Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Symptoms of schizophrenia can vary widely in type and severity, but they generally fall into three categories: positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms.
Positive symptoms refer to experiences that are added to a person’s mental state that are not present in healthy individuals. These can include:
- Hallucinations: hearing, seeing, or feeling things that aren’t actually there.
- Delusions: holding false beliefs, often involving paranoia or persecution.
- Disordered thinking and speech: difficulty organizing thoughts or speaking in coherent sentences.
Negative symptoms refer to experiences that are taken away from a person’s mental state that are normally present in healthy individuals. These can include:
- Reduced emotional expression: difficulty showing or feeling emotions.
- Reduced motivation: a lack of interest in activities or difficulty starting and following through on tasks.
- Social withdrawal: a decreased desire for social interaction.
Cognitive symptoms refer to problems with thinking and memory that can make it difficult to function in daily life. These can include:
- Problems with working memory: difficulty holding information in mind.
- Poor decision-making: difficulty making choices or planning ahead.
- Difficulty with attention and focus.
Symptoms of schizophrenia typically begin to appear in the late teenage years or early adulthood. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia, it’s important to seek professional help from a mental health provider. Treatment can help manage symptoms and improve overall quality of life.