What are the symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has been recognized throughout recorded history. People with schizophrenia may hear voices other people don't hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These experiences are terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal, or extreme agitation. People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk, may sit for hours without moving or talking much, or may seem perfectly fine until they talk about what they are really thinking. Because many people with schizophrenia have difficulty holding a job or caring for themselves, the burden on their families and society is significant as well.

What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizoph.cfm#symptoms

The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three broad categories:

POSITIVE SYMPTOMS are easy-to-spot behaviors not seen in healthy people and usually involve a loss of contact with reality. They include hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and disorders of movement. Positive symptoms can come and go. Sometimes they are severe and at other times hardly noticeable, depending on whether the individual is receiving treatment

*Hallucinations. A hallucination is something a person sees, hears, smells, or feels that no one else can see, hear, smell, or feel. "Voices" are the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia. Many people with the disorder hear voices that may comment on their behavior, order them to do things, warn them of impending danger, or talk to each other (usually about the patient). They may hear these voices for a long time before family and friends notice that something is wrong. Other types of hallucinations include seeing people or objects that are not there, smelling odors that no one else detects (although this can also be a symptom of certain brain tumors), and feeling things like invisible fingers touching their bodies when no one is near.

*Delusions. Delusions are false personal beliefs that are not part of the person's culture and do not change, even when other people present proof that the beliefs are not true or logical. People with schizophrenia can have delusions that are quite bizarre, such as believing that neighbors can control their behavior with magnetic waves, people on television are directing special messages to them, or radio stations are broadcasting their thoughts aloud to others. They may also have delusions of grandeur and think they are famous historical figures. People with paranoid schizophrenia can believe that others are deliberately cheating, harassing, poisoning, spying upon, or plotting against them or the people they care about. These beliefs are called delusions of persecution.

*Thought Disorder. People with schizophrenia often have unusual thought processes. One dramatic form is disorganized thinking, in which the person has difficulty organizing his or her thoughts or connecting them logically. Speech may be garbled or hard to understand. Another form is "thought blocking," in which the person stops abruptly in the middle of a thought. When asked why, the person may say that it felt as if the thought had been taken out of his or her head. Finally, the individual might make up unintelligible words, or "neologisms."

*Disorders of Movement. People with schizophrenia can be clumsy and uncoordinated. They may also exhibit involuntary movements and may grimace or exhibit unusual mannerisms. They may repeat certain motions over and over or, in extreme cases, may become catatonic. Catatonia is a state of immobility and unresponsiveness. It was more common when treatment for schizophrenia was not available; fortunately, it is now rare.


NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS represent a loss or a decrease in the ability to initiate plans, speak, express emotion, or find pleasure in everyday life. These symptoms are harder to recognize as part of the disorder and can be mistaken for laziness or depression.

The term "negative symptoms" refers to reductions in normal emotional and behavioral states. These include the following:

* flat affect (immobile facial expression, monotonous voice),
* lack of pleasure in everyday life,
* diminished ability to initiate and sustain planned activity, and
* speaking infrequently, even when forced to interact.

People with schizophrenia often neglect basic hygiene and need help with everyday activities. Because it is not as obvious that negative symptoms are part of a psychiatric illness, people with schizophrenia are often perceived as lazy and unwilling to better their lives.


COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS(or cognitive deficits) are problems with attention, certain types of memory, and the executive functions that allow us to plan and organize. Cognitive deficits can also be difficult to recognize as part of the disorder but are the most disabling in terms of leading a normal life.

Cognitive symptoms are subtle and are often detected only when neuropsychological tests are performed. They include the following:

* poor "executive functioning" (the ability to absorb and interpret information and make decisions based on that information),
* inability to sustain attention, and
* problems with "working memory" (the ability to keep recently learned information in mind and use it right away)

Cognitive impairments often interfere with the patient's ability to lead a normal life and earn a living. They can cause great emotional distress.

Answer 2

Schizophrenia has three categories symptoms fall into: positive, negative, or cognitive.

Positive symptoms: Hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorder

• The most common hallucination is hearing voices but the other senses can also be involved. A Schizophrenic can think they see, hear, smell, or feel someone else around them.

• A delusion is a false personal belief. A Schizophrenic can believe their family is always plotting against them to a person on television telling them to buy a product.

• An example of a thought disorder is when a Schizophrenic has a difficult time organizing their thoughts and when they begin to speak; their speech is slurred or hard to understand. Some sufferers will make up words to explain their thoughts.

Negative symptoms: Decrease desire to speak, express emotion, or find pleasure in everyday life. These symptoms can be mistaken for laziness or depression.

• A Schizophrenic's inability to make and stick to a planned activity, not interacting with others, and not enjoying everyday life is a strong sign. Also when the sufferer speaks, their voice is monotone and no emotional or facial expressions occur.

Cognitive symptoms: Focus, memory, and functions which allow a person to plan or organize become lost. These symptoms can only be found when neuropsychological tests are done.

