Schizophrenia?

Question

What are some symptoms & characteristics of Schizophrenia?

Answer 1

The DSM-IV (Psychology's diagnostic guide) has this as the diagnostic criteria:
Schizophrenia

A. Characteristic symptoms: Two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month prior (or less if successfully treated):
(1) delusions (beliefs/thoughts that seem real, but are not true)
(2) hallucinations (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling things)
(3) disorganized speech
(4) grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
(5) negative symptoms (i.e. affective flattening, alogia, or avolition)

Note: Only 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.
B. 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
C. Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least 6 months. This 6-month period must include at least 1 month of symptoms (less if successfully treated) that meet Criterion A 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 of more symptoms listed in Criterion A present in an attenuated form (i.e. odd beliefs, unusual perceptual experience).
D. Schizoaffective and Mood Disorder exclusion: Schizoaffective Disorder and Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features have been ruled out
E. Substance/general medical condition exclusion: The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition.
F. Relationship to a Pervasive Developmental Disorder: If there is a history of Autism or other PDD, the additional diagnosis of Schizophrenia is made only if prominent delusions or hallucinations are also present for at least one month.

Other info:
Most first psychotic breaks occur in the late teens to early 20s.

There are 5 types of schizophrenia: Paranoid type, Disorganized type, Catatonic Type, and Undifferentiated type.

Physical changes- They are increased risk for type II diabetes and hyperlipidemia due to side effects of atypical antipsychotics. Some, but not all, are overweight due to lack of education in nutrition.

Emotional changes- People with schizophrenia may suffer from depression or anxiety due to the isolating effects of the disorder. They may be ostracized by family and friends. Up to 50% of all patients with schizophrenia may also meet criteria for substance abuse due to self-medicating with drugs and alcohol.

I also wanted to dispel some schizophrenia myths:
Schizophrenia does not mean that you have multiple personalities. People with schizophrenia may be psychotic (hallucinations, etc), but they do not split. Multiple personalities is NOT Dissociative Identity Disorder.

People with schizophrenia are not violent. There is no evidence that shows that people with schizophrenia are more violent than the rest of the population. However, if a person with schizophrenia commits a crime, the media jumps on top of it and blows it out of proportion.

People with schizophrenia are not stupid. They may be disorganized, but most still have average intelligence.

Schizophrenia is not demon possession. There are valid studies that show differences in the ventricles of a schizophrenic brain.

Schizophenia is not caused by bad parenting. The schizophrenigenic mother theory was refuted long ago.

Schizophrenia cannot be cured. Okay, this one is true. Schizophrenia is a persistent, serious mental illness. It can't be cured. But the symptoms can be successfully controlled with medication. While not perfect, the medication can address most symptoms. In severe cases, fully integrated treatment, combining medication, therapy, psychosocial services, and case management is helpful.

Answer 2

I have been labeled Schizophrenic for over 40 years. I have known many people who were so labeled... The symptoms are as described above particularly the reference citing wikipedia. It is possible for a person diagnosed as "schizophrenic" to live a life that is close to normal. Medications help. But...:

The label of "schizophrenia" has no scientific basis and serves only to cancel the life of those to whom it is applied. A group of British psychiatrists have formed "The Committee for the Abolition of the Schizophrenic Label", CASL. Some of them have proposed using the more scientific designation, Dopamine Dysfunction Disorder, DDD, instead of schizophrenia, for the condition where hallucinations and delusions are involved. In my DDD the hallucinations include poltergeist like happenings in addition to voices. One comes up with beliefs to explain these happenings and they are called delusions.

My DDD was severe at first but I was lucky to have gotten professional care almost immediately so medications reduced the severity of the symptoms and they fell off gradually over the years. I was able to work in my profession for 15 years and attended several universities.

I am 74 years old now, happy and content but still taking meds and the symptoms haven't appeared for a decade or more.

Answer 3

To be diagnosed as having schizophrenia, a person must display:

A) Characteristic symptoms: Two or more of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period (or less, if successfully treated)
delusions
hallucinations
disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence; speaking in abstracts). See thought disorder.
grossly disorganized behavior (e.g. dressing inappropriately, crying frequently) or catatonic behavior
negative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening (lack or decline in emotional response), alogia (lack or decline in speech), or avolition (lack or decline in motivation).
Note: Only one Criterion A symptom is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of hearing one voice participating in a running commentary of the patient's actions or of hearing two or more voices conversing with each other.
B) 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.
C) Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms (or less, if successfully treated) that meet Criterion A.

