Split Mind

Have you ever had those moments that you are being watched or that you are being followed and you start to walk faster and your heart rate increases, but you suddenly get a hold of yourself and kind of chuckle because you realize how stupid those thoughts were.  How could anyone just be watching you or following you  for no apparent reason, so you just throw those kinds of thoughts to the back burner and never think about ever again.
But what if these two thoughts never went away, you just could not seem to let go of these thoughts, but now not only are you being followed or being watched but they have put something in your cereal so that you can ingest it and now they are in you.
As awkward as this might sound there is people out there that suffer with these kinds of thoughts that have become their reality known as, Schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia originally known as dementia praecox but later in 1911 introduced as schizophrenia by Eugen Bleuler a Greek term referred to as "split mind" meaning that there is a split between the emotional and intellectual aspect of experience.
Throughout history people who suffered from schizophrenia were thought to be possessed by demons and were feared and many times locked up forever.  Even though research has advanced in educating and helping the public to better understand schizophrenia it is still easier for the average person to deal with the idea of cancer than to try and understand the strange behavior, hallucinations, or erratic ideas of someone with schizophrenia.
Many people have the misconception that people with schizophrenia are more violent, and so when friends and family learn about their diagnosis they are shocked and afraid.

Onset
Schizophrenia occurs in early adulthood, usually early 20s.  During this time the person may seem without goals in life, unmotivated, becoming very eccentric, isolating themselves from family and friends.

Signs

• Social withdrawal
• Irrational, bizarre or odd statements or beliefs
• Increase paranoia - questioning other's motives 
• Becoming more emotionless 
• Hostility or suspicious
• Drugs or alcohol use
• Inappropriate laughter
• Insomnia or excessive sleeping

Causes

It is not know what causes schizophrenia but it is believe to be a combination of genetics and environment.
Brain chemicals play a big role in schizophrenia such as neurotransmitters of dopamine and glutamate; neuroimaging studies have shown the differences in brain structure and central nervous system of people with schizophrenia.

Risk Factors

• Having a family history of schizophrenia
• Exposure to viruses, toxins, malnutrition while in womb (1st & 2nd trimester)
• Stressful life circumstances
• Older paternal age
• Usage of psychoactive drugs during adolescence and young adulthood

Treatment

Because schizophrenia is a chronic condition it requires lifelong treatment, even if and when symptoms subside; antipsychotic medications are most common for treating schizophrenia.

• Atypical antipsychotics…these are the newer medications with lower risk and debilitating side effects.
• Abilify
• Clozaril, Fazaclo
• Zyprexa
• Invega
• Seroquel
• Risperdal

• Conventional or Typical, Antipsychotic…produce frequent and potentially significant neurological side effects such as tardive dyskinesia.
• Chlorpomazine
• Fluphenazine
• Haldol
• Perphenazine

Conclusion
It can take several weeks to see improvement but the goal is to effectively control signs and symptoms at the lowest possible dosage.  Different medications, different dosage, and or combinations may be given to achieve the desired result; other medication such as andtidepressants or anti anxiety medication may also be helpful.