Schizophrenia Symptoms
Schizophrenia symptoms have a wide range. Positive symptoms are symptoms that shouldn't be there. Negative symptoms describe missing things that should be there. Disorganized symptoms refer to disorganized thoughts and speech.
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Delusions
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A delusion is a positive symptom of schizophrenia. A person suffering from delusions will often have irrational beliefs that seem to have no basis. Some common delusions are religious in nature. Delusions can be grandiose, such as a schizophrenic thinking he is the president, or a schizophrenic might think people or aliens are out to hurt him.
Hallucinations
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A hallucination is also a positive symptom of schizophrenia. Auditory hallucinations, or hearing something that isn't there, are the most common. Schizophrenics often hear voices. Sometimes hallucinations will manifest visually, through smell or through touch.
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Affective Flattening
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Schizophrenics suffering from negative symptoms may have affective flattening, or loss of apparent emotional response.
Lack of Interest
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Other negative symptoms include a general lack of interest in life, low energy, social isolation, and withdrawing from things that used to make the schizophrenic happy.
Disorganized Behavior
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A schizophrenic may speak random-seeming words in long sentences, called "word salads." His thoughts may also be disorganized and he could have a hard time figuring out things the way he used to.
Catatonia
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In extreme cases, a schizophrenic might go catatonic, either staying in one position for long periods of time or being especially limber.
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