The more people in your family with Schizophrenia, the greater your chances are of getting the illness. Identical twins have the highest risk at 50% if one twin has it. For the rest of us; if a parent has Schizophrenia your chances of getting it are about 10-15%. If more than one person in your family has Schizophrenia then your chances go up. Scientist believe the cause of Schizophrenia is both a genetic and environmental risk.

Stressful or traumatic events during childhood can lead to this brain disease as well as genetic factors. Schizophrenia does seem to run in families with a history of it but researchers are not 100% convinced that is the only cause. A lot of heavy street drugs taken during adolescence have also been linked to Schizophrenia. Some scientists suggest that the use of drugs can bring on the Schizophrenia in those who are susceptible to it.

If your family has a history of schizophrenia it is in your best interest to not only know the symptoms but also reduce stress as much as possible. Also learning to deal with stressful situations can greatly help you. Family or close friends are often the first to notice the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia so make sure your loved ones know you have a history of it and what actions they should take if you ever need medical treatment. If you do develop schizophrenia you will probably be the last person to know, as one of the symptoms of the nature of this illness is lack of insight (not knowing your sick). Your delusions and hallucinations will seem so real that you will not believe you are truly sick.

It is important to keep relationships with family and friends through the years so you will always have a support system to fall back on if you ever need it.