The doctor makes a diagnosis. Paranoid schizophrenia. A pale fear falls on the patient. It's incurable, why me (or more often why this has happened to our decent family), what to do - such thoughts swirl around in the head like black smoke coming out of a chimney. By the time the doctor explains what the illness is, how it is likely to progress and what the treatment options are, the patient is already painting their own picture, which usually has a black background that is not always the most appropriate. So how does the illness usually progress? Is it possible to have mild schizophrenia?