• A Schizophrenic cannot absorb and interpret information and come to a conclusion.

• The difficult to retain and use information makes it difficult for a Schizophrenic to keep a daily job.

Answer 3

Symptoms of Schizophrenia

In healthy people, the brain functions in such a way that incoming stimuli are sorted and interpreted, followed by a logical response (e.g., saying "thank you" after a gift is given, realizing the potential outcome of arriving late to work, etc.). Conversely, the inability of patients with schizophrenia to sort and interpret stimuli and select appropriate responses is one of the hallmarks of the disease.

The symptoms of schizophrenia are generally divided into three categories, including positive, disorganized, and negative symptoms.
Overt Symptoms, or "psychotic" symptoms, include delusions, hallucinations and disorganized thinking because the patient has lost touch with reality in certain important ways. Delusions cause the patient to believe that people are reading their minds or plotting against them, that others are secretly monitoring and threatening them, or that they can control other people’s thoughts. Hallucinations cause people to hear or see things that are not there. Approximately three-fourths of individuals with schizophrenia will hear voices (auditory hallucinations) at some time during their illness. Disorganized thinking, speech, and behavior affect most people with this illness. For example, people with schizophrenia sometimes have trouble communicating in coherent sentences or carrying on conversations with others; move more slowly, repeat rhythmic gestures or make movements such as walking in circles or pacing; and have difficulty making sense of everyday sights, sounds and feelings.
Negative Symptoms include emotional flatness or lack of expression, an inability to start and follow through with activities, speech that is brief and lacks content, and a lack of pleasure or interest in life. "Negative" does not, therefore, refer to a person’s attitude, but to a lack of certain characteristics that should be there.

Answer 4

Symptoms

Catatonic type:

Motor disturbances
Stupor
Negativism
Rigidity
Agitation
Inability to take care of personal needs
Decreased sensitivity to painful stimulus
Paranoid type:

Delusional thoughts of persecution or of a grandiose nature
Anxiety
Anger
Violence
Argumentativeness
Disorganized type:

Incoherence (not understandable)
Regressive behavior
Flat affect
Delusions
Hallucinations
Inappropriate laughter
Repetitive mannerisms
Social withdrawal
Undifferentiated type: Patient may have symptoms of more than one subtype of schizophrenia.

Residual type: Prominent symptoms of the illness have abated, but some features - such as hallucinations and flat affect - may remain.

Answer 5

Everybody here is describing what it looks like from the outside.When we come into this world,we are bombarded with a huge amount of information continuously.We are trained by those here to focus on certain pieces of that information.Those who acclimatize best are considered normal.Autistics have their focus on non-conventional input,for an example. They are mal-adapted to conventional society.If a person is raised with a world view that is at odds with what their senses tell them ,at some point this conflict may reach a critical point.If in this crisis ,the person reverts to a state where they are receiving a flood of information as in infancy,confusion can ensue.Unfortunately ,people are not given a safe place to freak out in this society.They are put into facilities where the emphasis is on controlling them,managing them and dismissing their perception of the world,so that you will see different people react to this treatment in the different ways that have been catalogued as symptoms.It is a fact that in countries that are too poor to"treat" mental illness,65% of cases go into spontaneous remission which is to say the people are able to acclimatize to the new perception.In the Western world,the rate of remission is much lower,despite or, might I suggest, because of psychiatric intervention.

Answer 6

The symptoms of schizophrenia are numerous and debilitating. Most schizophrenics will suffer from symptoms throughout their lives, though there can be periods where symptoms are absent. Schizophrenia symptoms are divided into three categories: positive symptoms, disorganized symptoms, and negative symptoms.

1. Positive Symptoms: Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are those symptoms that involve an excess of normal bodily functions. For instance, if you are schizophrenic your senses may operate at a heightened and excessive state. Positive signs of schizophrenia include delusions, or beliefs that have no basis in reality. You may feel persecuted (paranoid delusions), you may feel as if the television or radio is talking directly to you (delusions of references), you may hold false beliefs about your physical state (somatic delusions) or you may feel that you have special abilities or powers (delusions of grandeur).

Many schizophrenics also experience hallucinations due to overactive senses. You may see things that aren’t really there, you may hear people talking to you, and you may even be able to smell, touch, and taste things that other people can’t. These hallucinations may be quite scary for both the schizophrenic and for family and friends.

2. Disorganized Symptoms: Disorganized symptoms are those symptoms that exhibit the confusion caused within the brain. Often, a schizophrenic will have trouble maintaining a conversation, may engage in unpredictable behaviors, or may act bizarrely in certain situations. People with schizophrenia also have difficulty achieving goals or acting with any purpose. For example, schizophrenics may hold unusual poses for extended periods of time.

3. Negative Symptoms: Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are those symptoms that involve a decrease in normal bodily functions. These symptoms may involve withdrawal from society or refusal to speak. Schizophrenics often are disinterested in life and lack the ability to act in order to achieve simple goals. If you are suffering from the disorder, your voice may become monotone or you may be unable to change facial expressions or body language according to mood.

