in the early twenties to early thirties. It is uncommon and rarely seen in children, but there are some
early signs of development. For example, children who used to enjoy relationships with others may
start to become more shy or withdrawn and seem to be in his or her own world. They may also start
to cling to parents or talk about strange fears and ideas that do not make sense.
Schizophrenia's inheritance is multifactoral; It is usually the result from a complex interaction
between genetics and heredity, chemistry, and environmental factors. The disorder has a strong
hereditary component. Individuals with a schizophrenic relative (parent or sibling) have a 10 percent
chance of developing the disorder. Although genetics play a role, it is only influenced, not determined.
People with schizophrenia have a chemical imbalance within them; this means that the person
diagnosed have either very sensitive to or produce an excessive amount of dopamine (neurotrans-
mitters). The imbalance of this chemical can affect the way a person's brain may react to stimuli. As
for the environmental factors involved, more and more research is pointing to stress, either during
pregnancy or at a later stage of development. High levels of stress are believed to trigger Schizo-
phrenia by increasing the body's production of the hormone cortisol. Some stress inducing environ-
mental factors include prenatal exposure to a viral infection, low oxygen levels during birth, early
parental loss or separation and physical or sexual abuse.
Schizophrenia is the least affected in the biosocial domain because it doesn't alter or affect
any physical development. Even though it doesn't affect the body's growth, it can change their
movements, the way they take care of their body and their health. For instance, they may have
bizarre postures, aimless body movements, deterioration of personal hygiene and lack sleep
or have insomnia which can affect their overall health.
There are a number of problems for schizophrenic's in the cognitive domain. They are
effected in their perception, judgment, memory, and mental processes. They may become
depressed, forgetful, unable to concentrate, and have disorganized thoughts. A schizophrenic
can have delusions, hallucinations and paranoia which can typically prevent them from doing
normal things like bathing, eating or running errands.
The psychosocial is probably the most affected by this disorder. People with schizophrenia
isolate themselves, start neglecting their appearance, say peculiar things, and show a general
indifference in life. It can disrupt goal-directed activity, causing impairments in a person's ability
to take care of him or herself, work, have friends, and interact with others. They may also abandon
hobbies and activities, and their performances at work or school deteriorates.
Schizophrenia is a disorder of the psychosis that makes it difficult to differentiate between
what's a real or unreal experience, to think logically, to have normal emotional response, and to behave
normally in social situations. With medication, therapy, and a strong support network, many people
with Schizophrenia are able to improve control of their symptoms, in greater independence and
lead fulfilling lives.