People with
schizophrenia have difficulty in sorting out the real from the unreal, in keeping track of their thoughts, in
responding to the everyday events of life, that they often become immobilized.
Schizophrenia occurs in all cultures, even those that are remote from the stresses of industrialized civilization, and appears to have plagued humanity for at least 200 years. The
disorder affects about 1% of the population and occurs equally in men and women. People with schizophrenia must seek psychiatric and medical help frequently, and the direct medical costs amount to more than $20 billion per year in the United States alone. This disorder usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood.