Beyond the Book
What is schizophrenia?Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that distorts a person's sense of reality. It impedes a person's ability to regulate his or her emotions and often makes socializing, decision making and logical thinking very difficult. As set forth by the US National Library of Medicine, there are multiple kinds of schizophrenia: paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual (more info). Formerly referred to as dementia praecox (literally premature dementia), the term "schizophrenia" was coined in 1910 by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler and comes from the Greek roots: skhizein meaning "split" and phren meaning "heart, mind." According to the National Institute of Mental Health, schizophrenia affects...
