Schizophrenia is known for its symptoms of hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are usually auditory, visual, or tactile. Command hallucinations are common as well. This is when the person hears or sees another person telling them what to do. Not all people follow through with these hallucinations. There are several types of delusions. Most common is paranoia and persecution. Schizophrenia is a very debilitating mental health disorder. Its onset usually occurs during an individual's early twenties. Schizophrenia can be managed through medications, but it cannot be cured. Often people relapse into having active symptoms, requiring medication adjustments or hospitalization. Although there are several medications to manage Schizophrenia, not everyone is symptom free while on them. Some people respond well to medications, while others don't. Schizophrenia can run in families, and its cause is believed to be solely biological, unlike many other mental health disorders which have an environmental component. However, some people relapse as a result of outside stressors. Other common symptoms include flat affect, disorganized thinking and speech, catatonia, and severe disturbances of all aspects of daily living.

Some of the frequently used antipsychotics include

• Risperdal
• Thorazine
• Haldol
• Zyprexa
• Seroquel
• Geodon
• Abilify
• Mellaril

Older antipsychotics, including haldol and thorazine, have a greater risk of causing a neurological disorder known as Tardive Dyskensia. This is an irreversible disorder, and like Schizophrenia, it can sometimes be managed by medications. This disorder manifests in uncontrolled muscle movements. Newer medications have a lesser risk of causing this, but the risk is still present.