General Question re: Schizophrenia

[Banned]

My friend's mom was hospitalized last week because she basically went crazy. When she got to the hospital she was screaming and kicking the nurses and stuff.

We found out today she's been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

I'm a little confused...I've heard of this happening numerous times where someone is diagnosed later in life. Is this a disorder that is always present but only "pops out" later in life? Or can one develop it later in life?

I find it interesting that something this severe all of a sudden hits a person in her 40s, with no previous indication anything was wrong (to our knowledge).

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: General Question re Schizophrenia

I think my brothers showed signs of it when they were younger but did not have a full blown episode until later in life. I know my twin it was a critical event that triggered it for her.Some people just develop it later on in life. Did she have a major event happen that might trigger this episode.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Schizophrenia can show up later in life - I just posted an article about this: http://forum.psychlinks.ca/schizoph...schizophrenia-should-be-distinct-subtype.html

Generally, I think even with late-onset schizophrenia, there are earlier signs of eccentricity or "oddness", quirkiness, but I imagine that may not always be the case. The prognosis for individuals with late onset schizophrtenia is also usually better than for those with early onset schizophrenia.

See also:

• Late-Onset Schizophrenia and Other Related Psychoses
  
• Schizophrenia - Dr. Ballas Answers: Late-Onset Schizophrenia
  
• http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/157/2/172.pdf
  
• Late-onset schizophrenia: an overview. [Schizophr Bull. 1988] - PubMed result
  
• http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/406439
  
• Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General - Chapter 5
  
• http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/4/701.pdf
  
• Clinical Characterization of Late- and Very Late-Onset First Psychotic Episode in Psychiatric Inpatients | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, The | Find Articles at BNET