What are the main characteristics of schizophrenia?

Question

This is not a homework help question, I already know the answer. I want to see what people think schizophrenia is without having looked up the disorder on wikipedia.

Answer 1

- Well it all starts with a feeling of not being sure what to think.
No it doesn't....
- Dont interrupt. I haven't finished yet.
OK OK don't get tetchy.
- Oh typical you push me around like ytou always do.

Answer 2

Well, as already said there are different types of schizophrenia. I don't know why everyone thinks it's a split personality ... it's NOT. It annoys me to no end when people say that. Also as already said there are positive and negative symptoms. A person must exibit the following symptoms in order to be considered schizophrenic:

A. Two of the following symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behaviour, negative sypmtoms (affective flattening, avolition, alogia)

B. Social/occupational dysfunction (basically, it significantly disrupts their life)

C. Continuous signs of the symptoms must be present for at least six months, which must include at least one month of symptoms listed in A.

Note: only one symptom listed in A is necessary if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the person's behaviour or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each other.

Also, the symptoms cannot be due to a schizoaffective or mood disorder, or due to the use of drugs, or caused by a medical conditions. They also cannot be related to a pervasive developmental disorder.

Answer 3

Schizophrenia is often described in terms of "positive" and "negative" symptoms. Positive symptoms include delusions, auditory hallucinations and thought disorder and are typically regarded as manifestations of psychosis. Negative symptoms are so named because they are considered to be the loss or absence of normal traits or abilities, and include features such as flat, blunted or constricted affect and emotion, poverty of speech and lack of motivation. Some models of schizophrenia include formal thought disorder and planning difficulties in a third group, a "disorganization syndrome."

Answer 4

Positive Symptoms can include:
Delusions--usually of persecution, grandeur and/or jealousy
Hallucinations
Disorganized speech/thinking
Abnormal psychomotor behaviors
Catatonic behavior

Negative Symptoms can include:
Affective flattening
Alogia (poverty of speech)
Avolition (dearth of goal-directed behavior, lack of enthusiasm)

The type of schizophrenia can influence what symptoms are most prominent. Types include Paranoid, Disorganized or Hebephrenic, Catatonic, Residual, Schizoaffective, Undifferentiated and Childhood

Answer 5

whitout looking to my previous lessons,as i remember it was a chronic disorder characterized by periods of active psychosis and persistent deterioration in social, occupational, scholastic, and personal functioning. as the others also mentioned it has diffrent types of symptoms :1-positive and 2-negaative 3-cognitive 4-affective; Positive symptoms are those aspects of the illness that are added onto normal experience, such as hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorganization.These symptoms are highly correlated with hospital admission. Negative symptoms are those things that are taken away from normal experience, including blunted affect (lack of facial expression, voice modulation, or expressive gestures), loss of motivation, anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure), asociality (loss of social interest), and alogia (decreased verbal communication).Cognitive symptoms include deficits in each of the basic domains of intellectual function (memory, attention, verbal processing, and executive function). Cognitive symptoms are highly correlated with loss of function in work, housing, and relationships .Affective symptoms include bizarre or inappropriate affect and increased risk for depression.
but if you mean the knowlage of general population i think most people know schizophrenia from its positive symptoms especially with delusions. at least i can tell you that it's true in my region! delusion=schizophrenia

Answer 6

* Hallucinations — sensing things that others do not sense

* Delusions — false beliefs that may become fixed despite evidence to the contrary

* Altered emotions — having feelings that don't seem right for what is going on or having no feelings at all

* Lack of motivation or desire to do the things you used to enjoy doing

* Difficulty staying focused and completing tasks

* Disorganized thinking

Answer 7

Not every one who suffers with Schizophrenia display the same syptoms.

Syptoms can be...

hearing voices, unusual beliefs, delusions, unusaual speech,strange behavior, hallucinations, changed feelings, mood swings, lack of motivation, lack of energy & lack of insight.

Answer 8

There are many types of schitzophrenia, with many different manifestations. Generally speaking they can be things like: severe anxiety, paranoia, hillucinations, severe nacissism, delusional thoughts, altered emotions (non appropriate emotions for a given situation) etc.

Answer 9

there is Meany types of this, schizophrenia,
so you need to give more info on which one your talking about.
it's also with drown people from social ability's

Answer 10

Characteristic symptoms: Two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or less if successfully treated):


delusions
hallucinations
disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence)
grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
negative symptoms (i.e., affective flattening, alogia, or avolition)
Note: Only one Criterion A symptom is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the person's behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each other.

Social/occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset (or when the onset is in childhood or adolescence, failure to achieve expected level of interpersonal, academic, or occupational achievement).


Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least 6 months. This 6-month period must include at least 1 month of symptoms (or less if successfully treated) that meet Criterion A (i.e., active-phase symptoms) and may include periods of prodromal or residual symptoms. During these prodromal or residual periods, the signs of the disturbance may be manifested by only negative symptoms or two or more symptoms listed in Criterion A present in an attenuated form (e.g., odd beliefs, unusual perceptual experiences).


Schizoaffective and Mood Disorder exclusion: Schizoaffective Disorder and Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features have been ruled out because either (1) no Major Depressive Episode, Manic Episode, or Mixed Episode have occurred concurrently with the active-phase symptoms; or (2) if mood episodes have occurred during active-phase symptoms, their total duration has been brief relative to the duration of the active and residual periods.


Substance/general medical condition exclusion: The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.


Relationship to a Pervasive Developmental Disorder: If there is a history of Autistic Disorder or another Pervasive Developmental Disorder, the additional diagnosis of Schizophrenia is made only if prominent delusions or hallucinations are also present for at least a month (or less if successfully treated).


Diagnostic Criteria of Schizophrenia Subtypes


Paranoid Type
A type of Schizophrenia in which the following criteria are met:

Preoccupation with one or more delusions or frequent auditory hallucinations.
None of the following is prominent: disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, or flat or inappropriate affect.
Catatonic Type
A type of Schizophrenia in which the clinical picture is dominated by at least two of the following:

motoric immobility as evidenced by catalepsy (including waxy flexibility) or stupor
excessive motor activity (that is apparently purposeless and not influenced by external stimuli)
extreme negativism (an apparently motiveless resistance to all instructions or maintenance of a rigid posture against attempts to be moved) or mutism
peculiarities of voluntary movement as evidenced by posturing (voluntary assumption of inappropriate or bizarre postures)
stereotyped movements, prominent mannerisms, or prominent grimacing
echolalia or echopraxia
Disorganized Type
A type of Schizophrenia in which the following criteria are met:

All of the following are prominent:
disorganized speech
disorganized behavior
flat or inappropriate affect
The criteria are not met for Catatonic Type.
Undifferentiated Type
A type of Schizophrenia in which symptoms that meet Criterion A are present, but the criteria are not met for the Paranoid, Disorganized, or Catatonic Type.

Residual Type
A type of Schizophrenia in which the following criteria are met:

Absence of prominent delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior.
There is continuing evidence of the disturbance, as indicated by the presence of negative symptoms or two or more symptoms listed in Criterion A for Schizophrenia, present in an attenuated form (e.g., odd beliefs, unusual perceptual experiences).

If you are a psychology student you need this book