Answer 4

you will learn more by reading up on the occult than the dsm, schizophrenia is not a mental illness but a haunting of the mind.

Answer 5

Signs and symptoms of schizophrenia may include:

Delusions — personal beliefs not based in reality, such as paranoia that you're being persecuted or conspired against

Bizarre delusions — for example, a belief in Martians controlling your thoughts

Hallucinations — sensing things that don't exist, such as
imaginary voices and Incoherence

Lack of emotions or inappropriate display of emotions

A persistent feeling of being watched

Trouble functioning at work or in social situations

Social isolation

Difficulty with personal hygiene

Clumsy, uncoordinated movements

Generally, schizophrenia causes a slowly progressive deterioration in the ability to function in various roles, especially in your job and personal life. The signs and symptoms of schizophrenia vary greatly. A person may behave differently at different times. He or she may become extremely agitated and distressed, or fall into a trance-like, immobile, unresponsive (catatonic) state, or even behave normally much of the time. Signs and symptoms that occur continuously and progressively may indicate schizophrenia.

In general, schizophrenia has symptoms that fall into three categories — negative, positive and cognitive:



Negative signs and symptoms

Negative signs and symptoms may appear early in the disease, and a person may not think he or she needs treatment. They're referred to as negative because they indicate a loss of behavior or of a personality trait. Negative signs generally accompany a slow deterioration of function, leading to your becoming less sociable. Such signs may include:

Dulled emotions (lack of expression)

Inappropriate emotions (laughing while expressing terrifying images)

A change in speech (speaking in a dull monotone)



Positive signs and symptoms

Positive signs include hallucinations and delusions. They're called positive because they indicate a trait or behavior that's been added to the personality.

Hallucinations. Hallucinations occur when you sense things that don't exist. The most common hallucination in schizophrenia is hearing voices. You may carry on a conversation with voices that no one else can hear. Or you may perceive that voices are providing you instructions on what to do. Hallucinations may result in injuries to other people.

Delusions. Delusions are firmly held personal beliefs that have no basis in reality. The most common subtype of schizophrenia is paranoid schizophrenia, in which you hold irrational beliefs that others are persecuting you or conspiring against you. For example, some people with schizophrenia may believe that the television is directing their behavior or that outside forces are controlling their thoughts.



Cognitive signs and symptoms

These signs and symptoms tend to be more subtle than positive and negative ones. Cognitive signs and symptoms may include:

Problems making sense of incoming information

Difficulty paying attention

Memory problems



Misconceptions about schizophrenia

Schizophrenia may exist alone or in combination with other psychiatric or medical conditions. Misconceptions about schizophrenia and its relation to other mental illnesses abound. The following truths will help clarify what it is and is not:

Schizophrenia isn't the same as a split or multiple personality. Multiple personality disorder is a separate, rare condition.
Although some people with schizophrenia develop violent tendencies, most don't. Many withdraw into themselves rather than interact with others.

Not everyone who acts paranoid or distrustful has schizophrenia. Some people have a paranoid personality disorder, a tendency to be suspicious or distrustful of others, without the other features of schizophrenia.

Not everyone who hears voices is schizophrenic. Some people with depression may hear voices. Hearing voices may also occur as a result of a serious medical illness or from the effects of medication.



Substance abuse and schizophrenia

While not necessarily a sign of schizophrenia, drug abuse is more common in people with schizophrenia. Nicotine is a commonly abused drug by people with schizophrenia; it's estimated that 75 percent to 90 percent of people with schizophrenia smoke compared with about one-quarter of the general population. Unfortunately some drugs, such as amphetamines, cocaine and marijuana, can make schizophrenia symptoms worse. Others, such as nicotine, can interfere with schizophrenia medications.

Answer 6

hearing voices no one else can, thinking you are someone you arent', for example believing you are a soldier but aren't really, I know a man who has completely convinced himself he is a veteran and lost his legs in the war, although he lost his legs due to diabetes. things like that

Answer 7

Severe paranoia, hearing voices, inability to stay still, not being able to sleep or abnormal sleep pattern.

Answer 8

hearing things seeing things that other people cannot see.

Answer 9

This might be helpful
http://sensitive-psychoworld.blogspot.com/

Answer 10

paranoia