is “intentionally causing trouble for me” or that they are being “chased by bad luck.” You have to distinguish, on the basis of the extent of these beliefs, whether they stress you to the point of not being productive.
For example, if you believe that the government is spying on you, to the point of not daring to leave the house to go to work or school, it is a sign that irrational beliefs are causing instability in your life. ^{[5] X Seeman Research Source , MV (2015). On Delusion Formation. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(2), 87–90.}
Sometimes there are very bizarre delusions, such as believing that you are an animal or supernatural being. If you find yourself believing in something that is out of the ordinary, this is likely a sign of delusion (but certainly not the only possibility).

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Notice if you have hallucinations. Hallucinations are sensory experiences that appear to be real but are actually only in your mind. ^{[6] X Research Resources Teeple, RC, Caplan, JP, & Stern, TA (2009). Visual Hallucinations: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment. Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 11(1), 26–32.} Hallucinations usually occur in the form of auditory (hearing), visual (visible), olfactory (smell) or tactile (touch, like the sensation of ants crawling on the skin). Hallucinations can affect any of the senses. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, how often do you feel something crawling in your hand? Do you often hear noises even when there are no people around? Do you see things that “shouldn’t be” there, or no one else does?

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Think about religious beliefs and cultural practices. Having beliefs that others consider “strange” doesn’t mean you’re delusional. Likewise, seeing things that others don’t see is not always a dangerous hallucination. Beliefs can only be judged as “illusory” or dangerous in terms of local religious and cultural practices. An individual’s beliefs and attitudes are often only indicative of psychosis or schizophrenia if it interferes adversely with daily life.

For example, the belief that bad actions are punished by “fate” or “karma” seems quite delusional to some cultures, but completely normal to others. ^{[8] X Research Resources Bhugra, D., & Kalra, G. (2010, July). Cross Cultural Psychiatry: Context and Issues. Journal of Pakistan Psychiatric Society, pp. 51–54.}
The perception of hallucinations also depends on cultural practices. For example, children in many cultures can have auditory or visual hallucinations such as hearing the voice of a deceased relative without being considered psychotic, nor will they develop psychosis as an adult. go up. ^{[9] X Research Source}^{[10] X Research Source Liester, MB (1998). Toward a new definition of hallucination. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 68(2), 305–312.}^{[11] X Research Sources Mertin, P., Niamh. (two thousand and thirteen). High emotional arousal and failures in reality monitoring: Pathways to auditory hallucinations in non-psychotic children? Scandinavian Journal of Psychpogy, 54(2), 102–106.}
People who are too religious are more likely to see or hear some unusual things, like hearing the voice of a god or seeing an angel. Many belief systems accept these experiences as real and good, even what they seek. Unless the experience is stressful or dangerous for themselves or others, it’s usually not something to worry about. ^{[12] X Research Resources Reed, P., & Clarke, N. (2014). Effect of religious context on the content of visual hallucinations in individuals high in religiosity. Psychiatry Research, 215, 594–598}

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Is your speech and thinking messy? You should understand cluttered thinking and talking literally. This means that you find it difficult to give thorough and complete answers to the questions. Your answers are often off-topic, fragmentary, or incomplete. In many cases, slurred speech is accompanied by an inability or unwillingness to look directly at the listener, or to use non-verbal communication, such as gestures or body language. ^{[13] X Research Sources Bergman, HF, Preisler, G., & Werbart, A. (2006). Communicating with patients with schizophrenia: characteristics of well functioning and poorly functioning communication. Qualitative Research in Psychpogy, 3(2), 121–146.} You must ask someone else to notice if this happens.

