Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects people worldwide. This disorder is one of the most severe brain disorders. By definition, it is characterized by profound distortions in one's thought process, emotions, perceptions, and behavior. This serious mental disorder causes a person to lose contact with reality. It can be accompanied by hallucinations, delusions, abnormal thinking, diminished motivation, and disturbed work and social functioning. The prevalence of schizophrenia affects about 1 percent of the population. This disease is common in both men and women. We will discuss throughout this paper, risk factors, symptoms, prognosis, treatment, and the life altering reality of this disease.
             Scientists do not fully understand what causes this dreadful disease. There are however risk factors that we can be aware of. A risk factor can be described as a quality that you possess that would make you more susceptible to the disease than that of someone who cannot identify with the risk factor. Certain family history traits may increase the risk of developing the disease. A person with a close family member who has schizophrenia has a ten percent chance of getting the disease. Studies of the structure and function of the brain have also shown abnormalities that are found in only those with schizophrenia. This leads to the possibility that the schizophrenia may be a disorder in the maturity of the brain. Socioeconomic factors also contribute to what is thought to cause schizophrenia. By being part of a lower socioeconomic class, high levels of stress and poor nutrition may be present. Also thought to be a risk factor, is if during birth there are complications. These complications may cause the individual to later in life develop the disease. The common age range for developing schizophrenia for men is ages 15-24 and for women ages 25-34.
             There are a varying range of symptoms that are present in someone with...