According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.” The NIMH goes on to say that those with schizophrenia appear as if they have “lost touch with reality.” The symptoms of schizophrenia generally appear between the ages of 16 and 30-years-of-age, according to the NIMH. However, there are rare cases where children have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a very disabling disorder, which affects virtually every aspect of a person’s life. The disorder involves psychotic behaviors, disruptions in normal thought processes, disruptions in normal behaviors, and they affect a person’s memory and thinking ability.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
While there are too many symptoms to list here, the following is a list of some of the most common symptoms associated with schizophrenia:
- Delusions
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Trouble focusing
- Catatonic behavior
- Memory problems
- Mood disturbances
- Difficulty concentrating
- Trouble paying attention
- Reduced facial expressions
- Reduced expression of emotion
- Thought and movement disorders
What are the risk factors for schizophrenia? According to the NIMH, exposure to viruses, problems during labor and delivery, and even genetic factors can increase the risk of developing the disorder. Sometimes schizophrenia runs in families; however, many people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia do not have any family members with the disorder.
SSD: Listing of Impairments
Schizophrenia is included on the Social Security Disability Administration’s Listing of Impairments under “Mental Disorders.” Some of the disorders the SSA evaluates in this category, include: schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. Since schizophrenia is on the Listing of Impairments, it means that if someone is diagnosed with the disorder, they may be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits. If you would like to learn more about filing a disability claim, contact our firm to arrange a consultation with an experienced Dallas Social Security Disability attorney.