Schizophrenia - How is it diagnosed?

(This is a general question)
Is it possible to have Schizophrenia without it running in the family?
How do I know if it isn't just alot of stress or something?
Can too much stress lead to Schizophrenia or is constant stress a sign of Schizophrenia along with talking to yourself, and being freaked out all the time like paranoid for no reason?

Schizophrenia is not a single disease but a spectrum of disorders. It is diagnosed by a medical professional (psychiatrist) using the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, revised (DSM IV TR)" which outlines the criteria necessary for a diagnosis. It is possible for a schizophrenic disorder to occur with out it "running in the family." There is no definitive evidence that schizophrenia paranoia is genetic. Self diagnosis is usually wrong and dangerous. The amount of misinformation and misunderstanding of schizophrenia by the public is abysmal.

To find out more about the disorders type "schizophrenia" into Yahoo! web search; a number of informative links comes up. Wikipedia has a good summary. You might also want to type in the DSM IV query in quotes in the first paragraph above as well as "stress" and "paranoia."

Once you have educated yourself about these conditions take comfort in the fact that schizophrenia paranoia is a very traumatic experience and having it almost always results in an inability to function normally. In short it incapacitates one. The fact that you were able to post this question indicates to me you are not incapacitated.

Good luck in your research, good mental health, peace and Love!

There are very specific criteria for diagnosing schizophrenia. Only a trained and qualified mental health clinician can make this diagnosis. Schizophrenia is not necessarily hereditary. It can be caused by a number of different factors. DO NOT label yourself or anyone else as having schizophrenia based on something you read in a magazine or find online. A trained psychologist or psychiatrist must be involved in determining this diagnosis.

I hope this information helps.