What brain disorder affects a person's ability to think clearly and understand reality?

Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder that significantly impacts a person's thought processes, perceptions, and ability to comprehend reality. Individuals with schizophrenia may experience delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking, all of which can impair their clarity of thought and understanding of their environment. These symptoms can severely disrupt daily functioning and social interactions, making it challenging for those affected to maintain a grasp on reality.

In contrast, depression primarily affects mood and emotional well-being, rather than directly impacting cognitive clarity or perception of reality. Alzheimer's disease, while it does involve cognitive decline, particularly with memory and reasoning, does not typically cause the same level of distortion of reality as seen in schizophrenia. Similarly, anxiety disorders involve excessive worry or fear, which can influence thinking but do not fundamentally alter one’s understanding of reality in the way schizophrenia does.