Schizophrenia: Just the facts
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition
It often causes severe symptoms such as:
- Hallucinations – hearing, seeing or experiencing things that are not really there
- Delusions – beliefs that aren’t based on reality
- Muddled thoughts based on hallucinations or delusions
- Not always being able to distinguish thoughts from reality
Other common symptoms include:
- Not feeling up to normal activities, like washing and dressing
- Wanting to avoid people, including friends
It is often a misunderstood mental health condition, schizophrenia does not cause people to be violent and does not mean someone has a split personality.
Schizophrenia is a type of psychosis, you can read more about psychosis here.
But just because someone is experiencing psychosis, that does not necessarily mean they have schizophrenia.
If you think you are having any symptoms of schizophrenia or psychosis, it’s important to speak to a GP as soon as possible. There is no single test to diagnose schizophrenia, so you may be referred to a psychiatrist or specialist for a diagnosis. The earlier it is diagnosed, the more successfully it can be treated.
Diagnosis before the age of 18 is known as ‘early onset schizophrenia’. Schizophrenia diagnosis before the age of 13 is extremely rare.
Treatment usually includes a combination of talking therapies and antipsychotic medication. Many people do recover from schizophrenia, although they may have periods when symptoms return (these are called relapses).
People living with schizophrenia may also find it comforting to speak to others with the same condition, charities such as SANE have an eCommunity where people can come together and share their experiences.
How to get help
If you have any more questions on this area or would like to speak to somebody about this topic, have a look at the links or search for your local services in the blue box below. Alternatively you can always contact your school nurse.
Find help in your local area
Find help in your local area
Find out what services are available to you in your area. Remember your school nurse is always there to give you confidential help and support.
Leicester
TEXT YOUR SCHOOL NURSE
You can always contact your school nurse by visiting them in school. Or alternatively you can text them on our mobile messaging service.
The text messaging working hours are Monday to Friday from 09:00am to 5:00pm. Your message will be seen during those hours after which we respond most quickly to messages that need urgent attention, and we aim to respond to all messages within 24 hours, Monday to Friday. If you need urgent help in the meantime, contact your doctor, visit a NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. If it is an emergency, dial 999 or visit A&E.
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Services
Find out what other mental health conditions support services are available to you in your area.
