The disease may trigger hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and a lack of motivation. The disease may also affect how a person thinks, interacts around others and manages their emotions.

Schizophrenia is not the same as multiple personality disorder (also called dissociative identity disorder or split personality disorder). There may be many different types of schizophrenia and the appropriate treatment should be recommended based on the type of disease and the individual.

The exact cause of schizophrenia may not be fully understood although many theories may exist. The disease may be genetic, although people that have a relative with the disease may not necessarily suffer from schizophrenia themselves. The disease may also be caused by problems during pregnancy that may affect or damage the child's nervous system. Malnutrition or exposure to a viral infection may lead to a child developing schizophrenia during pregnancy.

There may be two types of symptoms people experience: positive symptoms and negative symptoms. Negative symptoms may include apathy, lack of motivation, self-neglect and inappropriate emotions. Negative symptoms may begin before positive symptoms and may be confused with depression in some cases.

Positive symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions and disorganized or confusing thoughts or speech. Symptoms may come on suddenly or may develop gradually. The condition may most commonly develop during childhood or early adulthood.

A mental health assessment and a patient history may be used to diagnose schizophrenia. Other tests may be used to rule out any other possible causes of the symptoms.

There may be no cure for the condition, but many people may effectively manage the disease using certain treatments. Medications may be prescribed by a doctor to help control some of the patient's symptoms. Counseling with a professional may also be recommended in treating and managing the disease.

Lifelong treatment of the condition may be necessary. A health care professional may recommend other treatments as well.

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