In severe cases, speech is “interwoven”, the strings of words and thoughts are unrelated and cannot be understood by the listener. ^{[14] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}
As with the other symptoms in this section, you must consider “messy” speech and thinking in the social and cultural context in which you live. ^{[15] X Research Source Scull, A. (2014). Cultural Socipogy of Mental Illness: An A-to-Z Guide. SAGE Publications} For example, some beliefs hold that people will speak in a strange language that is incomprehensible when they come into contact with a certain divine figure. In addition, narratives are structured differently across cultures, with some oral stories appearing “strange” or “messy” to outsiders unfamiliar with the story. traditions and culture of the narrator. ^{[16] X American Psychiatric Association Research Source . (two thousand and thirteen). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. American Psychiatric Association, p. 103.}
Your language can only be considered confusing if others are familiar with your cultural and religious practices and still cannot understand or interpret it (or in situations where your language “should” be) must be understood).

Consider Your Life Next to Someone Else’s Life

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Assess your work and social life (Criterion B). The second criterion for diagnosing schizophrenia is “social/occupational dysfunction”. The dysfunction must have occurred within a substantial period of time since the onset of symptoms. Many other health problems also disrupt work and social life, so even if you’re having trouble in one or more areas of your life, that doesn’t mean you have schizophrenia. paralysis. One or more “important” areas of negative impact are: ^{[22] X Research Sources}

Work/Study
Personal relationship
Take care of yourself

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Think about how you handle work. One of the criteria to evaluate “dysfunction” is the ability to fulfill job requirements. If you are still a student who has not yet graduated from school to work, you must consider your academic ability. Think about the following questions:

Do you feel confident when leaving home for work or school?
Do you have trouble getting to class on time or showing up on a regular basis?
What part of the job are you afraid to do now?
If you are a student, has your academic performance been adversely affected?

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Reflect on your relationships with other people. This should be considered on the basis of what is normal for you. If you’ve always been a shy person, a lack of desire to socialize with others is not necessarily a sign of dysfunction. However, if you notice that your behavior and motivations are becoming “unusual” for you, it may be something you need to let a mental health professional know.

Are you still interested in previous relationships?
Do you still enjoy socializing the way you usually do?
Do you feel like you no longer enjoy talking to others as much as you used to?
Do you feel scared or very nervous when interacting with other people?
Do you feel harassed by others or suspect they have a motive not to let you know?

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Think about self-care behaviors. “Self-care” refers to the ability to take care of oneself to maintain health and function. This criterion also needs to be assessed on the basis of “what is normal for you”. So if you normally exercise 2-3 times a week but have stopped exercising for three months now, it could be a sign of a disorder. The following behaviors are also signs of self-care distraction: ^{[23] X Research Source}

You start to use or increase abuse of a substance, such as alcohol or drugs
You don’t sleep well or sleep time varies widely (for example, 2 hours last night, 14 hours tonight, etc.)
You don’t “feel” satisfied, or feel “bored”
Body hygiene is becoming more and more scandalous
Not cleaning the place

Think of Other Possibilities

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Note how long symptoms have been present (Criterion C). To diagnose schizophrenia, a mental health professional will ask you how long the disorder has been and how long the symptoms have been present. If schizophrenia is true, the disorder must have been present for at least 6 months. ^{[24] X Research Source}

This period must include at least 1 month of “active status” of the symptoms mentioned in Part 1 (Criterion A), although this 1-month requirement may be reduced if symptoms are treated. .
The 6-month period may also include periods of “prodromal” or residual symptoms. During these stages, symptoms are sometimes less intense (i.e. “weak”) or sometimes only “negative symptoms” such as lack of emotion or unwillingness to touch anything.

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Exclude possible culprits (Criterion D). Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (or depression) together with neurotic features can produce symptoms very similar to schizophrenia. Other diseases or physical trauma such as strokes and tumors also cause neurological symptoms. ^{[25] X Research Source} That’s why you need a clinical mental health professional to help. You may not be able to distinguish these symptoms on your own. ^{[26] X Research Source}

