Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness, and is probably the most distressing and disabling of the severe mental disorders. The first signs of schizophrenia typically emerge in adolescence or young adulthood. The effects of the illness are confusing and often shocking to families and friends. People with schizophrenia suffer from difficulties in their thought processes, which lead to hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, and unusual speech or behavior. All these symptoms mean that people affected with …showed first 75 words of 1284 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1284 total…when forced to interact, he or she may have nothing to say, reflecting 'impoverished thought.' Motivation can be greatly decreased, as can interest in or enjoyment of life. In severe cases, a person can spend entire days doing nothing at all, even neglecting basic hygiene. These problems with emotional expression and motivation, which may be extremely troubling to family members and friends, are symptoms of schizophrenia and are not character flaws or personal weaknesses.