Although schizophrenia is often confused with dissociative identity disorder, in fact these are two very different illnesses.

People with schizophrenia do not have multiple personalities; rather, they suffer from severe psychosis. Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness whose cause is still unknown. Some doctors believe it’s a condition where the brain cannot correctly process normal inputs. Others believe a person’s environment may trigger it, such as an infection while in utero. Still others believe that genetic factors likely play a role.

Schizophrenia is usually characterized by hallucinations and delusions. Delusions, the most common symptom in people with schizophrenia, are false beliefs or misconceptions. For example, a person with schizophrenia may believe that someone is following them as part of a conspiracy to harm them, steal from them, etc.

Hallucinations are hearing or seeing things that are not real. This symptom commonly presents itself as hearing voices that seem to come from outside of the sufferer’s head. The voices may issue commands or give warnings of danger, all of which appear completely real and convincing to the person who is hallucinating. Hallucinations may affect their other senses as well. For example, during a hallucination, someone with schizophrenia may have the sensation of tingling or burning somewhere on their body, they may see things that aren’t there, food and drinks may taste different to them, or they may smell odors that no one else can smell.

Doctors have so far been unable to develop medical tests sufficient to determine a conclusive schizophrenia diagnosis. For this reason, it is critical to get help from a trained psychiatrist who can eliminate other potential causes of the psychosis. Typically, the doctor conducts an interview with the patient and with the patient’s family. They may also employ other medical tests, such as a CT scan, to rule out other physiological causes and to look for possible changes within the brain.

For more information about getting help with the diagnosis or treatment of schizophrenia, contact Solace Counseling. We’d be happy to help guide you or your loved one toward a better place of health.