Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is widely misunderstood. Many know that hallucinations and delusions are common features of the disease but know little about this disorder. One common misconception is that people with schizophrenia have multiple personalities, which is untrue. Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) are two different mental illnesses. However, they sometimes coincide in the same person, and DID can be challenging to diagnose, which may explain some of the confusion. Diagnosis and treatment as early as possible, are always the best approach if you suspect someone may have either of these conditions.
Schizophrenia disrupts a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, socialize, and make sound decisions. The symptoms and severity of this illness can vary widely from person to person, though they always share some commonalities. It can appear at any time, but the average age of onset is between 18-30 years of age for men and 25-35 years for women. Schizophrenia can be challenging to diagnose, depending on the symptoms and age of onset. The early signs can be subtle and particularly easy to overlook in teenagers since they are already expected to exhibit some moody behavior.