Answer 7

Schizopheria or Pshyco?
Read the medication clearly and it says both? The 'doctor' might say as a cure for the side effects visit the heart surgeon also, and eye doctor?
Learn the definition exactly if someone not in that exact field says all same - same all good good. might be a co-worker business degree manager but not Human Resources talking to a police officer about employee theft thats really a security mall guard that is playing doctor or 'lovers lane, turned punk hotel'. And your the relative one county over, talking to your life insurance agent from the credit card company, did someone find out about the 'health plan'?

Answer 8

Firstly there are different kinds of schizophrenia (and with that different symptoms) so I've dug out a list for you for each kind and their symptoms, took quite a while to type up hope it helps:

Disorganized Type

The essential features of the disorganized type of schizophrenia are marked incoherence and flat, incongruous, or silly affect. There are no systematized delusions, although fragmentary delusions or hallucinations in which the content is not organized into a coherent theme are common. Associated features include odd mannerisms, grimaces, hypochondriacal complains, extreme social withdrawal, and other unusual and bizarre behaviors.

Typical behaviors include giggling, unrelated smiling, and laughter. These behaviors tend to predominate and are undoubtedly responsible for the adjective "silly" being given to this behavior. If there are hallucinations, they tend to be pleasant ones (the smiling and laughing attest to this fact).

The prognosis is poor because regression is generally present. One is struck with the rapid deterioration of the personality. The person often has complete disregard for social restrictions. He eats as he chooses, urinates and defecates at will and wherever he chooses, and masturbates openly. Personal grooming, especially in the female, denotes excessive emphasis. The female may wear odd clothing, for example, blouses buttoned wrong side out and heavy theatrical makeup. Hair styles tend to be representative of the years prior to the illness.

Catatonic Type

The essential feature to the catatonic type of schizophrenic disorder is marked psycho-motor disturbance, which may involve stupor, negativism, excitement, rigidity , or posturing. At times, there is rapid alteration between extremes of stupor and excitement. Associated features include odd mannerisms, stereotypic postures, and waxy flexibility. Mutism is particularly common.

Typical behaviors include abnormal and postural movements. At one end of the spectrum of behavior, the patient becomes so inactive that he cannot move, take care of himself, talk or eat. He looks paralyzed and acts as if he is in a stupor. When the behavior reaches this point, some treatment approaches suggest tube feeing as a life saving device to ensure adequate fluid balance. Currently because of early intervention, many patients do not each this stage of deterioration and regression.

At the other behavior end of the spectrum, the patient may become extremely agitated and show excessive motor activity. This is called catatonic excitement and is characterized by stereotyped motion, impulsivity, and unpredictable purpose. The patient may neither eat nor sleep and thus become dehydrated and exhausted. Negativistic behavior, or doing the opposite of what is requested, may present itself. When asking a question the patient may keep repeating the question. Mannerisms, grimaces, and bizarre acts may be part f the symptom picture.

The more classical text book symptoms of the stupor and waxy flexibility of the musculature, in which the patient would stay in the statuesque positions for hours, has become a rarity. A possible explanation is that people seek treatment earlier and therefore chemotherapy is effective in preventing the regression to this phase.

Paranoid Type

The essential features of the paranoid type of schizophrenia are obvious persecutory or grandiose delusions, or hallucinations with a grandiose or persecutory theme. Delusional jealousies may also be present.

Associated features include anger, unfocused anxiety, argumentativeness and violence. There may be expressed doubts about gender identity or fear of being though of homosexual, or being approached by homosexuals. The impairment in functioning may be minimal if he delusional material is not acted upon. Also a formal, stilted quality or extreme intensity in interpersonal interactions is noted.

The typical behaviors include extreme suspiciousness and delusions. These behaviors may be seen in the patients relationships with others. For example, the patient may feel that people are against him and do not like him or that they are plotting against him. Auditory hallucinations may be frequent, and the voices heard ma be very threatening and may command him to do specific acts. Ideas may be bizarre. The person may believe that he is God or an important political figure.

Undifferentiated Type

The essential features of the undifferentiated type of schizophrenic disorder are prominent psychotic symptoms that cannot be classified in any other type of schizophrenia.

The typical behaviors include incoherence, grossly disorganized actions, prominent delusions, and hallucinations. There are many and varying behaviors noted.

Residual Type

The essential feature of the residual type of schizophrenic disorder is a history of at least one previous episode if schizophrenia with prominent psychotic symptoms followed by an episode of schizophrenia with prominent psychotic symptoms followed by an episode without prominent psychotic symptoms that required evaluation. There is continuing evidence of the illness, such as blunted or inappropriate affect, social withdrawal, loosening of associations, and eccentric behavior with illogical thinking.

Answer 9

Asking about its simptoms and caring for other´s treatment not own. Third is brutalising calm with dishonor.

Answer 10

Hearing voices, irrational fears, seeing imaginary people or things.