Schizophrenia is a disorder of the brain that makes it challenging for a patient to distinguish what is real and not real. A person suffering from schizophrenia often has a hard time thinking clearly, relating to others, managing emotions, and functioning normally. And thus, the patient may be significantly affected by the way he/she behaves and perceives the world.

The most common type of this disorder is paranoid schizophrenia, in which the patient may hear or see things that are not there or are not actually happening. The three main signs of schizophrenia are:

1. Depression and social withdrawal
One sign of this disorder includes depression and social withdrawal. A person with schizophrenia may start avoiding and interacting with loved ones. He/she may self-isolate from family and friends most of the time. Eventually, this sign will lead to a negative effect on the person’s mental health, and may lead to depression.

Signs of depression may include skipping social events, school, social events they were once passionate about, and work. Also, individuals may begin to uncharacteristically lose interest in aspects he/she once cherished, such as ambitions, passions, and hobbies. He/she may also feel nonchalant to important situations. There may also be a change in appetite that will lead to a significant weight gain or loss. Additionally, depression can lead to suicidal thoughts.

2. Hostility or suspiciousness
When it comes to early warning signs of schizophrenia, this depressed state can lead to other negative behavior that a patient can’t help manage without professional help. For instance, depression may lead to a patient becoming paranoid and irritable. Characteristically, even though not all patients experience this, an individual may have a hard time detecting fantasy from reality, which may prompt suspiciousness or hostility even among friends and loved ones.

The patient may also hear noises or voices that are not present to others. He/she may also have an unrealistic fear that others are out to harm them. With these feelings and behaviors, victims of this disorder have a difficult time interacting with others and keeping a job. Furthermore, sufferers of this disorder may start to doubt people who are close to them. And as a result, they more than likely will react aggressively to simple kinds of criticism from their loved ones. Even if one of their loved ones asked a well-meaning question, such as “How are you?”, a schizophrenic may overreact.

3. Lack of emotion or inappropriate emotional outbursts
Since schizophrenia patients have a challenging time distinguishing between reality and fantasy, patients may have unexpected or different emotional responses. For example, they may appear to lack emotions during times when significant emotions are called for (i.e., panic, sadness, happiness, or joy). Medically referred to as a flat affect, this often causes schizophrenia patients to display a lack of expressiveness or emotional flatness during times/incidents that normally elicit emotions.

Alternatively, schizophrenic patients may do the opposite and laugh hysterically at inappropriate times when laughing doesn’t make sense to others around them.

These are the main early signs of schizophrenia. If you notice any in yourself or a loved one, please see a doctor or healthcare professional immediately. As with proper help, the symptoms of schizophrenia can be managed and the patient may return to normalcy in their lives.