It is often first diagnosed in early adulthood.
When Do Symptoms of Schizophrenia Appear?
Early symptoms ofschizophreniavary depending on the person.
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Symptoms may develop slowly over months or years with several symptoms building sequentially before the diagnosis is made.
A person experiencing schizophrenia symptoms will likely need to see a psychiatrist for an assessment and diagnosis.
However, family members and friends sometimes recognize symptoms in the early stages of the disorder.
Early signs of schizophrenia usually manifest between the ages of 15 and 30.
What Are the Early Signs of Schizophrenia?
It is not until the symptoms become more pronounced that the disorder is recognized as schizophrenia.
Students who were once high academic achievers could become chronically truant, eventually dropping out of school altogether.
This unusual behavior is called “delusions of reference.”
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
A young person with schizophrenia might be preoccupied with a particular delusion and talk about it incessantly.
Associative Problems
Associative thinking problems are among the earliest warning signs of schizophrenia.
People with associative thinking problems may have difficulty understanding cause-and-effect relationships.
For example, they oftendon’t recognize that their thoughts influencetheir feelings or behavior.
Disorganized Thinking
Disorganized thinkingis another early warning sign of schizophrenia.
The person afflicted with the disorder may struggle to comprehend information and solve problems.
Their facial expressions may be limited, and they might avoid eye contact with others.
They might also seem confused, with a vacant stare and unable to hold a conversation.
Drugs or Alcohol Abuse
People with schizophrenia may turn to drugs or alcohol to ease their anxiety.
They may abuse these substances during the day despite knowing that they are harmful.
According to a 2018 study inSchizophrenia Research, substance abuse often worsens the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Unable to cope with the symptoms of schizophrenia, they often withdraw from society.
They might be unable to focus on school or work.
Physical symptoms include an inability to get up in the morning and sleeping excessively during the day.
In some cases, people with schizophrenia have problems with appetite and weight loss, leading to malnutrition.
2021;13(4):570-586.
2018;7(6):1566-1570. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_264_18
National Institute of Mental Health.Schizophrenia.
