The symptoms of schizophrenia are numerous and can mimic other mental health challenges, such as depression and bipolar disorder. There is no litmus test for diagnosing schizophrenia; only a psychiatrist can correctly diagnose and treat it.
The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into two groups, positive and negative. Psychological disturbances "added" to the patient's behavior as a result of the illness are known as positive symptoms. These include:
* Hallucinations or distorted perceptions of reality, sometimes interpreted by friends and family as unconventional imagination. The hallucinations can involve hearing voices, sight, touch and smell.
* Other frequently occurring positive symptoms are delusions. People suffering from schizophrenia may believe that what they think and feel is real when it is not. Paranoid delusions can manifest as irrational beliefs of being cheated, poisoned or harassed. They may feel that others are "out to get them." Conversely, delusions of grandeur can make them feel on top of the world, even important or famous. People with schizophrenia often report bizarre delusions, such as a neighbor controlling their lives by some unconventional means or a character on television sending them special messages.
* Thought disorders often impair a schizophrenic person's ability to think clearly and connect thoughts into logical patterns. They find it difficult to concentrate and are easily distracted. Thought disorders make it very challenging for a person suffering from schizophrenia to carry on a conversation, an enigma that often results in social isolation.
* Agitated body movements known as movement disorders are another kind of positive symptom. In one example, a person with a movement disorder may repeat certain motions again and again. In another example, a person could become catatonic, though catatonia is not often seen today with the development of effective treatments.
Psychological capabilities the schizophrenic person has "lost" as a result of his illness are known as negative symptoms and may include:
* A complete loss of enthusiasm and interest in things that were once important to him. The person with schizophrenia can take no pleasure in everyday life.
* Becoming socially withdrawn, isolated, preferring their own company to contact with others. When they are forced into situations with others, people with schizophrenia do not interact at all. They are incapable of beginning and sustaining planned activities.
* Negative symptoms for schizophrenic people also include apathy, appearing completely indifferent to things going on around them and showing no interest in taking part. They may spend all day doing nothing to the degree that they may even neglect personal hygiene.
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