Unlike some other mental disorders, schizophrenia is not something that most people know they have from a young age. It takes some time to manifest, and they may only see the symptoms as they grow older.
Generally speaking, those symptoms will not manifest prior to a person hitting puberty, so their childhood could be normal. The signs may start to show up in their later teenage years — from 16 to 19, for instance — but could develop as late as their early 30s. Naturally, this means that many people start showing the initial symptoms in their 20s.
Overall, experts note that it’s very rare for it to develop after someone turns 40 or before they turn 12.
When looking at the split between the genders, researchers have not found any notable difference between occurrence rates in men and women. That said, men do tend to develop the disorder at a slightly younger age. Men may be in their 20s or even their teens, while women are more often in their 20s or 30s.
As you can imagine, this development can be very problematic because the person may have established a life for themselves by 25. They may have gone to college, gotten married, had children, started a career and much more. When they find out about this serious condition, it can be very jarring.
Those who do get diagnosed need to know if they have a right to Social Security benefits, especially if the disorder makes it impossible for them to work and support themselves or their family. They need to know what steps they should take to make their future as secure as possible.
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