Schizophrenia…is it genetic? Experts haven’t found one specific cause of schizophrenia, so they can’t say for sure if genetics cause schizophrenia.
But if you have a family history of schizophrenia — especially a parent or sibling with it — you have a much higher risk of developing this condition.
I had a schizophrenic mother. I remember one instance when I was sitting at the table eating my breakfast.
Altogether, I was trying to act like I wasn’t there because I was kind of scared. My mother was sitting there, smiling, laughing, nodding her head, and whispering to nobody.
It wasn’t to me. I ate my breakfast as fast as I could and left. Little did I know, I would have schizophrenia in my later years.
It didn’t start until my mid 40’s when I was living alone in my first apartment. I mainly had delusions and not so much hallucinations.
So, let’s dive into what schizophrenia is, it’s causes, and symptoms.
Three Types of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? Schizophrenia is a term for a group of mental health disorders that fall on a spectrum, and the main types include paranoid, disorganized, and residual:
Paranoid schizophrenia
Above all, the most common type of schizophrenia, characterized by delusions and hallucinations, and often depicted in the media.
People with paranoid schizophrenia may have intense suspicion, feel like they are being watched, or have auditory hallucinations.
Disorganized Schizophrenia
Also known as hebephrenic schizophrenia, this type is characterized by disorganized speech and behavior.
People with disorganized schizophrenia may have difficulty starting or finishing tasks, or have trouble interacting socially.
Residual Schizophrenia
The third stage of schizophrenia, where people experience fewer symptoms than in the active stage.
People with residual schizophrenia usually don’t have hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech or behavior.
Schizophrenia symptoms can fall into three main categories: psychotic, negative, and cognitive.
Psychotic symptoms include disrupted thoughts and perceptions, while negative symptoms include loss of motivation and difficulty showing emotions.
Cognitive symptoms include problems with attention, concentration, and memory.
I have paranoid schizophrenia which, I believe, is what my mother had based on watching her.
Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? Although having a relative with the illness increases a person’s risk of becoming ill, there is no single gene that causes schizophrenia.
Instead, there are lots that, added together, increase the likelihood that a person will become ill.
Schizophrenia Trauma
Yes, childhood trauma is a significant risk factor for developing schizophrenia:
Brain Development
Traumatic events can cause lasting changes to the brain, especially during childhood when the brain is still developing.
These changes can make it difficult to regulate stress responses in healthy ways.
Neurotransmitters
Trauma can affect neurotransmitters in the brain, which can increase the risk of psychotic symptoms. .
People with schizophrenia who experienced childhood trauma may have: Earlier onset of schizophrenia, Worse psychotic symptoms, More severe functional impairment, Poorer response to treatment, and Higher risk of suicide.
Some examples of childhood trauma include:
- Physical abuse
- Neglect
- Sexual abuse
- Witnessing abuse of a parent or sibling
- Having a mentally ill parent
- Experiencing racism or discrimination
- Bullying
- Community violence
I experienced three of those: physical abuse, having a menatally ill parent, and bullying.
Physical abuse from my first grade teacher when she would lift me out of my chair by my hair. She did it over and over for two years (she held me back).
Of course, my mother being mentally ill and bullying all throughout school by my peers. I believe they learned it by my first grade teacher.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia Mood Swings
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? People with schizophrenia can experience mood swings:
Mood Shifts
All in all, people with schizophrenia may experience rapid mood shifts between extremes, like from happiness to anger to depression, with little or no clear reason.
Depressed Feelings
All things considered, people with schizophrenia may experience depressed feelings, including thoughts of suicide or attempts.
Manic Episodes
People with schizophrenia may experience manic episodes, which can include feeling extremely excited or irritated, making unrealistic plans, and behaving in risky ways.
Mixed Episodes
People with schizophrenia may experience mixed episodes, which is when they have symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time, or very quickly after each other.
Schizophrenia Violent Behavior
Risk factors
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? People with schizophrenia are 3–6 times more likely to be violent than the general population, but only about 10% of people with schizophrenia will be violent in their lifetime.
I’ve never been violent towards anyone. I’m more submissive, I try to hide. Although, there are times when I openly express a delusion.
Schizophrenia Thoughts
If I’m experiencing a delusion, I whole hearteningly believe in it. Usually my thoughts are focused on someone (or nobody) who is trying to hurt or irritate me.
