Schizophrenia is a mental disease that causes people to have strange thoughts, feelings and behavior. There is no known cause for schizophrenia. It is a lifelong disease that with treatment can allow a person to function better. For adults the disease affects 1 in 100, however fortunately for children, which is a rare case, schizophrenia affects about 1 in 40,000 children. Although the average age of onset for the disease is 18 for men and 25 for women; some children could get schizophrenia over the age of five, but it is very uncommon before adolescence. Early symptoms and behaviors of schizophrenia in children are gradual shyness, clinging to parents, and delayed speech and motor skills, usually before hallucinations and delusions set in, around the age of seven or later. Children with schizophrenia are commonly confused with children with autism, which affects 1 in 500 children. The difference is children with autism are usually diagnosed with the disease by age three, while chil
This blog is about educating and empowering peers, caregivers, and loved ones with hope for recovery. I describe my experience living with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. I've been in recovery since 2007. I've experienced setbacks, but also triumphed through challenges. I encourage you to share your thoughts and to believe that better days are attainable. Thank you for visiting. Welcome to my life in recovery... Ashley Smith