When does schizophrenia actually present in life?

Irrespective of what causes schizophrenia, the symptoms in all individuals are similar. The disorder usually starts in early adolescence in males and a little later in females. The majority of schizophrenia symptoms and signs appear in early adolescence and peak in the mid 20s. It is very rare to be diagnosed with schizophrenia after the age of 40. It is very rare for schizophrenia to develop in childhood or in elderly individuals.

It is usually apparent much earlier on that these individuals have an altered perception of reality. Some of the early signs of schizophrenia include hearing things that no one else can hear, seeing things that do not exist and feeling things that no one can feel. In most individuals with schizophrenia, symptoms and signs between real and imaginary become blurred and appear very frightening. In response to these early signs of schizophrenia, most of the individuals withdraw from the outside world and become loners or sometimes act out because of perceived threats from the unknown.