ruling out general medical conditions

To diagnose schizophrenia, I read that psychiatrists rule out general medical conditions. Isn't that the same as saying that schizophrenia is all in the mind? (and therefore has no physical basis?) if psychiatrists keep ruling out general medical conditions to diagnose schizophrenia, wont it be impossible eventually to find schizophrenia in the brain because it is mental?

Schizophrenia does occur in the brain, yes.

However, there are medical conditions that often cause major changes in behavior. Those possibilities need to be ruled out ~ to protect your physical health ~ before moving on to treating the psychological aspects of this disease.

There are several other illnesses in which more serious causes need to be ruled out before diagnosis and treatment begin. For example, seizures can be caused by drugs, brain injuries, brain tumors ~ doctors begin testing for these possible causes before beginning treatment for epilepsy in order to prevent seizures from recurring. Other possible causes must be ruled out to be sure that the correct treatment is chosen.

Regarding finding schizophrenia within the brain, PET scans do show that those with schizophrenia have similar flares of high energy in certain areas of the brain. While the results of the disease are mental disturbances, the cause is physical changes within the brain. Just like tests show that those suffering from clinical depression have physical changes in the brain ~ the neurotransmitters that make us feel good are blocked and there are less open synapses to absorb chemicals that do transmit positive feelings towards life. Those are physical changes within our brains.

I hope that this wasn't too technical for you and makes better sense to you now. Best wishes!

The mind and body are not separate from one another as we like to think; people who have had heart problems often have to take anti-depressants for depression caused by their heart problems. As Shezbut says, there are physical problems that mimic some schizophrenic symptoms and/or could cause them (the symptoms, not schizophrenia). "All in your head" is not a dirty phrase, it just means the doctors do not know how to help at this time.

well I don't know sometimes schizophrenia symptoms can come from other things than that disorder. For instance having issues with getting to sleep which is more physiological than psyclogical because your brain/body chemicals wont allow you the sleep you need. I mean I'd hope doctors rule out all that kind of stuff before giving such a diagnoses.

schizophrenia can also be caused by certain brain deformities.. such as congenital abnormalities of the brain

congenital brain abnormalities such as those with the corpus calloosum, holoproosenecephaly and a few others can also contribute to schizophrenia