Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder characterized by major disturbances in thought, perception, emotion, and behavior. This disorder ranks among the most impairing forms of psychopathology, frequently having profound and negative effects on the educational, occupational, and social function of sufferers.

In the most recent DSM, the American Psychiatric Association replaced terminology such as “substance addiction” and “substance abuse disorder” with the term “Substance Use Disorder” to describe the repeated use of alcohol and/or drugs leading to health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. This is a month for talking about and raising awareness of this difficult subject. According to the CDC, in 2016 suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of nearly 45,000 people. That is twice the number that died by homicide.