Definition of schizophrenia
1 medical : a mental illness that is characterized by disturbances in thought (such as delusions), perception (such as hallucinations), and behavior (such as disorganized speech or catatonic behavior), by a loss of emotional responsiveness and extreme apathy, and by noticeable deterioration in the level of functioning in everyday life
Note: Schizophrenia often involves an inability to orient oneself with reality, a withdrawal from social interactions, and a failure to integrate thoughts with emotions so that emotional expression is inappropriate. There are several subtypes of schizophrenia, including paranoid schizophrenia and those types marked by catatonia or hebephrenia.
2 : contradictory or antagonistic qualities or attitudes
both parties … have exhibited schizophrenia over the desired outcome— Elizabeth Drew
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Time Traveler for schizophrenia
The first known use of schizophrenia was in 1909
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