The clinician will ask you if the moment of highs and lows or major depression occurs at the same time as the symptoms are in the “active phase”.
Episodes of major depression include at least one of the following for a minimum of 2 weeks: depressed mood or loss of interest, pleasure in things that were previously enjoyed. Timing of depression also includes symptoms that frequently or nearly always occur within that time frame, such as weight changes, sudden changes in sleep habits, fatigue, irritability, or depression. , feeling guilty or worthless, having trouble concentrating and thinking, often thinking about death. ^{[27] X Research Resources} A mental health professional will help you determine if you’ve experienced a major depressive episode.
A bittersweet moment is a very recognizable time (usually at least a week) when you’re in an unusually high mood, get angry easily, or open up. You also exhibit at least three other symptoms such as less desire to sleep, inflated ideas about yourself, frivolous or fleeting thoughts, distractions, more involvement in goal-directed activities, or participation excessive involvement in recreational activities, especially those that pose a risk or potential for negative consequences. ^{[28] X Research Resources} Mental health professionals help you determine if you’ve been through a bittersweet moment.
They also ask you how long these mood swings last during the “active period” of symptoms. If the duration of the mood is brief compared with the duration of the active and residual symptoms, this could be a sign of schizophrenia.

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Exclude a cause for stimulant use (Criterion E). Use of stimulants such as alcohol and drugs can cause symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia. When making a diagnosis, the clinician must ensure that the disorder and symptoms you are experiencing are not due to the “direct physiological effects” of stimulants, such as drugs and illicit drugs. ^{[29] X Research Sources}

Although legal, prescription drugs can cause side effects such as hallucinations. For the clinician, they must distinguish what is a side effect of drug use and what is a symptom of disease.
Substance use disorder (often called “substance abuse”) often co-occurs with schizophrenia. Many people with schizophrenia try to “self-treat” their symptoms with drugs, alcohol, and drugs. A mental health professional will help determine if you are abusing substances. ^{[30] X Research Sources Gouzoulis-Mayfrank, E., & Walter, M. (2015). Schizophrenia and addiction. In G. Dom, F. Moggi, G. (Ed) Dom, & F. (Ed) Moggi (Eds.), Co-occurring addictive and psychiatric disorders: A practice-based handbook from a European perspective. (pp. 75–86). New York, NY, US: Springer-Verlag Publishing.}

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Consider your condition in relation to Total Developmental Delay or Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is another factor that the clinician needs to address. Generalized developmental delay or autism spectrum disorder also causes symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia. ^{[31] X Research Source}

If you have had a history of autism spectrum disorder or communication disorders as a child, you can only conclude that you have schizophrenia when delusions or hallucinations are evident .

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These criteria do not “guarantee” you to have schizophrenia. The criteria for concluding schizophrenia and many other mental illnesses are considered to have much in common . That is, there are many possible explanations for the symptoms, and they also combine in different ways, and the manifestations are not the same depending on each person’s point of view. Diagnosing schizophrenia is difficult even for a trained professional. ^{[32] X Research Sources Olbert, CM, Gala, GJ, & Tupler, LA (2014). Quantifying heterogeneity attributable to ppythetic diagnostic criteria: Theoretical framework and empirical application. Journal of Abnormal Psychpogy, 123(2), 452–462.}

As noted above, it is possible that your symptoms stem from a trauma, illness or disorder. You must ask a mental health professional to accurately diagnose your illness or disorder.
Cultural customs, individual characteristics and local people’s way of thinking and talking can influence the perception of a “normal” behavior. ^{[33] X Research Sources Rashed, MA (2013). Psychiatric Judgments Across Cultural Contexts: Relativist, Clinical-Ethnographic, and Universalist-Scientific Perspectives. Journal of Medicine & Philosophy, 38(2), 128–148.}

Act

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Get help from friends and family. There are things that are difficult for me to recognize, such as delusions. So you need to ask family and friends to determine if you are exhibiting these symptoms.

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Write diary. Start writing when you think you are hallucinating or have other symptoms. Keep track of what happens just before and while you experience this condition. This will give you an idea of how often these symptoms occur, and it will also provide additional data to the specialist when you ask them to diagnose.