I don’t even care about hygiene or eating. All I care about is staying alive or stopping the person that is irritating me.
Sluggish Schizophrenia
I usually feel sluggish during an episode partly because I don’t sleep much. The paranoia is so great that I’m afraid to sleep.
Something might get me while I was asleep. If I did sleep, I would sleep at all hours of the day for hours at a time. I never had a routine schedule. So yes, I was really sluggish.
Schizophrenia Social Withdrawal
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? I had nothing really to socially withdrawal from. I was by myself and I hardly saw my family. Although, I hardly went anywhere.
Maybe that would be considered social withdrawal. I guess during the episodes, I kind of kept to myself except when I was yelling out the window.
Shadow People Schizophrenia
While some think shadowy creatures are spiritual or supernatural, reports of shadow people have been connected to certain medical conditions like dementia, schizophrenia, and sleep paralysis.
These dark figures are often perceived as evil or threatening but can also be seen as friendly or impartial.
Based on my personal experience, I’ve never perceived shadow people as good or bad—they were just there, lurking in the dark.
As a result, people who suffer from sleep paralysis will tell you stories about shadowy creatures that lunged at them, sat on their chests, and tried to choke or smother them.
Visual Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? Visual schizophrenia refers to visual processing abnormalities and hallucinations that can occur in people with schizophrenia.
My hallucinations were more auditory than visual. I could hear other voices but not see them. And it wasn’t like they were whispering to me.
They were more like yelling at me from across the street or outside the apartment building. Because of it, I was afraid to leave my apartment.
Schizophrenia Personality
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that affects a person’s thinking and behavior, but it’s not a personality disorder.
People with schizophrenia may exhibit certain personality traits, including:
- Neuroticism: People with schizophrenia tend to score higher on neuroticism scales.
- Low openness: Also, people with schizophrenia tend to score lower on openness scales.
- Low agreeableness: People with schizophrenia tend to score lower on agreeableness scales.
- Low extraversion: People with schizophrenia tend to score lower on extraversion scales.
- Low conscientiousness: Additionally, people with schizophrenia tend to score lower on conscientiousness scales.
- Low positive affect: People with schizophrenia may have low positive affect, which is associated with negative symptoms like social aloofness and constricted affect.
- Anticipatory pleasure deficit: People with schizophrenia may engage in rewarding activities less often because they don’t expect to enjoy them.
Schizophrenia Spiritual
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? I’ve never been a spiritual person, but I do believe there is a Heaven and a Hell. I do believe in God and have asked prayers upon him.
Whether it be for myself or other people. I’ve become more spiritual nowadays since I’m sitting on the other side of my mental illlnesses.
I believe I have my anxiety and depression under wraps. And I haven’t had a schizphrenic episode in seven months.
Experiencing all that I’ve gone through, I believe God was guiding me. After all the suicidal attempts, I’m still here getting my message out about mental illness.
Sum It All Up
Schizophrenia…is it genetic? Schizophrenia may be or not be genetic, but I was predisposed because of my mother having schizophrenia. In my heart, I believe it’s genetic.
Or, it could have come about because of all the traumas in my life. All the bullying and other mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, bipolar) could have contributed to it.
If I wouldn’t hadn’t seen the symptoms my mother went through, I wouldn’t have had a clue what it was when I started exhibiting it.
That’s why I vowed not to have any children, so they wouldn’t have to go through the same thing. Nobody deserves that. Peace and always, love. Until next time.
Articles About Schizophrenia
Brain stimulation creates a ‘shadow person’
The Correlation Between Schizophrenia and Intelligence
Have a Good One,
Cindee Murphy
“One Voice Speaking Up For Schizophrenics”
“Whenever I’ve been told to stop — by someone who thought they had power over me, by something that happened around me, by the voices I heard in my own head — I kept going.”-Brian Wilson
“A primary feature of the experience of staying in a psychiatric hospital is that you will not be believed about anything. A corollary to this feature: things will be believed about you that are not at all true.”— Esmé Weijun Wang
“My good fortune is not that I’ve recovered from mental illness. I have not, nor will I ever. My good fortune lies in having found my life.”— Elyn R. Saks
“Consciousness gradually loses its coherence. One’s center gives way. The center cannot hold. The ‘me’ becomes a haze, and the solid center from which one experiences reality breaks up like a bad radio signal.”— Elyn Saks
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