At first glance, schizophrenia may seem like a great puzzle. Striking most often in the 16 to 30 year age group, affecting an estimated one person in a hundred, it is youth's greatest disabler. But if it is a puzzle, it's one that is slowly being solved. New pieces are continually falling into place. Consider what we have learned about its symptoms.
Schizophrenia often starts slowly.
When the symptoms first appear, usually in adolescence or early adulthood, they may seem more bewildering than serious. In the early stages, people with schizophrenia may find themselves losing the ability to relax, concentrate or sleep. They may start to shut long-time friends out of their lives. Once it has taken hold, schizophrenia tends to appear in cycles of remission and relapse. When in remission, a person with schizophrenia may seem relatively unaffected and can more or less function in society.