The term dementia praecox (literally meaning early madness) was coined by Emil Kraepelin in 1884 and refers to a group of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by chronic disturbances of thought processes, particularly delusions and hallucinations. Today, these diagnoses are commonly referred schizophrenia. Contrary to a common misconception, it is not “a split personality” disorder. Those who suffer from schizophrenia often exhibit combinations of many different symptoms. For example, they might hear voices, see visions or hallucinate, have trouble thinking clearly, have problems remembering things, have trouble doing simple tasks, or feel confused about what’s happening in their lives. These symptoms can make it hard to function socially and emotionally, and interfere with daily life.
Schizophrenia is often thought of as a range of separate disorders due to the variety of symptoms that people experience and how these may manifest themselves in combination. However, recent developments have indicated that there are likely to be a number of common underlying factors that contribute to the development of schizophrenia, including genetic, biological, psychological, developmental, and sociological influences.
