The symptoms of the illness usually begin gradually so that family may not understand what is happening as a person begins to become ill. Schizophrenia is an illness that causes problems in thinking, feeling, and relating. Since the brain is the most complex organ in the human body, it is not surprising that things can go wrong with it. In the 1950s researchers began to discover that illnesses such as Schizophrenia were biologically based. In more recent years, through the development of more precise imaging equipment such as CT, MRI, and PET scans, and the development of drug research, this discovery has become even more conclusive.
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder.
Although the cause of Schizophrenia is still not completely understood, it is believed that the functioning of the brain's neurotransmitter is involved. Many factors may contribute to this disturbed functioning. Heredity may be a factor in Schizophrenia just as it is in cancer, diabetes, and other physical illnesses. Stress may contribute to the onset of schizophrenia in a genetically vulnerable person. Recreational drug use may contribute to onset, but it is unlikely to be the single cause.