The warning signs of schizophrenia are different for everyone.Symptoms may develop slowly over months or years, or may appear abruptly.Although individual symptoms alone may not indicate the possible presence of mental illness, several symptoms on a persistent basis – and a family history of mental illness – may be a cause for concern.
The early warning signs of psychosis may include symptoms suck as:
Sleep disruptions – the inability to sleep, unusual waking hours.
Behavior usually of the paranoid type, rather than catatonic or undifferentiated types.
Withdrawal from family and friends.
Difficulty concentrating and paying attention.
Deterioration of personal hygiene.
Speech that is rambling or disorganized.
Flat expressionless gaze.
Unusual sensitivity to stimuli such as light and noise.
Smelling and tasting differently.
A steady and noticeable decline in school performance.
Threats of self-harm or harm toward others.
Sexual promiscuity.
Opposition to authority; truancy, theft or vandalism.
A feeling that others are watching you, talking about you or laughing at you.
Extreme preoccupation with religion.
A growing sense of déjà vu.
Frequent sensing that independent events are somehow connected.
Irrational fear or anger.
*None of these signs by themselves indicate the presence of mental illness.
Sources:National Mental Health Association, Health Canada , National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and Schizophrenia Society of Ontario .
