Schizophrenia involves a psychosis a type of mental illness in which a person cant tell whats real from whats imagined at times people with psychotic disorders lose touch with reality. Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations delusions and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning and can be disabling people with schizophrenia require lifelong treatment