Schizophrenia involves a range of problems with thinking (cognition), behavior and emotions. Signs and symptoms may vary, but usually involve delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech, and reflect an impaired ability to function.
Drastic changes in behaviour may occur, and the person can become upset, anxious, confused, angry or suspicious of those around them. But most people who get psychotic episodes are not a danger to others. They may not think they need help, and it can be hard to persuade them to visit a doctor.
With the right treatment and self-help, many people with schizophrenia are able to regain normal functioning and even become symptom-free.
As the severity of the schizophrenic defect in the form of negativism, apathy, and abulia increased, changes in emotional and cognitive forms of self-awareness intensified.
Background: People with schizophrenia often exhibit deficits in empathy, which plays a major role in social cognition and interpersonal relationship.
Unfortunately, most people with schizophrenia are unaware that their symptoms are warning signs of a mental disorder. Their lives may be unraveling, yet they may believe that their experiences are normal. Or they may feel that they're blessed or cursed with special insights that others can't see.
As a psychotic condition, schizophrenia can cause some very troubling symptoms, like hallucinations and delusions, that make daily life challenging. Without treatment it can lead to isolation, an inability to work or go to school, depression, suicide, and other complications.
In a study by Watson (14), schizophrenics tended to manipulate the impressions that they made on others via certain &!
Voices may seem angry or urgent and often make demands on the hallucinating person. Visual hallucinations involve seeing objects, people, lights, or patterns that are not actually present. Visualizing dead loved ones, friends, or other people they knew can be particularly distressing.
People with schizophrenia often experience the unnerving feeling that outside forces are controlling them. Other times they feel an illusory sense of power over uncontrollable events. Now scientists find these symptoms may arise from disabilities in predicting or recognizing their own actions.
A person with schizophrenia may not respond in the way we might expect in a 'normal' conversation. Your words may be met with silence or monosyllabic answers. In some cases, the person may say that they are extremely interested in what you want to discuss, but their facial expression and tone may not reflect the same.
Peculiar, eccentric or unusual thinking, beliefs or mannerisms. Suspicious or paranoid thoughts and constant doubts about the loyalty of others. Belief in special powers, such as mental telepathy or superstitions. Unusual perceptions, such as sensing an absent person's presence or having illusions.
Symptoms of Schizophrenic Episodes. Positive symptoms, which include delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and psychotic behaviors that are not seen in those without schizophrenia. Cognitive symptoms, which can include difficulty concentrating and disorganized thoughts, speech, and behavior.
Without treatment, a person with schizophrenia can undergo brain damage, though experts debate the mechanisms through which this happens. People with schizophrenia also have higher rates of liver disease, diabetes, and heart disease than their peers.
You could have: Hallucinations: Seeing or hearing things that aren't there. Delusions: Mistaken but firmly held beliefs that are easy to prove wrong, like thinking you have superpowers, are a famous person, or people are out to get you. Disorganized speech: Using words and sentences that don't make sense to others.
Drug and alcohol use
If you already have schizophrenia, research shows that using recreational drugs may worsen your symptoms. Some studies suggest that people who use high-potency cannabis ('skunk') when in recovery are more likely to have a relapse too.
Living with schizophrenia, it is possible to meet people, to socialize and make friends, and to have a loving intimate relationship. The best way to find a path to a healthy relationship is to treat your illness. Schizophrenia is not a flaw or weakness; it is a real disease.
People with disorganized schizophrenia exhibit flat affect, which means that they show little or no emotions in their facial expressions, voice tone, or mannerisms. At times they exhibit affect that is inappropriate to the situation, such as laughing at something sad.
Among people with schizophrenia the other significant correlates of happiness included lower perceived stress, and higher levels of trait resilience, event resilience, optimism, and personal mastery (all p-values <.