Many People Incorrectly Assume That Schizophrenia Is a Synonym for Another

Multiple Choice

Many people incorrectly assume that schizophrenia is a synonym for another commonly discussed mental illness. Why does this mistake occur?

A) Because the popular media has portrayed schizophrenic individuals as universally suffering from substance-related problems, people think that schizophrenia refers to an alcohol or drug addiction.
B) Because schizophrenia literally means "split mind", people mistake it for "split personality" (or dissociative identity disorder) .
C) Because schizophrenia is an illness that we know virtually nothing about, people mistake it as a form of cancer.
D) Because the illness has a similar sound to "mania", people think that it is the same as bipolar disorder.