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Pay attention to unusual behavior. Especially in adolescents, schizophrenia can progress slowly over a period of 6-9 months. If you find yourself behaving differently and don’t understand why, talk to a psychiatrist. Do not “ignore” these behaviors as if nothing happened, especially if they are very unusual for you or are causing you stress or dysfunction. These changes are a sign that something is wrong. Maybe it’s not schizophrenia, but you need to consider it.

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Screening examination. Online testing cannot tell you if you have schizophrenia. Only a clinician can make an accurate diagnosis after examining, testing, and interviewing you. However, a good screening questionnaire can help you recognize what symptoms you have, and assess whether they are signs of schizophrenia. ^{[34] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

There is a free version of the Schizophrenia Test and Early Stage Psychosis Index (STEPI) on the website of the Mental Health Resources Library. ^{[35] X Research Source}
The Psych Central website also has an online screening test. ^{[36] X Research Source}

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Talk to an expert. If you are concerned you have schizophrenia, talk to your doctor or therapist. Usually they don’t have enough knowledge to diagnose schizophrenia, but your doctor or general therapist can help you understand the disease better and consider seeing a psychiatrist. ^{[37] X Research Source}

Your doctor can also help you rule out other possible causes for your symptoms, like an injury or other illness.

Identifying Persons At Risk

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The causes of schizophrenia are still being studied. Although researchers have identified a number of factors involved in the development of schizophrenia, the exact cause remains unclear. ^{[38] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Discuss your family medical history with your doctor or mental health professional.

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Consider family members with a history of schizophrenia or a similar disorder. At least the disease is somewhat genetic. You have a 10% higher risk of developing schizophrenia if at least one “first-degree” family member (like a parent or sibling) has it. ^{[39] X Research Sources}^{[40] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

If you have twins or both parents have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, your risk is 40-65% higher.
However, about 60% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia have no close relatives with schizophrenia.
If another family member or yourself has a disorder similar to schizophrenia, such as delusional disorder, you are at higher risk for schizophrenia. ^{[41] X Research Source}

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Determine if you were exposed to certain risks while in the womb. Infants exposed to viruses, toxins, or malnutrition during infancy are more susceptible to schizophrenia. This is even more true if that risk occurs during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. ^{[42] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

The lack of oxygen during birth also makes babies more susceptible to schizophrenia. ^{[43] X Research Source}
Babies born in regions where there is a famine are more than twice as likely to develop the disease, perhaps because women do not get enough nutrients during pregnancy. ^{[44] X Research Source}

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Pay attention to the father’s age. Some studies show a link between a father’s age and the risk of developing schizophrenia. One study found that infants whose fathers were 50 years old or older at birth were three times more likely to have this disease than children whose fathers were 25 years old or younger. ^{[45] X Research Source}

It is thought that this is probably because the older a man gets, the more likely his sperm is to mutate. ^{[46] X Research Source}

Advice

Write down all of your symptoms, and ask a friend or family member to observe any changes in your behavior.
Be honest with your doctor about your symptoms. It is important that you share all of your symptoms and experiences with them. Doctors and mental health professionals are not there to judge you, their job is to help you.
Remember that many social and cultural factors contribute to the way we perceive schizophrenia. Before you see a psychiatrist, you should do more research on your mental health diagnosis history and stylized treatment for schizophrenia.

Warning

Do not self-manage your symptoms with drugs, alcohol, or drugs. This aggravates the situation and has the potential to harm or kill you.
This article is for medical information only and is not intended to diagnose or treat disease. You cannot diagnose schizophrenia on your own, as it is a serious medical problem that requires professional diagnosis and treatment.
Like any other disease, the earlier you diagnose and seek treatment, the better your chances of a cure.
There is no one-size-fits-all “cure” for schizophrenia, and you need to be wary of treatments or people who try to convince you that they can “cure” you. if they guarantee the disease will be easily cured. ^{[47] X Research Source Luhrmann, TM (2012). Beyond the brain: in the 1990s, scientists declared that schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses were pure brain disorders that would eventually yield to drugs. now they are identifying that social factors are among the causes, and must be part of the cure. The Wilson Quarterly, (3).}

Steps